Nya was gone, and Kai was devastated.
Skeletons had suddenly invaded their home a few days back and taken her. He didn't understand why, but he wished they had taken him instead. Now all he cared about was getting her back. An old fool named Wu had offered to help, and Kai had accepted the combat training, but he was getting impatient. He needed to know his sister was safe, but Wu insisted that he and three other boys find magic golden weapons first.
Every day they wasted on silly magic quests was a day Nya wasn't safe, and Kai couldn't stand it. So when they got to the first weapon, a scythe inside a cave filled with skeletons, Kai grabbed the weapon and got out as soon as possible. As he walked out of the cave, he could tell Wu wasn't happy.
"What do you think you're doing?" Wu barked.
Kai rested the scythe of quakes on his shoulder. He was a little surprised at Wu's sudden anger. He was usually a pretty reserved guy. "We don't have time to fight skeletons. I sped things up."
"I told you not to use the weapons!" Wu yelled.
Kai walked up to Wu and put a hand on his chest. "Listen, the only reason I'm here is to save my sister. I don't care about any of your little ninja quests."
"This is about more than your sister, Kai!" Sensei Wu snapped. "The weapons are unstable. The entire world is at stake, and you just risked all of it."
"Well what if Nya is worth more than the world to me, huh? She's the only one I care about left. I'd be dead without her! After our parents died, she was the one who kept me going. I can't just stand around while she's down in that horrible underworld dying!"
Silence followed until Cole broke it. "Sensei, he also kicked me in the face. I have a bloody nose."
Sensei shook his head. "That's it. Kai, unfortunately you are a very vital part of this team. Otherwise, I would ban you right now. Instead, you're going to pull the cart all alone and be on minimal food rations for a week. Hopefully we can teach you some obedience."
"I don't care!" Kai chucked the scythe of quakes onto the ground. The earth quaked violently as it clattered. "The only reason I followed you in the first place was to learn spinjitzu so I would be strong enough to save my sister. I'm leaving." He turned on his heels and walked away.
"Come back here this instant!" Wu called.
Kai completely ignored him.
"Permission to tackle him, Sensei?" Cole asked.
"Yes, he needs to come with us, even if it's by force."
Kai was about to start running when the ground suddenly burst apart behind him. He whirled around to the stone dragon crawling up through the dirt. Jay screamed in pain as it jumped on top of him and bit into his arm.
Kai stared in shock for a moment before he remembered he didn't care. He turned and ran as fast as he could.
He didn't stop until the sounds of roaring and screaming was gone. He sat down under a tree, breathing heavily. As he sat, he realized he didn't even know where he was going. Where the heck was the underworld, anyways? He also realized that taking the scythe would have been a good idea.
"Kai."
Kai jumped to his feet and looked around. "Nya! Was that you?"
He heard her voice again, and spotted her figure standing in the distance. "Follow me." She turned and disappeared.
"Nya, wait up!" Kai ran after her, joy giving him new energy. Of course she was able to escape on her own. She was the most amazing sister ever!
Kai kept losing track of her, then catching a tiny glimpse of an arm or a wisp of black hair so he could continue. He wondered why she was being so dodgy. Maybe she was still being followed by skeletons.
Eventually they came to a tall volcano, with an intricate red temple built into the base. Kai ran under the arches leading up to it. Nya cracked the huge doors open slightly and slipped in.
Kai threw the doors open, but Nya was nowhere to be seen. The room was covered in Lava, except for a stone path leading to a golden sword. Behind it was a large gaping mouth of a stone dragon. Lava flowed into its jaw and dropped into darkness. Kai couldn't stop staring at the glowing sword. He was in the temple of the sword of fire. Why had Nya brought him here?
A dark presence filled the room, and a low laugh echoed from the ground. The doors slammed shut behind him.
"What's going on?" Kai called. "Who's there?"
The laughing stopped. "Friendly reminder that I have your sister captive and can do anything to her. I would comply if I were you."
"You're Lord Garmadon, aren't you?"
"Nice observation."
Kai looked around the room frantically. "Where are you?"
