It takes two

Chapter 16

Playing with forces you don't understand

PrincePacman47: Your reviews are so kind! Whenever I see them I'm like, "Must start the next chapter!" Liv doesn't care that she's on the wrong side and her family is now her enemy. She's still going to protect them as much as she can. Lloyd is feeling tons of emotions right now and is stuck in between his duty as the Green ninja (Which he never wanted), and his family. Because he knows that if his dad is brought back it will be bad, but he also doesn't want to deny his pleading sister the chance to say goodbye like he did. Liv and Lloyd both grew up without a choice, their lives already planned. And because of that, Lloyd is debating whether it was destiny that Liv turned on him, or by her own freewill. Liv chose her path, her side. Now it's Lloyd's turn.

P.S. I just posted a little character profile for Liv, so if ya want you can check that out.


Jay walked slowly and sloppily towards the water, his flippers making it hard to walk. He felt like a duck, waddling around like he was. Jay looked over at the rest of his team (With the exception of Kai, who was about to pick them up. And Lloyd for obvious reasons).

"You guys ready?" He asked, lightning sparking in his palm.

"You bet!" Nya said, jumping into the water. The other three ninja followed suit, jumping in the water after Nya and swimming towards Kai's submarine boat thing. The water was cold and bitter, a shiver ran down Jay's spine. And that's on their plan. Because Jay was not on board with swimming through freezing cold river water in the middle of winter.

In Jay's opinion, Kai has it best. Even if the resident fire ninja was reluctant to get into a submarine surrounded by water. He still has it better than the rest of them. Soon the dim moonlight that peeked through the water vanished as they disappeared into the underwater side entrance of the Jade palace. Why the Jade palace had an underwater side entrance is still a mystery to Jay. And he gladly used it as a distraction from what was to come.

But, as Jay's luck would have it, he was now thinking about how this battle would go down. No matter what, Lord Garmadon couldn't be resurrected. And Jay was not looking forward to fighting someone who he still considered a sister. But he has to.

He has to he has to he has to he has to!

But does he want to?

Of course not! Jay would honestly take the great devourer over fighting Liv. He'd probably take Chen or Morro or the Overlord - but he doesn't want to fight someone he's known since they were a child! Jay's terrified to see what Liv's become. Terrified to see her with them. And the worst part is that he can't freeze up.

Hesitation could cost them victory. And failure is not an option.

Jay took a deep breath through his scuba mask. Calming his nerves...and the lightning that was threatening to electrocute them all. Not wanting to kill him and his team, Jay forced himself not to think about the coming battle. Instead going back to wondering why the palace had an underwater entrance.


Harumi's three high ranking jerks walked swiftly towards the Quiet One, each of them holding an Oni mask. Lloyd watched from his cell, glaring at the whole group. Liv was on the left side of the altar. A far away look in her eyes. Lloyd guessed she was thinking, and went as far to hope that she was reconsidering. But Liv turned to stand next to Harumi, crushing his hopes.

"...Then the ceremony is ready." Liv said, excitement laced into her voice.

Lloyd figured this was his last chance to turn his twin. His last chance to at least try and be useful for once."I get it. You're hurt, and you need someone to take your pain out on, but this isn't the way." Lloyd said, looking around at all the Sons of Garmadon in the temple. His gaze settled on Liv and Harumi. "You don't have to do this. We will stop you." He said, confidently. Laughter rang around the temple, and Lloyd tried hard to keep the heartache from his eyes as Liv laughed with them.

For someone who isn't a parent, it would've been easy to miss the fake edge to Liv's laugh. But for a mother who's seen possibly every fake laugh and smile known to man kind, Misako's pretty much an expert at picking out the difference between someone's fake laugh, and their real one. And her daughters laugh… There was sadness and dread in her eyes. Pain in her forced chuckle.

"You put too much faith in your friends, Lloyd." Harumi spat. Liv tensed at the words. Knowing how big a lie that was. Because Liv is practically counting down the seconds till the ninja bust through the temple doors and light her on fire. The ninja's devotion to save Lloyd alone is not something to underestimate. Much less their determination to stop the big bad. Heck, they took down a hundred foot demon snake. Stopping her will be a walk in the park. Sadly.

"...And you put too little." Misako chided, her dull green eyes locked onto Liv's Jade ones. Liv shook her head, breaking eye contact.

"Place the masks in position." Liv ordered, the three high ranking thugs nodded, walking a few feet away. The three gangsters stood in a triangle, holding their masks in front of them. Liv stood in front of the altar while Harumi stood behind it. The two teens locked eyes, Harumi nodded, flashing Liv a reassuring smile. Liv took a deep breath, closing her eyes and pushing aside the sense of dread that sat in her chest.

"Clotho-venge. Clotho-decer." Liv chanted, the floors around them began to shift.

"Clotho-ha-eed!" The two teens yelled in unison, the three Oni masks hovered in the air, and a soft wind began to blow around the temple. Lloyd and Misako's cage's began to sway. Misako looked to Lloyd in worry.

