#okay I really like Garsako alright

[yuki7900archive]

Ninjago Oneshot: Promises

Another oneshot inspired by a song from Hamilton.

- - -

“How long have you known?” Garmadon asked his wife, his hand in hers as they sat on a bench outside of his father’s old monastery. She didn’t look up at him, she just smiled at her lap with half lidded dark green hues. Her thick, braided hair was resting on her right shoulder, not a single strand out of place despite the slight breeze. The neckerchief tied around her neck matched her eyes and only made them stand out more to him. They looked like gemstones to him, and they were beautiful.

“A month or so.” Misako glanced up at her partner to see him widen his eyes, just before his brows furrowed. He wasn’t angry with her, just puzzled.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Garmadon scooted closer to her.

“I wrote to Wu the moment I knew. I thought he would’ve told you but I guess the war had you both busy.” The man hummed. He wanted to blame his brother for the news not being delivered to him, but sadly he couldn’t. They hadn’t received anything from anyone in a while, everyone was too afraid to come into a war zone, which was fair enough he supposed. They had every right to be afraid; Serpentine were not the kind of people to give mercy.

“I’m glad your home.” The brunette beamed. “How long do you plan to stay?”

“Until they need me again. The Serpentine are sealed away now, so we shouldn’t have anything to worry about. You never know when they’ll require my assistance though. Something is always happening in Ninjago.”

“Even so…I hope you stay long enough to meet them.” She pressed her free hand to her tummy, a blush on her face. Garmadon also brought his hand up to her stomach, a warm feeling in his heart as he thought about the child due in eight months time. What would they be? A boy or a girl? What would they look like? Would they have more of their mother’s features, or his? What kind of personality would they have? Would they be kind but fierce like Misako? Or would they be like him?

…What if they were like him? Would they have the venom in their blood too? Would they be evil, like he was becoming with each passing day? The thought worried him. He didn’t want that for his child, to be burdened with the endless hunger to rule and destroy. It was hard for him to push down the power inside him because it grew stronger each day. Somehow the wonderful news of his wife being pregnant with his first child had become sour like out of date milk. What had once made him overjoyed now made him fearful.

“Misako…” Garmadon sighed and shut his eyes tightly, pulling his hand away from her stomach and un-gripping her other hand. The contents of his own stomach churned as he tried to get the words out. The words he didn’t want to say or even think about. He turned to face forward and avoided his wife’s eye contact. “This child of ours…what if I’ve tainted it?”

“No. Don’t think like that.” Her smile faltered. He was so happy a second ago, suddenly his mood had just changed out of nowhere.

“I can’t help it.” He hugged himself and lent forward, resting his elbows on his knees. The air suddenly felt a lot colder than before as he thought of his future child, hurting people, causing chaos where they went. The part of him that was evil grinned maliciously at the thought, but the real him? It filled him with dread and made him nauseous. He was already praying it wouldn’t be so, begging for whatever deity out there that could hear him to save the unborn baby from the same fate as him.

“Garmadon, look at me.” He glanced in her direction, unable to look the woman he loved so dearly in the eye. “I don’t know how this child will turn out, neither of us do. But you and I, we’ll still love them all the same, won’t we?” She tilted her head and leaned towards him a little, trying to get a better glimpse into his ever changing hues.

This was true. No matter what happened, he would still love his child, protect it with his life. Why would he have any reason not to?He nodded at Misako.

“The fact that you’ve managed to hold back this long is a miracle. You’ve had that venom inside you since you were a child. Yet here you are, a fully grown adult, still fighting back. Surely, even if our baby did have the same venom inside him or her, they’d fight it too?” That was the thing the Spinjitzu Master was unsure about. Would it be able to contain itself? It’s wants and desires? If they couldn’t, would they have to take it down? Would he have to kill his own flesh and blood? That terrified him. Murdering his own child to keep Ninjago safe. Even when he would become fully evil he knew that the death of his child would destroy his heart. That’s when he decided instantly in his mind:

“If that is the case then I shouldn’t raise him.” Garmadon muttered as he balled his hands into fists, looking away from Misako yet again.

“What? Don’t be absurd! You’d make a great father-”

“Not if I’m evil I won’t.” There was a silence. Misako wasn’t sure what to say, and Garmadon had nothing more to add. At least not until a minute later.

“Misako, promise me that…” He paused to grab his wife’s hands and bring them close to his chest. He squeezed them, desperate for her to understand. He gulped and continued. “That when our child is born, you will put them on the right path.”

“Garmadon…” She laughed like he was joking, like he was crazy. She didn’t want to process what he was implying. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her closer to him.

“Please…” His tone was one of urgency, one that Misako has never heard from him before. It frightened her to know her husband was so afraid. Afraid of his child turning out like him. She sat and stared at him, pupils fixed in place as she saw the elemental master before her tremble with fear. She could feel his hands shaking as he wanted her to respond. He waited for a specific response, something that made sure he could be certain that everything would be alright. That his son or daughter would be okay without him.

