"You dare enter my Kingdom and attack me!" Pythor shouted.
"It's not even your Kingdom," Lloyd snapped, standing up straight. "This Kingdom has always belonged to the Smith family, never you."
"They're gone, and the pathetic excuse for a Prince fled like a baby," Pythor taunted.
Kai felt rage building up inside him, and knew he was about to snap.
"Flame!" Cole shouted. "Don't lose control of yourself!"
Kai shook it off, calming quickly.
"Thanks, Rocky," Kai shouted.
"What, am I offending you?" Pythor turned, taunting Kai. "Did you actually care about them?"
"All I care about, is that you don't live to see the sun rise again," Kai retorted.
"You don't scare me," Pythor replied.
A scream echoed, everyone turning as the last snake, other than Pythor, fell. A shuriken was embedded into its chest, falling onto a pile of about five other snakes. Zane, Cole and Jay all turned, starting to walk towards the stage.
"K- Flame!" Lloyd cried.
Kai turned, realizing Lloyd was in big trouble, seeing he almost called Kai by his real name. Kai saw Lloyd in Pythor's grasp, his tail around the boys legs with one arm holding Lloyd's hands behind his back and the other arm around Lloyd's neck. Lloyd was pure terrified, although his mask was still on.
"Now, be a good boy and surrender," Pythor told Kai. "You and your little friends. Show us who you truly are and I might let you go."
Kai glared at Pythor.
"Lil Kid," Cole muttered, shocked.
"What do we do?" Jay asked.
"Frosty, any ideas?" Cole asked, looking at the boy in white.
"None," Zane shook his head.
"Bolt?" Cole turned to Jay.
"Nothing," Jay sighed.
"Flame," Cole turned, looking at Kai.
"Let him go," Kai said.
"What are you going to do if I don't?" Pythor taunted.
"I can get you what you want," Kai said.
"You know where the Prince is?" Pythor grinned.
Kai nodded, keeping a straight face.
"If I let the boy go, you show me to him," Pythor said.
"Let him go, then," Kai said, sounding rather calm for his situation.
Pythor released Lloyd, who ran to Kai.
"Are you alright?" Kai asked.
"Yes, but what are you going to do?" Lloyd asked quietly.
"Just trust me," Kai said.
Kai turned to the others, nodding with assurance.
"Flame! Are you insane!" Cole shouted.
"I know what I'm doing, alright!" Kai shouted back.
Kai stepped towards Pythor, standing in front of him. The crowd behind the rest of the team was silent.
"Well, I'm waiting," Pythor said.
Kai lit a flame in his hand, keeping himself calm.
"Are you just going to stand there?" Pythor asked.
"Nope," Kai grinned.
Kai punched Pythor in the jaw with the flaming fist. Pythor cried out in shock and pain, backing away from Kai.
"That's what you get for taking Lil Kid," Kai grinned.
Then he launched a second fireball, hitting Pythor in the stomach.
"And that was for everything else you've done to this Kingdom," Kai said.
Lloyd, Cole, Zane and Jay walked up beside Kai, standing in a line.
"Now, do you want to know who defeated you?" Kai asked.
Pythor looked up at Kai. Kai pulled his mask off, and the crowd gasped.
"You," Pythor glared.
"You know it," Kai grinned.
Pythor charged at the group. Unaware of Dash on the rooftops, waiting for her moment.
"Get down!" Kai shouted.
They all ducked, an arrow flying above them and digging into Pythor's arm.
"Dang it! So close!" Dash shouted.
Pythor slithered away, disappearing into the streets of the village.
"Did we do it?" Cole asked.
The crowd erupted into cheers.
"We did it, Rocky," Zane smiled.
Kai turned, looking at the crowd of people. They were freed, because of him.
"People of Ninjago!" Kai shouted. "Today, marks the day you've been freed from the Serpentine! Today, marks the day that you are finally back under my family's reign!"
The crowd cheered. Kai looked between the rest of the team, seeing them removing their masks.
"Jay!"
Kai turned, seeing an elderly couple pushing through the crowd.
"Mom! Dad!" Jay cried.
He jumped off the stage, running towards them. Kai smiled, seeing the blue boy reuniting with his parents. Lloyd walked up to Kai, smiling at him.
"I wish my parents could be here to hug me," Lloyd muttered.
"So do I, kiddo," Kai sighed. "But you know what?"
