Cole is right. This wont end well.
It was not hard to guess where they had all gone. Following the sounds of yelling and doors slamming. Cole didn't stop running and hit the door that all the commotion came from hard. Hard enough it really should have broken to pieces. Bright flashes of light came through the cracks in the door and along the seams. It looked like the door was being blocked from the inside. Powering his arms up with an orange glow Cole punched the door in. And he was right. It looked like all hell had broken loose. Harumi was crying, Bree was screaming, Alana was crying and screaming. Morro and Lloyd were in each others face and neither young women was even attempting to break up that fight.
"Enough! Enough!" Sensi Wu shouted at them all.
And that got absolutely no reaction from any of them. With rolled eyes Wu made to separate the two women. Cole decided he was just going to bowl into Lloyd and Morro like a cannon ball. Effective but now both were swearing at him instead of each other.
"Enough?!"Bree yelled. "I have had enough. Either you all tell me the truth and stop acting like a bunch of jerks or so help me Ill make you tell me the truth".
That got at least Wu and Harumis attention. The young men were still fighting. Cole could see Jay and Zane at the doorway now and could hear the other ninja and a few elemental masters thundering up the steps.
Narrowing her eyes Bree walked to Lloyd and snatched him by the arm. Digging her nails in tight her eyes went flat and white. Then so did Lloyds. Harumi gasped, apparently she knew or could guess what Bree just did. Several seconds passed and then Bree let go of Lloyd in disgust. The only sound was Morro trying to pick himself up off the floor and the sound of glass crunching underfoot.
"Ugh". Bree said before picking up her back back and simply going to leave the room.
"I can explain, please!" Harumi said in panic. Bree shrugged it off and she looked like she was close to crying.
"What happened? What did you just do? Or see?" Cole asked Bree.
"I read Lloyds mind, even though I really hate doing that. I saw everything he has ever done, or Harumi or that windy bitch" Bree said ending with a snarl and not even referring to Morro by name. "Every one of you is an asshole" Bree said in disgust.
Cole stood in front of her with his arms crossed and cocked his head to the side.
"Fine not you Cole, your wonderful" Bree said sarcastically. "But Lloyd, you had some great idea if I knew all the crap these two did I would hate them any more than you? You let all the snakes out of their prisons, in turn letting the great devourer out. GREAT idea there. Harumi, you have never personally killed anyone. Just brought back an evil monster for shits and giggles. You know when Garmadon tossed the Oni Mistake off the side of the building. Do you know that was really his own grandmother?"
She was interrupted by Wu's startled gasp.
"Read a book any of you seriously. Its not hard to figure out, how many elderly good female Oni could there really be in Ninjago." Bree said rolling her eyes. "And you" Bree said turning to Morro. Bree's eyes lighting up a bright violet. "You brought back and wrecked the whole cursed realm in turn causing the sibling realm of Djinjago to fall. You inadvertently caused the deaths of tens of thousands of Djin".
Turning to face the rest "Do any of you think beyond your own personal bubble onto what your actions might do?" Bree said with hatred creeping into her voice.
"Some of us have to deal with the stupid crap we have done every day of our lives" Lloyd answered Bree.
Bree rubbed her eyes again. Smearing the makeup a little around her eyes. When she opened them again they were back to a simple gray color. And with that she popped out and back in a few feet beyond those standing in the doorway and then headed down the stairs, holding the still fussing baby in arms.
Each person in the room looking back and forth to each other in a collective mush of what now.
"She is never going to talk to any of us again" Harumi said suddenly. Her face showing both panic and deep set sadness.
"She wouldn't do that.." Wu trailed off.
"Really? Now she thinks Morro, Lloyd and I are all monsters. She was planning on leaving tomorrow and taking me and Morro with, Do you really think that's going to happen now?" Harumi answered.
"If you can't talk her out of it at least you need to go with, shes your family" Morro said sadly. As he came up to Harumi and gently put his arms around her.
"She's just as angry at me now too. And she hates this realm to begin with" Harumi answered him before returning his embrace.
Lloyd huffed in disgust. "Cole you need to go talk to her. Get her to see we are all...for the most part not awful" Lloyd asked.
"Me? why would she listen to me?" Cole asked in surprise. "All she has done is ask me to leave her alone and go away".
"She also said Cole is the only one that's not an asshole, literally, even if some of that was sarcasm" Lloyd stated.
Cole shrugged and headed back out of the now demolished room. Even if everyone was one big old happy family and stayed put they had even less rooms now. Cole stomped heavily down the steps. Passing his fellow ninja, Pixal and Skyler as well. The other elemental masters had made their exits from the kitchen and it was somewhat quieter in the halls. He could hear conversations behind doors and even outside he could hear sounds drifting in from the airships and bounty docked. Maybe he mused, we would all get along better if we weren't crammed in like sardines. He hated being stuck here, not out fighting the enemy. He followed the path he thought he saw Bree take. He was correct, she had headed back down to the kitchen. And she looked busy.
Bree noticed him and looked up. "Have you seen my spellbook?" She asked.
"Last I saw it was in here actually" Cole answered her.