"Down the lava fall. Don't worry, you'll get to see me. Just bring the sword of fire with you."
Kai pulled the sword from the ground and felt a wave of energy like when he held the scythe, except stronger. He went to the edge of the lava fall and stared down. He couldn't see any bottom. "What am I supposed to do, jump?"
"That's one way to do it, yes."
"And what if you're tricking me into falling to my death?"
"Perhaps I am. If you'd rather not do it, I'm sure your sister would be fine with starving."
Kai continued to stare into the depths. He would do anything for his sister. And if he died? He didn't care.
He took a deep breath and dove into the dark. Hot air rushed past him, and then he passed out.
Kai woke up in a dark cell, on the softest bed he'd ever laid in. He stared at the ceiling for a moment, while the events of the day came back to him. He sat up and turned to inspect the room, then screamed and pressed himself against the wall.
Across the room a black figure with glowing red eyes sat in a chair, staring at him. When Kai screamed, he frowned and looked down at his hands. Despite his inhuman appearance, a very human emotion of shame was showing on his face. "I'm sorry. I never wanted to look so frightening."
Kai recognized his voice and stiffened. "You're Lord Garmadon! You kidnapped my sister!"
"I had a good reason. Would you like to see her?"
Kai raised his eyebrows. That wasn't the reply he had been expecting. "Uh... I guess?"
Garmadon stood and opened the cell door. "Come with me, then."
Kai followed him out of the cell and across a boardwalk. The underworld was a huge cavern with a high ceiling. Looking down, Kai couldn't see any bottom. The ground was chunks of rock floating in the air, with wooden bridges connecting each. Torches were the only light source.
Garmadon led Kai to another cell and opened the door. Nya was inside, kneeling in front of her bed with a wrench. She quickly stuffed it under the mattress and turned around. When she realized who was at the door, she gasped and ran up to Kai, giving him a big hug. "Kai! What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to save you," Kai said, tears filling his eyes. "I swear, if any of those skeletons so much as poked you, I'll-"
"It's ok, Kai. They've just locked me in this cell." Nya looked up at him, cheeks stained from crying. "How did you get here?"
"I brought him here," Garmadon said. "Unfortunately capturing you was the only way to do so."
Kai looked at him and clenched his fists. "Why do you want me here, then?"
"Because I see great potential within you. My brother has already filled the others with his lies, but you had the guts to defy him. Let me be your Sensei, and I'll teach you how to be stronger than all of the others combined! Both of you will be treated like royalty. You came down here to save your sister, and I'm offering to release her."
Kai looked down at his little sister. She shook her head. "Don't listen to him, he's evil."
"What exactly were Wu's lies?" Kai asked.
Garmadon grinned and folded his arms behind his back. "I could list them off for days, but here's an appetizer. Your parents once fought alongside him. They could control the elements of fire and water without a weapon, and those powers have been passed down to you. He was there when they died."
Kai gasped. "He never said any of that!"
Garmadon looked at Nya. "I'd love to teach you how to control water, Nya. He would never take a girl as one of his ninja unless it was an emergency."
Nya took a step back. "No! You want to take over all of Ninjago! You're the one who locked me down here in the first place! I'll never support a creepy old man like you!"
Garmadon sighed. "Fine. What about you, Kai? Will you take me up on my offer?"
Kai looked from Nya to Garmadon, then closed his eyes. "Deal."
He heard Nya gasp. "Kai, don't do this!"
Kai lowered his head and didn't reply. He was doing this for her.
"Fine!" Nya snapped. "You aren't my brother anymore. I'm not going to be free unless someone does it right!"
Kai heard the cell door slam shut.
After a moment, Kai felt a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see Garmadon giving him a gentle smile, with understanding and sadness behind it. His glowing red eyes somehow seemed soft and caring. "I know what it's like to have a sibling disown you. I'm sure she'll understand your choices someday."
"Really?"
"If everything goes to plan, all of Ninjago will understand." He clapped his hands twice, and a skeleton came up with a red cloth. Garmadon unwrapped it, revealing the sword of fire, then handed it to Kai.
"Come, your training starts now."
"Yes, Sensei."