“…I promise Garm…” She whispered to him, her voice wavering. Her husband’s face scrunched up as he wrapped his arms around her frame and snuggled his head into her shoulder. She slowly put her arms on his back and rubbed softly, doing her best to comfort him.

“I love you Misako.” He mumbled into her shoulder, sounding so relieved.

“I love you too Garmy.” She replied softly, shutting her eyes and letting one hand rake through his silky, dark brown locks of hair.

- - -

It was raining heavily when she and Lloyd arrived at the boarding school. The small boy had a green raincoat on along with some green wellies. He was splashing about in the puddles, giggling away and having fun. The sight made Misako smile but it also broke her heart. She couldn’t bear to do this, it hurt so much, but it had to be done.

“Come on Lloyd, we’re almost there.” She reached her hand out for him to take, which he did. He ran up to her and grabbed her hand, his small fingers intertwining with hers. She held onto him as tightly as she could as they walked along the muddy pathway, making the most of the time remaining with her beloved baby boy.

“Mama, why are we leaving home? Did uncle not want us there?”

“We aren’t leaving home. I’ve told you, it’s a nice little holiday for you! You’ll get to make lots of new friends and do lots of exciting things.”

“Mhm…but I don’t wanna make friends, I have you Mama!”

He was only three, bless him, he didn’t understand what was going on. He didn’t know what was to come and, honestly, Misako didn’t know if it made things easier or harder for her. The closer they both got to the towering building at the top of the hill, the more she remembered Garmadon’s words.

Promise me Misako.

It rang so loudly in her ears. That same sentence stuck on repeat over and over with every step she took. She hadn’t seen Garmadon in a long time, not after he’d turned evil. He’d just disappeared. She asked Wu to elaborate but he never did. That is not important, is what she said to her. Not important? She scoffed and scowled at her brother in law. They were discussing her husband and it wasn’t important? The man had been bitten by the Great Devourer, destined to become an evil warlord since the age of seven. He was going to take over Ninjago one day. And Lloyd? He was the solution to it all, she could feel it. From the moment she laid eyes on him she knew that he would be the one Wu was searching for: The Green Ninja. She didn’t tell him though. She wanted Lloyd to avoid this whole mess. She was going to study all the scrolls she could, research everything, see if she could discover a way for avoid what fate her son faced. But that required sacrifice, and that meant giving up her son.

Before they knew it, they were at the front door, one of the teachers waiting for them. He had his arms crossed and a smile on his face as he saw the pair climb up the stairs.

“Ah! Welcome Misako! This must be Lloyd?” He grinned at her eerily, sending a small shiver down her spine. She was already regretting this.

“Yes, this is my son. Say hello Lloyd.” The boy didn’t say a word as he hid behind his mother’s coat. He waved at the man though as to not be too impolite.

“I’m sorry, he’s a little nervous.” The woman explained as she placed a comforting hand behind the small child’s back and brought him forward in front of her. Her left hand rested on his shoulder, her right hand preoccupied with carrying Lloyd’s belongings.

“Quite alright. Here, let me take that suitcase off of our hands.” He reached for the object and clasped the handle as Misako took her hand away, placing that on her son’s head instead. She felt his fingers gripped at the arm of her coat, knowing he was scared. She didn’t blame him.

“Now then, I’d better show Lloyd around.”

“Mhm of course. Let me just say goodbye?” The man nodded and stood by the door, waiting for her to say what she needed to say. Misako turned her boy’s body around to face her and she knelt down to his level. She took both his hands in hers again and squeezed.

“Mama. How long am I staying here?” He blinked, a frown on his face. The woman swallowed down the urge to cry as she rubbed her fingers against his soft skin.

“Not long, I promise. Don’t worry, you’ll have so much fun you won’t even realise I’m gone!”

Lloyd didn’t seem so sure. He looked rather melancholic as she brought him in for one final hug and kiss on the forehead. She needed to leave before she started crying in front of him. If she did he would never stay.

“Goodbye Lloyd.” She stroked his cheeks just before she stood up and began to walk down the steps. She heard the man beckon him inside out of the rain, and whilst it took him a few seconds, he eventually complied and followed the stranger inside. Misako turned around just in time to catch a glimpse of her son before the door slammed shut. The moment it did she let her tears flow. Without looking back again she made her way to Wu’s monastery. She had a lot of work to do.

As the years passed, Misako worked hard to try and find an alternate way to stop Lord Garmadon, but unfortunately she found nothing. All the while, her son waited by his dorm room window. He did so each and everyday until he was six years old. Every morning he would wait, every evening he would sit, he didn’t budge from that windowsill no matter what was thrown at him or what other boys said about him. His mother said the time would fly by. She’d be back before she’d even know she was gone. It was only when he’d sat for the 1,095 consecutive day in the same spot did he come to the conclusion he had. Misako had lied to him. She wasn’t ever going to come and get him. That’s when he stopped caring about her, and instead focused on his dad.

If he became evil, just like him, maybe he would notice. Maybe he’d take him in. Then he’d have a Dad. He wouldn’t be stuck in this miserable place he hated so much. So he decided there and then that being good was overrated. Being bad however? That was the thing that would get him the attention he craved.