"What?" Lloyd asked, looking up at Kai.
"Your friends are the next best thing," Kai grinned.
Kai scooped up Lloyd, pulling him into a hug. Lloyd laughed, wrapping his arms around Kai's neck, holding onto him.
"What do we do now, Kai?" Cole asked. "The royal guard is practically destroyed."
"Actually, we're right here," a voice called.
Everyone turned, seeing a group of armoured men walking towards them from the castle.
"We managed to escape before we were taken," a man said. "Unfortunately, the King refused to follow. He wanted to find you, Kai."
Kai sighed, looking down. Dash walked towards them, smiling. Kai set Lloyd down, turning as everyone disbanded from the town square. Kai finally knew he had accomplished his goal: freeing his Kingdom.
Then, there was screaming and shouting. Kai collapsed on the ground, everything around him blurring until it went dark.
"Kai, Kai, speak to me!"
Cole's voice. Kai slowly saw Cole's face come into his view, as well as Lloyd's.
"Kai, you need to stay with me, please," Cole begged.
"What-What just happened?" Kai asked, his words slurring.
"You were just shot," Lloyd said. "Pythor must have found an arrow and hit you with it. Dash said she's going to find him and end him."
"Quick, we need first aid," Cole said. "Go and find a medic."
Lloyd nodded, turning to leave.
"Not you," Cole told Lloyd. "Jay! Go!"
Lloyd turned, looking back at Kai. Lloyd could see the tears in his eyes.
"I couldn't save you," Lloyd muttered.
"No one can save another from an arrow shot, unless they take it for them," Kai told him. "I would rather it be me, than you, Lloyd."
"But we need you, your majesty," Cole said. "If we lose you, your Kingdom will be in shambles. We won't have a ruler."
"Yes you will," Kai said.
"Just hold on, your speaking nonsense," Cole said. "We're getting you help. Just hold on a bit longer."
"I'm not making it, Cole," Kai said. "I'm going to be with my family soon."
"Kai, don't be like that," Lloyd pleaded. "Please, I need you."
"You'll be alright, Lloyd," Kai said. "I will always be with you."
Kai reached up and took off his necklace. He placed it around Lloyd's neck, clasping it.
"Kai," Lloyd whimpered.
"You are the King, Lloyd," Kai said. "I chose you, and I would choose you again any day. I trust you, and know you'll do what's right for this Kingdom. Make me proud."
"Kai, I can't," Lloyd cried.
No answer. Cole shook Kai, yelling at him to move, to speak, to do something. Nothing happened. He was dead.
Cole gently laid Kai on the ground, tears escaping his eyes.
"He even planned for this," Cole muttered. "He was prepared to die today."
Jay ran towards the group, another person close behind.
"I found a doctor," Jay stopped, looking at Kai. "Was I too late?"
The doctor kneeled next to Kai, checking for a pulse. A silent sigh escaped his mouth as he closed Kai's eyes.
"He's gone," he muttered.
There were people in the crowd that remained, murmuring to themselves.
"Now what do we do?" Jay asked. "All that work, and we lost him."
"I'm," Lloyd muttered.
Lloyd's hand wrapped around the necklace, his eyes looking up into the sky.
"I'm the new ruler," Lloyd said.
"He chose Lloyd," Cole said.
Cole stood up, taking Lloyd's hand. Lloyd looked at him, confused.
"Although your prince is gone, he named your new King!" Cole shouted. "He chose who he felt would rule you like he would! All hail King Lloyd!"
Lloyd looked in shock, everyone around him kneeled for him. He looked up at the sky, seeing what looked like Kai nodding to him. Lloyd turned to everyone.
"Rise," Lloyd said. "You are all dismissed. Return to your normal lifes."
Lloyd took a shaky breath, turning to Cole.
"Jay, Zane, I want both of you to live with us in the Kingdom," Lloyd said.
"What about me?" Dash said.
Lloyd turned, seeing Dash running towards them.
"You too, Dash," Lloyd smiled. "And Cole, you're my new personal guard."
"Of course, your majesty," Cole nodded to Lloyd.
Lloyd walked towards the castle, and walked inside. He saw the portrait of Kai and his family on the wall, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Would you like the old family photos taken down?" a servant asked.
"Leave them," Lloyd said. "I want them to stay for generations to come. To remain as a reminder to what happened today."