After a few months in the underworld, Kai could barely remember the feeling of fresh air and grass under his feet. His eyes had adjusted to the dark caves.
He made his way to the temple where Sensei Garmadon taught lessons and held meetings, angrily shoving skeletons out of the way.
On his way he stopped by Nya's cell. He could hear her scraping away at the wall with her wrench, like she had been doing for a couple weeks. Nobody was going to stop her. She wasn't a prisoner. She could walk out the door whenever she wanted.
Kai knocked on the door. "Good morning, Nya. Want to come out?" It had become a daily ritual for him to greet her.
Nya, as always, completely ignored him.
Kai sighed and continued on his way. When he got to the temple, he shoved the doors open with all his might and stomped in. "Sensei! I-"
He realized that Sensei Garmadon was currently speaking to Samukai, who was kneeling in front of him and trembling. They both turned to look at him.
Kai bowed. "Sorry, sensei. I should have knocked first."
Garmadon waved Samukai away. "It's fine. We were just finishing."
Samukai got up and walked through the doors. As he passed Kai, a low growl came from his throat. Kai glared at him threateningly, and the skeleton continued on his way.
"Good morning, Kai," Sensei Garmadon said. "Were you going to say something?"
"Yes, sensei, I'm tired of waiting. I could beat the ninja today! They aren't going to come down here on their own. I still don't understand why we aren't taking the fight to them."
"Patience," Sensei Garmadon said. He pulled out a sword and walked towards Kai.
Kai got his sword of fire ready and watched Garmadon's movements closely. "That's what Wu always said."
"Sometimes Wu is right. We received word from the scouts last night. The ninja have finally gotten their hands on the nunchucks of lightning, the last golden weapon. Next the scouts will kidnap Wu and bring him down here, and then his little students will come down to rescue him. Think fast!"
Sensei Garmadon swung his sword towards Kai, who smoothly blocked him and bent the sword out of his hands.
"You know you don't have to warn me before you attack. And you were holding your sword loose on purpose."
"Good observation," Sensei said. "Now, let's practice your fire."
Kai held his sword in front of him and took a deep breath. Fire started to crawl up the blade.
Sensei started pacing around him. "What are we fighting for?"
"We are fighting for those who are misunderstood and labeled as dangerous."
"Who is our biggest enemy?"
"Wu Garmadon, and any who follow him."
"And why is that?"
Kai started to feel weak from holding the fire for so long."He knew it is the venom that causes you to do evil. He promised he would help you overcome it. Then, he turned his back on you and banished you to here. He tried to forcefully use me as a tool because of my powers."
"What are we going to do?"
"We are going to recreate the world in your image, so everyone can understand what you have to endure."
Sensei stopped pacing and put a hand on Kai's shoulder. "What will happen to you when we have succeeded?"
Kai was so surprised and confused his fire fizzled out. "I- I'm not sure, Sensei."
"You're going to rule beside me as my right-hand man."
Kai's eyes got wide. "I am honored you trust me that much."
Sensei opened his mouth to speak, before Samukai came barging in. "What? Lord Garmadon, this is not the deal I agreed to! I'm second in command!"
Sensei growled. "You fool, I knew you would betray me the second you get the chance! Your eavesdropping proves it."
Samukai pulled out his four curved daggers and glared at Kai. "How about we fight for the position? The strongest deserves to lead."
Kai looked at Sensei Garmadon, who gave a small nod. Kai lifted his sword and grinned. "I accept your challenge."
Samukai launched forward with a yowl, swinging with all four blades at once. Kai took a step back, blocked two of the blades with his sword, and danced around the other two. Samukai looked surprised, but went for another similar attack. Kai spun around to the skeleton's back and kicked him onto the ground. Kai went to stab his sword into Samukai's rib cage. Samukai suddenly clawed at the ground and threw a handful of dirt behind him.
Kai backed away, sputtering and blinking. He was blinded, and before he could recover, Samukai sliced him across his left eye.
Kai screamed and staggered back into a wall, gripping his injury. He heard Samukai laugh in pleasure and dived to the side right as the daggers scratched the wall. He blinked the dust out of his right eye, but his left was dripping blood.
