Chapter Text
This is the story of how we died. Don't worry, this is actually a very fun story. And the truth is, it isn't even ours. This is the story of a boy named Kai. And it starts with the sun above.
Now, once upon a time, a single drop of sunlight fell from the heavens. And from this small drop of sun grew a magic, golden gem. It was ruby red and had the ability to heal and give great strength. Oh, you see that old, ugly man, over there? You might want to remember him; he’s kind of important. Well, centuries passed, and a hop, skip, and a sunrise away, there grew a kingdom. The kingdom was ruled by the beloved King and Queen, Maya and Ray. And the Queen, well, she was about to have a baby. But she got sick, really sick. She was running out of time. And that's when people usually start to look for a miracle. Or in this case, a magic red gem.
Ahhh, I told you he'd be important. You see, instead of sharing the Sun's gift, this man, Lord Garmadon, hoarded its healing power and used it to keep himself young and strong for hundreds of years. And all he had to do was sing a special song.
"Flame arise and burn
Let your heat ignite
Turn the embers back
Restore what once was mine…
What once was mine…"
The ruby shone brightly, the rays hitting his skin as his body grew back to his prime.
All right, you get the gist. He sings, he turns young. Creepy, right? However, the sounds of guards approaching made his escape rushed, knocking back the vines he placed to hide his treasure. The red ruby was dug out of the ground and crushed into a soup to heal the queen. And, by a miracle, it worked! A healthy baby boy, a prince, was born. With beautiful, fiery red hair and almost glowing eyes. His parents were surprised by his fast-growing hair, but didn’t pay much mind to it. I'll give you a hint: That's Kai. To celebrate his birth, the King and Queen launched a flying lantern into the sky. For that one moment, everything was perfect.
And then that moment ended.
Garmadon, much grayer and older, sneaks into the nursery during the dead of night. Kai is asleep in his crib. Garmadon lifts a strand of Kai’s red hair and draws a pair of scissors from his cloak. He begins to sing, Kai's hair starting to glow. “Flame arise and burn, Let your heat ignite, Turn the embers ba-” A shocked gasp leaves his lips as when he cut a stand, it turned a jet black, falling to the mattress as it’s powerless. Without a second thought, he stole the child. Guards rushing in just to see a dark figure leap from the balcony into the night. Just like that... gone. The Kingdom searched and searched, but they could not find the Prince.
Years went by, and the queen had a baby girl this time, a princess. Nya grew up with the stories of her older brother almost printed into her mind. She would find who tore her brother away from their family and make them pay. Every year, on the prince’s birthday, the kingdom would release thousands of lanterns into the sky, hoping that one day, he would find his way home.
Deep within the forest, in a hidden tower, Garmadon raised the child as his own.
Kai sang that same practised song he’d known as Garmadon brushed his hair. “...guard what has been lost, Restore what once was mine, What once was mine…”
Garmadon had found his new shining gem. But this time, he was determined to keep it hidden, alongside… other things.
You see, after stealing Kai and becoming young again, he slept with a beautiful woman. When she became pregnant, he panicked. No one could know what was done that night. So he ran away, taking the child with him to keep it a secret. The only reason he hasn't gotten rid of Lloyd is because of Kai’s strong attachment. He needed to keep his gem happy, after all.
“Father, why can't I go outside?” a younger Kai asked, staring towards the window.
“The outside world is a dangerous place. Filled with horrible and monstrous people. You must stay here, where you and your brother are safe. Do you understand, gem?” Garmadon answered, his voice low but firm.
“Yes, Father,” Kai answered, looking at Lloyd sitting next to him. “I promise”.
But the walls of that tower could not hide everything. For each year on his birthday, Kai would sneak down with Lloyd, leaning out of the window as they watched the floating lights.
“One day, we'll leave this tower and go see them.” He promised Lloyd, “One day…”