"Maybe Harumi moved it" Bree said. Clicking her tongue. She packed a few more things of hers into the bag and then put it on her shoulder.
"I can't blame you for being angry at Harumi or the windy bitch" Cole said with a chuckle. "But you do have family here and we would do anything to protect the both of you". For the first time reaching out to very gently touch the babies black fuzzy hair.
Something crossed Bree's face when he said that and she quickly shook as if trying to shake a memory loose.
"I think we stand a way better chance of defeating the kappa and finding out who made them with you around too" Cole told her.
"Probably" She answered him with a small grin. Ducking around him gracefully she looked like she was going to go back and ask Harumi for the spell book when more shouts and bangs could be heard upstairs. Looking back and forth at each other they both wondered what now. More loud noises and some sparks flew into her face from the open doorway. She went to throw up a magic shield but Cole was even faster and threw up a wall of rock.
"What the hell is that?" Bree asked. They could hear more noises, most coming from outside the temple. Screams and shrieks now. Bree reached a hand out and slapped at the stone and to her and Coles surprise it crumbled to dust. She bolted back into the main hall just to find it filled with people. Cole came into the room with Bree. Trying to process what was going on they knew instantly that the temple and possible the air ships outside were being attacked. Bree saw Harumi from the other side of the hall way. They locked eyes and Harumi used her powers to pop in right next to Bree.
"Some air ships I didn't recognize showed up and dropped a load of kappa like bombs" Harumi yelled after the crowd.
Cole ordered most of the people in the temple to stay here. Bree rolled her eyes at his enormously tall form exiting.
"Please tell me the family's and at least the children are in here right?" Bree asked.
"I think so, the one elemental master, that older guy with gray hair. He picked up on something with his mind and the other elemental masters got people inside and off the smaller air ships" Harumi asked. "I thought you were outside with Alana and I couldn't find you".
Both young women looked up then at the sound of weapons fire and glass breaking.
With a furious look on her face Bree handed the baby to Harumi. She kissed the babies forehead and then wrapped a arm around both Harumi and the baby. The young women were not ok as far as their family and relationship issues. But the unspoken understanding that they would deal with it later. Bree took a few steps back. She dropped the glamour hiding her glowing eyes. Drawing up a ball of purple magic she cast a huge shield around the chaotic herd of people in the temple hallway. Most of the group already on the verge of panic. The young two girls, Odell and Flora screaming in terror.
"Its alright. Nothing can get threw the shield' Bree said. With that she stepped out the main temple doors.
Nothing outside looked any less chaotic. Ninja and the rest of the up and moving elemental masters were battling kappa everywhere. Bree turned and watched Nya and Sklyer knocking enemys right off the edge of the temple grounds. Then watched Lloyd and Jay using their elemental powers to hit incomeing kappa and try and push them back. She could hear Zane and Pixal flying above in a small jet and in Pixal's samari X mech.
"In the head" Cole yelled from somewhere above her.
Cole jumped off the edge of the roof and landed on the ground of the court yard with a shattering earth punch. It managed to knock two nearby elemental masters down to the ground by accident. Bree thought it might have been Shade and Ash. But she was not totally familiar with everyone's names. The earth punch created a crack in the ground many feet long. Cole had realized Bree had come outside and was about to shout at her to get out of the way. His jaw dropping when the earth power passed right by her with no more than a gentle ripple. Bree threw her hands up in the air. Indicating she didn't know what the hell that was for.
"Get the hell back inside!" Cole snapped at her.
"Really. Did the big strong guy just tell me to go hide inside?" Bree growled. Never taking her eyes off him Bree extended her right hand and sent out a brightly colored ball of magic at an incoming air ship. The ball hit the ship and the resulting explosion set the ship and its deadly bombardier cargo crashing to the ground.
"What the fuck are you doing?!" Lloyd screamed at her. "What if there were humans on there too?"
Bree blasted several more kappa and made her way to Lloyd. "If there was a human on there they deserved so much worse" she hissed. "They would know those things are compassionless killers. And they are dropping them off to murder us. It is them or our family inside" Bree said gesturing behind her.
Taking Lloyds arm she held it out and used her magic to enhance his elemental power. Shooting off a ball of green energy that shattered the head cap on every kappa in range.
Getting the idea Jay then shot multiple shots of blue lightening. Then the lightening turned hotter and whiter. Several of the ninja ducked and hit the ground to avoid the shocks. Most of the remaining Kappa sizzled and popped. Green ooze drained out of their shattered heads and even the hardened armored shells cracked open hissing steam. It looked like the ninja and elemental masters had won the battle. The incoming airships retreated and the remaining kappa all looked done for.
Kai and Jay whooped loudly. Neither looking behind them or realizing the fight was not quite over. A single half broken kappa snuck up behind them. Claws extended and making an awful slurping noise. It got a hold of Jays shirt until Cole knocked it away with a punch. The kappa hit the courtyard wall and bounced back into Cole, slashing and tearing as it went. Cole drew up his earth power and squashed it like a bug. However he now had deep gashes running from his neck to abdomen. Wu reached him first with Jay and Kai behind him. Cole was injured badly and they rushed him inside. The rest of the ninja and elemental masters went to follow.