Samukai whirled around to strike again and Kai leapt back to dodge it. Gritting his teeth, he spun around and watched a tornado of flame rise around him.
Kai had practiced sword fighting a lot more than spinjitzu over the months, but it gave him a protective wall to make up for his new blind spot. Unfortunately he couldn't hold it for long, and when he stopped he would be exhausted.
Samukai's skull suddenly appeared, extending past the fire, jaw opened wide. Kai screamed and jammed his sword into the jaw on the next spin around.
It fit perfectly and held fast, bringing Kai's spinjitzu to a jarring stop. Samukai yowled in pain. Kai pulled at the sword, but he just yanked Samukai onto the floor.
Both fighters froze as Sensei Garmadon started clapping. "Good job, Kai! I was worried for a moment, but you pulled through just like I thought you would."
Samukai tried to say something through his damaged skull. Kai gave another tug at the sword and he fell silent.
"Thank you, Sensei," Kai said. He inspected the sword and sighed. "Um... What now?"
"Kill the traitor," Garmadon said, as if it were obvious.
Samukai mumbled in protest, flailing his arms and legs. Kai looked down at him, horrified. "Are you sure? What about prisoners?"
"Look at what he did to your face. He would have killed you without a second thought. War is a horrible thing. It's too risky to keep a traitor around."
Kai looked down at Samukai, who had stopped struggling and was staring up at him with narrowed eyes, silent.
Kai became very aware of the sting in his wounded eye, and he remembered the day Samukai had attacked his village, defeated him, destroyed his father's black shop, and kidnapped Nya. Because of Samukai, nothing was ever going to be the same.
His blood felt like it was boiling with anger. He thought about everything horrible that had happened since that attack, everything he'd been penning up. He screamed and released the anger through the blade, flames licked around Samukai's bones. They began to pop, cracks stretched across their surface, and then the skeleton began to collapse. Samukai's glowing red eyes dimmed, leaving nothing but dark, empty sockets.
Kai collapsed to his knees. The sword fell over into the ash, free.
Kai didn't feel free.
He thought releasing all of his anger would help, but he felt even heavier. He felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Come on, you need medical attention," Sensei said. "You've made me proud."
Thankfully, Kai's eye would most likely heal and all that would remain would be scars.
Unfortunately, Kai couldn't stop thinking about Samukai's death.
Kai's father used to tell him bedtime stories about how he fought snakes and rode dragons with Kai's mother and such. Kai had stopped believing they were true a long time ago, but his father always put little lessons into the stories. One of the more common ones was to give others a second chance. In the stories, Kai's father never killed.
Thinking about the stories made Kai want to hear his father's voice again. He wanted things to be like old again. He wished they had never died.
Wu had been captured and dragged inside the temple. Kai made sure he wasn't there. He wasn't sure what Wu would do if he saw him. Instead, Kai waited in front of the entrance the ninja would most likely come through.
He wasn't sure what would happen when they faced each other, but he did know he was fighting for the right side.
Kai wasn't expecting them to come in on dragons, especially considering Cole was afraid of them. They burst through the tunnel at an alarming speed, skidding to a stop at the edge of the rock. Kai barely managed to dive out of the way.
Cole hopped off his dragon and backed away from it. "We made it! Solid ground!"
"It isn't as solid as it looks," Kai said.
The three ninja looked at Kai. There was stunned silence for a moment.
Cole was the first to speak up. "Kai? Is that you?"
"What, you don't recognize me?"
"What happened to your face?" Jay blurted.
Kai looked Jay up and down and noticed a simple metal cylinder with a hook at the end where his right arm used to be. "I could ask you the same thing about your arm."
Jay pointed accusingly at the dragon Cole had flown in on. "It was him! But we're good friends now, and I'm building an electricity-controlled cybernetic arm so I can be an awesome cyborg but boy did it hurt when the dragon ripped my arm off you should have been there-"
"Jay! We have more important things to discuss," Cole snapped. "Kai, what are you doing down here? Where did you get the sword of fire?"
Zane seemed to stare into Kai's soul. "I sense that Kai has grown darker since he ran away."
