For a moment, it looked like nothing had happened. Cecilia looked at the sky like a fool expecting rain. Jackeline opened her mouth to laugh.
Then it happened. The sky seemed to explode with a golden light, and a huge lightning bolt struck the earth and for a moment, no one could see anything because of the blinding light.
Then it cleared. Cecilia released a long breath and opened her eyes. Her face cracked into a smile.
Cole's mouth dropped open. Nya and Skylor gasped. Lloyd's eyes opened wide in fear, and he scrambled away. Jackeline grabbed his arm as if to prevent escape, but the green ninja was too shocked to go anywhere.
"Morro!" Nya exclaimed. The ghost sure looked different, he glowed gold and seemed somewhat... kinder?
"What the hell is he doing here!" Cole gasped, looking at Cecilia. Morro and Cecilia ignored him.
"Why did you bring me here, Cecilia?" Morro asked, looking from Cole, to Lloyd, and back to his daughter again.
"Proof." Cecilia said sternly. "That anyone can be forgiven." She looked at Lloyd, who was gazing at Morro with panicky eyes.
"This man is my father!" She proclaimed. "He killed people, cursed Ninjago-"
"Possessed me." Lloyd whimpered. "Made me... hurt people."
"Yeah, that." Cecilia noted. "But I forgive him now, not just because we're related, but because he forgave himself and turned himself around!" She looked at Lloyd. "And I know you can do the same. You don't need to blame yourself."
Lloyd looked at the ground. "Why is the first spinjitzu master interfering now!" He muttered bitterly. "Yeah, could have helped out a lot sooner, granddad!" A small tree root snaked from a nearby tree and flicked him in the ankle. He gave a jolt of surprise. "OK, sorry!"
"I knew I wouldn't be able to help you." Morro said. "I'm the last person he wants to see resurrected." A small grin suddenly crept up on his face. "Actually, I'm the second to last. So I brought along the last person he wants to talk to."
Morro looked at the sky, and another bolt of lightning hit the ground. Another golden figure appeared at a crouch, then straightened up. Cecilia had no idea who Morro had just summoned, but the ninja clearly did. Their mouths dropped open.
"Oh My..." Skylor murmured.
"God." Nya finished.
"Not God." The old man said. "No, I have less power." He strode over to Lloyd and looked straight at Jackeline.
"Release him." He told her. Jackeline looked fearful, but did not release Lloyd. "Go on." The old man said. "Believe me, he's not going anywhere." He shot a stern look at the woman, who let go of Lloyd and took a step back. Lloyd fell to his knees, his hands shaking.
"Dad." He whispered. The old man took his hands and knelt in front of him. Lloyd's shoulders began shaking.
"Son." The old man whispered. "Lloyd-"
"I messed up." Lloyd sobbed. "Everything I did wrong, I hurt too much..."
"Calm yourself." The old man whispered. "Lloyd, you have done nothing to hurt people, you-"
"Don't lie!" Lloyd cried. "You must have been watching from the departed realm, you must know what I've done! How I pulled out Zane's wires! How I shot Felix!"
"YOU shot Agent Gently!" Jackeline exclaimed. The old man shot her a look, and she fell silent again.
"You said," Lloyd shut his eyes, clinging to his father's hands. "Whatever man I wanted to be was up to me." He gave a little laugh. "You put your faith in me, and I let you down. I failed you, father."
"You could never fail me." Garmadon whispered. "I will always be proud of you, no matter what. But right now, the only person who can save you, is you. You still have a choice of who you want to be. You may be thirty seven years old and have a phsyco ex-girlfriend pointing a flare gun at your head, but there is always a choice for you to make." He smiled. "And I trust you to make the right decision."
Lloyd nodded, and wiped his face. He smiled.
"I won't let you down this time, dad. I promise." Garmadon smiled back at him.
"We have to leave now." Garmadon told him. "But I'll always be with you."
"And I'll always be watching you." Morro muttered to Cecilia. "Whether you like it or not."
"Sheesh, over protective father at last!" Cecilia muttered, but she was smiling. The old man stepped towards Morro, and with one last look at the shocked... well everyone was shocked, they disappeared.
"What the fuck just happened?" Roy whispered from their perch on the rooftop.
"I wish I knew!" Josh sighed. The two boys gazed at the scene as the two ghosts disappeared.
"Come on!" Tabitha hissed, sliding down the roof tiles. Josh and Roy shrugged, before following her. They crept over the battlefield, towards Cecilia.
"What the hell just happened?" Nya wondered aloud. "Anyone?"
"I have absolutely no idea." Cole sighed. "Lloyd?"
Lloyd was still knelt on the ground, looking at his hands. Then, slowly, he stood up.
"Lloyd Garmadon is back, baby." He murmured, then gave the ninja a wicked grin. Suddenly, Jackeline darted forwards and seized him from behind.
"This changes NOTHING!" She screamed. "I don't care about your sudden self-worth, you shall DIE and I will get my hands on the FREAKING elemental masters!"
The dragons in the sky withdrew a little, presumably on Shade's orders. Get them out of here, to safety. Like anywhere would ever be safe again.
"Where's everyone else?" Cecilia asked one of the female ninja. "Where's Lauren and her dad? I don't see them up there."
"I don't know." The ninja muttered back. "Perhaps they're still on the road somewhere-" But her words were cut off by a scream. Everyone turned at once to the screamer, who was Skylor. Her hand had gone to her mouth and she pointed with a weak hand...
To the edge of the clearing. Where a small group of people had just emerged. Bobby and Harvey walking silently, side by side, Gideon and Lauren, she was leaning heavily on him for some reason. And Kai, carrying something.
"No!" Skylor screamed, and ran to her boyfriend. Kai's eyes were red from crying and he fell to his knees, his dead daughter in his arms.
"Shit!" Cecilia gasped, stupefied. She barely acknowledged Roy, Josh and Tabitha coming to her side, she ran towards Lauren, who was crying in Gideon's arms.#
"Lauren!" She cried, and Lauren fell into Cecilia's arms.
"Cecy, Delia, she..." Lauren gasped before breaking down again.
"Gideon, your father needs you." Cecilia told Gideon, who looked at the situation, the ninja standing in front of Jackeline, who had yet another gun to Lloyd's head. He turned back to Cecilia.
"I can't!" He sighed, and Cecilia noticed how out of breath he was. "We've been fighting, I've got, like, zero energy." He flopped onto the ground and put his face in his hands. "Why?" He moaned. Cecilia frowned, and quickly sat Lauren on the ground. She straightened up, still frowning, and turned back to the main battlefield.
"Stay here." She murmured to Gideon and Lauren, then jogged back to Roy, Josh and Tabitha.
"We have to fix this." She told them. "Or we all go back to DarkFlight. What's it going to be?"
"We're going to fight." Josh said bravely.
"We're going to win." Tabitha agreed.
"We're going to kick ass." Roy grinned. Cecilia nodded.
"Yeah, and here's how."