"No, I only need Misako and... Brianna for this. The rest of you guard the temple grounds. And check for any more Kappa" Wu ordered.
Bree looked over the temple grounds in disgust. The once beautiful courtyard was a wreck. I really hate this realm she thought. Heading inside after an injured Cole. Bree could still feel the shield around the people inside the temple. She left it up and went into the main dojo room. She half giggled when she heard Harumi yell to be let out. Wu had Cole up on the table. Bree shoved Jay out of the way to better see.
"Crap, this is way worse that I thought" Bree said worried. She immediately set to work healing him. Using some magic she pulled the torn edges of his shirt off with the help of Misako who then went to fetch something from the medical closet for Bree. Cole shifted his head towards her and said something that made her blush bright pink. "Or maybe your not so badly injured smart ass" Bree snarled back at Cole.
"What did he say" Wu asked.
"He said to have Harumi bring Alana here so I can check on her" Bree said extending the hand that was not healing Coles chest and with a swish turned off the shield in the other room. Wu knew that was not what was said, but also guessed neither of them would tell him. Now annoyed as well as worried Wu sent Kai out to fetch Alana and Harumi.
Meanwhile outside the varies Ninja and elemental masters kept an eye out for a second invasion. It seemed quiet so far. Zane and Pixal were both perched on the roof. Only the mech was still in good shape and rested on the porch right below them. Pixal was scanning the grounds in between reading from a book. Puzzled Zane set down beside her.
"Is this the best of times to be doing some light reading? Zane asked Pixal. Putting an arm around her waist. Zane still held a sword in his other hand in a state of vigilance.
Pixal held the book out to show him, it was Bree's spellbook. Pixal was leafing threw the pages, pausing now and then to further read a description or the in depth spell work.
"So that is where that got to, Bree thought Harumi had it" Zane stated evenly. The worry and stress creeping into the master of ice's tone.
"I wondered if there is a spell that the witch could do to block any airships from docking here unwanted" Pixal said quickly. She flipped a few more pages while reading and scanning at speed.
"That is actually a logical idea. But I still don't think she appreciates being called that." Zane said giving Pixal a squeeze. Zane took a moment to take in the lines of Pixals face. Distracted by her beauty and the shine of her eyes.
Pixal stopped at a page and read the title out loud. "Hearts desire will temporarily give the caster and those within the boundary their hearts desire or wish" Pixal read. Then looking on the side writing scribbled in what looked like purple crayon. She peered closer. "Does that say ... may become permanent if actions align. Will not become permanent if improper altercation does not suit timeline" she asked Zane.
"I believe so. I wonder what that means and who wrote that in crayon" Zane answered her.
"I don't know. But perhaps the spell will work if Bree desires a shield or barrier or something." Pixal said. And then read the entirety of the spell out loud. It was a foolish thing to do in retrospect.
Reading the spell out loud caused a blindingly bright flash of light to overtake the temple grounds. The flash caused both a visual and physical reaction in everyone. Pixal and Zane were unable to see or hear anything but a ringing in their ears. The whole temple went dark for a few moments. Then slowly the moonlight came back. Zane had grabbed Pixal and they held each other tight. They much have fallen from the roof during the blast the spell set off. As people came to their senses shouts of shock and people calling out to see what had happened.
Zane was able to lift his head first, his sensors trying to catch up with the wildly fluctuating data input. Pixal was still with him, but it looked like she was now holding Bree's daughter in her arms. Zane wondered if the flash of brightness had also thrown people around and Pixal picked her up instinctively. Pixal was looking down in wonder and shock.
From inside the temple Jay skidded out, first grabbing Nya to check if she was safe. Then looking to Zane and Pixal.
"Where is he?" Jay sputtered. "Where is Cole? He was on the table right in front of me and now he's gone!".
Each of the ninja looking back and forth in panic. A quick assessment proved that not only was Cole gone but Bree and Alana were missing as well too. Harumi was popping in and out around the grounds looking for her family, the trill of her voice rising higher and more urgent by the second.
"What happened Zane?" Wu asked him. "There was a bright flash of light and then everything went blank. And then Cole, Brianna and Alana just vanished before my eyes".
"I do not know Sensi, perhaps they are in some wreckage around the grounds" Zane answered.
"Zane!" Pixal cried out. He turned and jumped back beside his beloved Pixal. Looking up into his blue glowing eyes Pixal looked as panicked and afraid as is possible for a nindroid.
"Whats wrong?" He said soothingly.
"I do not know where Cole and Bree have gone, or if there are others missing. But this is not Alana" Pixal said breathlessly.
Looking down at the bundle in her arms proved correct, much smaller..younger. The baby that Pixal held was not Alana with her black hair. It was a baby with yellow hair and brightly colored green eyes. The baby looked up at both Zane and Pixal and cooed slightly. Zane held a hand out to check closer for its identity. The baby grabbed tight to Zanes finger. And the baby quickly morphed to a titanium color with blue eyes.
Cole, Bree and Alana have vanished. And someone very different was in their place.