Frustration rose in Kai's throat. "Ok, first of all, I didn't run away, I went to go save my sister instead of running around collecting stupid artifacts because Wu told me to, second of all, I'm not darker, whatever that means. But I am stronger."
Cole laughed. "Really? You look sick, like you haven't seen the sun in months."
Kai walked up to Cole until they were face to face. "I just killed Samukai in a one-on-one duel."
Cole's eyes widened, and he leaned away a bit.
"Killing is not the ninja way," Zane said.
"I'm not a ninja!" Kai snapped. "That's a childish dream that Wu put into your heads along with all his lies and secrets. Lord Garmadon is my Sensei now."
"Woah woah, wait, you're a bad guy now?" Jay asked.
"No! Wu is the bad guy. Did he tell you it's his fault Garmadon is evil? Did he tell you he took a little kid as a student and filled his head with dreams of being some chosen one until he got spoiled and ran off to do something dangerous and got himself killed? Did he tell you he sent his nephew to Darkly's boarding school for bad boys because he thought the kid was going to be just like his father anyways?"
Once again, there was silence. Then Cole crossed his arms and leaned forward. "So what? Garmadon has done a ton of bad stuff too. If we have to fight you, we will. It's three to one."
Kai laughed and shook his head. "You'll need better odds than that when we do. But first, I need you to do something."
"Give us one good reason why we should listen to anything else you say," Cole growled.
Kai pointed towards Nya's cell. "Nya is up there. She won't let me save her, but if you go up there she'll go with you. She deserves to be free." He turned to the temple. "Wu is down there. Sensei Garmadon and I will be waiting for you."
Jay scampered towards the cell. "I'm going to save a girl! I'm going to save a girl and she's going to love me!"
Cole glared at Kai a second longer, shook his head slowly, and went after Kai. Zane followed.
Kai took a deep breath and went to the temple. Everything was going to plan so far.
Wu was tied up with rope and gagged next to Garmadon's throne. The second he saw Kai, his eyes grew stern, but he didn't say anything.
Sensei Garmadon was leaned over him, mouth open like Kai had interrupted him mid-conversation. He straightened up and folded his arms behind his back. "Kai, where are the golden weapons?"
"I sent them to get Nya first. Then they can come and fight here where you can both see."
Lord Garmadon frowned. "I wish you has told me of this plan, but we'll make it work."
Kai bowed. "Thank you, Sensei."
Kai heard Jay and Cole bickering in the distance, their voices growing steadily louder. Kai unsheathed his sword of fire and turned to face the entrance.
Garmadon laughed. "Those are your students, brother? They aren't very stealthy ninja, if you ask me."
Wu didn't try to reply.
The doors creaked open, and the three ninja leapt in. Nya stood in the doorway and caught Kai's eye for a moment, but then glared and looked away.
The ninja fanned out to flank Kai, and Cole ended up on his blind side. Kai grinned. The fight could actually end up being a bit of a challenge.
"Don't worry Sensei, we'll save you!" Jay called.
Garmadon walked up beside Kai. "No, you are here to die." He unsheathed two swords with a grin.
Kai gritted his teeth as he remembered Samukai crumbling to pieces at his will. Kai wasn't an evil person, nobody on his side was. Why did killing make Kai question that?
Everyone but Kai prepared to charge.
"Wait!" Kai jumped in front of Garmadon. "Surrender your weapons now, and nobody has to get hurt."
Cole laughed. "Not going to happen, Red."
"Kai, what are you doing?" Garmadon asked, a threatening and impatient hint in his voice.
"Sensei, let me show you that killing isn't the answer. I'll fight them on my own to prove it."
Garmadon tipped his head to one side, thoughtful.
Kai looked at Nya, who was watching him out of the corner of her eyes. "Nobody dies. Not on my watch."
Garmadon backed up to stand next to Wu. "I'm curious to see how this goes."
Kai took a deep breath and gripped his sword a little tighter. He could do this.
Jay and Cole rushed towards him at the same time. He braced himself until the last second, then sprung into the air, sending the two tumbling into eachother.
Kai landed, and realized he had put Zane in his blind spot. Kai spun around to see him and saw two shurikens flying towards him. He dove to the ground and felt the blade slice through his hair.
Kai got to his feet and grinned. Zane had left himself weaponless. Zane took a cautious step back when he realized it, and Kai dashed towards him. He raised his sword for a finishing blow when he heard a ringing sound behind him. He glanced back and saw the shurikens miraculously coming towards him again. He spun to the side and Zane caught them.
Kai gaped. "Hey! That's not even fai-"
Kai felt a strong punch to his stomach from his blind side and collapsed, the breath knocked out of him.
"It was pretty obvious from the start this fight wasn't fair," Cole said, standing above him. He swung his scythe down.
Kai rolled to the side and felt the ground crack right where he had just been. Cole raised his scythe for another try, but Kai spun his legs around and knocked Cole onto the floor, dropping his scythe in the fall. Kai quickly kicked it before Cole could grab it again, and it skittered across the floor until it hit the wall.
Jay leapt forward to cover Cole while he ran back to get his scythe. He swung the nunchucks of lightning around with his one good arm. "Time for round two, hot head!"
Kai focused and shifted his feet a little, then gave his sword a little flick. A ball of fire flew towards Jay and ignited his clothes.
While Jay screamed and Zane ran to help him, Kai dashed towards Cole, who was stooping down to grab the scythe.
Kai used the momentum of his run to leap up and kick Cole in the chest. The recoil knocked Cole's head against the wall with a sound that made Kai cringe, and he crumpled in a heap onto the floor.
Kai's heart leapt into his throat. He meant to prevent Cole from grabbing the scythe, but not to knock him out- or worse.
Kai dropped to his knees and checked Cole's pulse and breathing. He was still alive, but knocked out cold.
As Kai got to his feet, he heard Jay laugh behind him. "Take this!" He yelled.
Kai heard a high-pitched ring, but before he could do anything he felt a shock strike him in the back. He screamed and collapsed to the floor as searing pain arced across his whole body, and through the ringing in his ears he could hear Garmadon screaming his name.
Kai might have blacked out for a few seconds, but he wasn't sure. The first thing he registered was the sound of metal clanging against metal right in front of him, echoing dully inside his skull. He opened his eyes to see Garmadon fending off Zane and Jay with his two swords. There were moments where Zane and Jay were completely open and Garmadon could easily strike them through, but he was focused on defending Kai.
Jay started swinging his nunchucks around, and another high pitched whine rang in Kai's ear. Garmadon seemed completely oblivious.
Kai tried to warn him, but his throat was dry and weak. He tried to get up, but his body felt like lead. Kai caught a glint out of the corner of his eye and realized it was the scythe, still lying next to Cole. Kai remembered the surge of energy he felt every time he held a golden weapon and reached forward to grab it, rehandling his sword at the same time with his other hand.
The second his hands closed around the handles of both weapons, he felt a burst of strength stronger than anything he'd ever experienced, and a warm feeling spread through his limbs. He sprang to his feet to protect Garmadon, intending to swipe at the front of Jay's suit to break him away. But as Kai leapt forward to protect Garmadon, Zane leapt forward to protect Jay.
The scythe lodged in the left side of his chest with a strange, dull thud. Kai gasped and yanked the weapon out, and Zane collapsed into Jay's arm.
Zanes's chest was a layer of torn metal, with cut wires and dislodged gears underneath. Zane cringed in pain and avoided looking at it. "I-I don't understand..."
"Kai, drop one of the weapons, now!" Garmadon snapped. "Even I can barely handle wielding two at once!"
"I-I can't!" Kai gasped. He wished he could, but his hands refused to comply. The warm feeling he had felt before had grown to a feverish burn and was steadily rising. A wave of dizziness made him fall to his knee, and the tip of the scythe tapped the ground. Kai didn't wish it, but the gentle touch still caused the temple to shake violently. Lord Garmadon grabbed the scythe and struggled to tear it from Kai's grip, while the whole underworld began to rumble. "No no no, Kai, stay with me! You have to let go!"
Kai screamed. The heat had grown to a burning, consuming horror that made it impossible to think about anything besides wanting to tear himself apart until he never existed.
The ceiling began to crack above them. Kai managed to draw together his last ounce of strength, got to his feet, and shoved Lord Garmadon out of the way.
The earthly sky above Kai crumbled and he desperately shielded his head.
Kai's mind cleared as the burning faded away. The weapons had been knocked out of his hands by the falling chunks of ceiling. Everything was dark and still shaking, and a huge weight bore down on him painfully that made it hard to breath. He had been completely buried by debris.
The rocks in front of him started to move, and soon Kai could see a crack of light.
Nya sounded like she was about to cry. "Oh no, Kai, please be ok!"
Kai could only manage a cough in reply. The digging around him quickened. Soon he could see Garmadon and Nya next to each other, moving rocks. Wu was behind them, still tied up and struggling to get loose. Jay was trying to get Zane to stand up, but he refused to respond. Instead he stared down at his chest in silent shock. Cole was still in a lump on the floor. The ground continued to shake. He could hear screaming and crashing outside the temple. The place wasn't going to hold together much longer. Every moment they spent digging him out was a huge risk.
Kai managed to breath so he could talk. "Guys, stop. You have to get out of here."
Nya began to dig faster. "No! I can't leave you here. I can't be left alone. I treated you horribly, I-I can't-" Nya bit her lip and started to shake.
Kai could feel himself starting to fade. Between the battles with Samukai and the ninja, being shocked by lightning, the strain of holding two golden weapons at once, and being crushed by tons of rock, it was a miracle he had survived that long.
Kai never sounded so serious. "Nya... I'm not going to make it."
Nya stopped digging, looked Kai in the eye, and shook her head.
Kai rarely argued with Nya, due to her stubbornness and determination to always win. But this time the stakes were too high, and he cared about her too much to give up. "You have to get everyone else out of here before it's too late. Help Wu and Zane."
Nya opened her mouth to argue back, but then her eyes softened and she bit her lip. "Ok. I'm sorry."
Kai managed to put on a smile for her. "I'm sorry too. You're the best sister anyone could have, and... I know... you'll be strong enough... alone." Kai's head began to swim, but he forced himself to stay alive. He needed to make sure everyone was safe first.
Nya took a deep breath left, untied Wu's binds, and helped Jay pick up Zane. The four of them slowly made it to the entrance and started up the stairs.
Lord Garmadon acted as if he didn't hear a word Kai said, but Kai knew he had from the look of worry and determination in his furrowed brow. His undigging was hasty and panicked.
Kai managed to gather enough energy to speak again. "Sensei-"
"No!" Lord Garmadon snapped. He stopped digging, but avoided looking at Kai. "I've lost so much. My wife, my son, my brother's trust. Whenever something good comes into my life it rots away, but maybe if I fight back harder..." Lord Garmadon strained to pick up a larger rock on top of Kai's leg, and the release of pressure made him scream in pain despite the lack of oxygen to do so.
Garmadon set it back down, breathing hard. "I've never been strong enough to do anything right."
"Cole," Kai choked out.
Lord Garmadon turned to look at Cole, who was still silently slumped on the ground. When Garmadon turned back, his eyes were squeezed shut. "You're the best student I could have asked for, and an inspiration. Though evil runs through my veins, I'm going to start fighting back again." He opened his eyes, which didn't seem to be glowing as much as before. But maybe it was just Kai's vision, which was starting to blur. Garmadon gave a small but painful smile and looked him in the eye. "Thank you. Maybe someday I'll be as selfless a hero as you."
The last thing Kai saw was Lord Garmadon scooping Cole up in his arms. Then a warm feeling filled Kai's chest, a good, comforting kind of warm, and his pain melted away.
A couple minutes later, four dragons landed solemnly at the blacksmith shop. If they had stayed a moment longer, the wouldn't have made it out of the underworld. Soon Cole was waking up, Jay was helping Zane repair himself, Garmadon and Nya were comforting each other, and Wu silently held a twisted blade of iron, deep in thought.
On that day nobody died, except the true hero from the other side.