"Lloyd, it's starting! Where are the ninja?" She said. Lloyd looked at her briefly before peeling his eyes away. Staring desperately at Liv's back. Harumi had an infuriating smirk on her face, and Lloyd wanted nothing more than to blast her all the way to the dark island. Unbeknownst to Lloyd, something hot and powerful was stirring in his chest. A small speck of light in the dark. The small light was warm and comforting, as if a candle was lit in his soul…

"Clotho-venge. Clotho-decer. Clotho-ha-eed!" The blonds chanted, an eerie, light purple fire engulfed the masks, making them untouchable to anyone who wasn't Oni blood. Just like in the last Oni temple.

Harumi nodded towards Liv, she took another breath, forming a ribbon of dark energy that wrapped around her arm. Liv focused, the power in her hands turned a ghostly shade of purple. Connecting to the power of the Oni masks. Something lit up in her soul as she linked herself with the masks. Something dark and ugly… Cold and destructive… Liv forced the power back into the masks, creating a light purple tether, connecting all the masks together. Liv grunted, struggling to hold the link. Liv nodded to Harumi, letting her know that the connection with the masks was secure. Harumi opened her mouth to chant again, but Lloyd spoke before her.

"Don't, Liv!" Lloyd screamed over the wind. "This isn't you!"

Sweat gathered on Liv's forehead. "You don't know who I am!" Liv shouted back. Her voice sounded weird. It sounded echoey and distorted. As if the voice wasn't her own.

Harumi continued to chant as both of Liv's fists lit with the ghostly light purple flame that was keeping the connection with the masks. The Oni masks spun rapidly around the two girls. Creating an impenetrable whirlwind around them.

"Rip the fabric between realms! Oni, I call upon you!" Harumi yelled at the top of her lungs. The floor around her stopped spinning, forming the Sons of Garmadon insignia. "Connect me to… The departed realm!" The spinning masks abruptly stopped, then collided with each other, forming a rift between the realms. Liv grunted as she reached out into the departed realm. Her head was definitely going to explode now. Keeping the link between the masks was becoming a harder task by the minute.

The winds were practically howling now. The cages rocked violently, jostling the captives. The winds pushed back anyone who wasn't in the eye. Harumi looked at Liv, strain was clear on her face, Harumi's face twisted into a frown. She placed a hand on Liv's arm.

"Just a bit longer." She whispered, Liv made a grunting noise, nodding her head. Harumi stared for a bit longer before returning to the resurrection.


The ninja all but sprinted up the rickety, wooden stairs. They could hear Harumi's yelling from the first floor, and the winds grew stronger and stronger as they got closer to the top. Swiftly taking out the two guards, the ninja peeked over the temple doors. The scene in front of them was chaotic.

A literal cyclone raged around Harumi and Liv, the Quiet One was cackling maniacally, while Liv looked like she was about to faint. Jay squinted at the two cages in the distance, Lloyd was in one and Misako in another. He zeroed in on Liv. Even from his vantage, he could still see the strain in her furrowed eyebrows and tense posture. She looked as if she was in pain. Jay tore his gaze away, trying to block out the sympathy he felt for her.

"I call upon thee, lord of many names." Harumi said, her hair flowing wildly in the wind. "Lord of Destruction! King of shadows! Lord Garmadon! Garmadon!"

Liv groaned, her whole body was trembling as she struggled to pull her father from the departed realm, and keep the link to the masks. Liv could feel him, she could feel his soul. She could feel the power of the masks coursing through her. Something flooded her mind, something dark and angry. Liv pulled harder on the link, the sooner she got this over with, the sooner she could find some ibuprofen and sleep for a week.

"Who...Calls...Me?!" Came a voice from the void. Multiple gasps arose from the temple. Lloyd was outraged, gripping the bars of his cage with white knuckles.

"Leave my father alone!" He yelled, shaking his cage. He was starting to lose hope. The ninja hadn't shown up. Liv showed no signs of coming to her senses. And Harumi was not about to stop now that she was so close. Maybe he put too much faith in his friends...maybe they weren't coming…

Just as the thought appeared in Lloyd's mind, a group of brightly dressed ninja sprang into action. Cole ran alongside one of the temple walls, using his momentum to slam his hammer down on several thugs. Harumi huffed in annoyance, and Liv didn't even open her eyes. She couldn't lose focus now. She had to keep the link!

The ninja began to push against the raging winds around the two girls, Harumi smirked as they were instantly shoved back. But they were quickly overpowering her men, and soon they'd free Lloyd. The only reason the winds kept them out was because they were protected by Liv's Oni link. If they freed Lloyd…

Harumi huffed, muttering an excuse to Liv that she thinks the elemental heard. Harumi nodded to Killow, who hurriedly ran towards the pulley system. Panic flashed in Lloyd's eyes, as he desperately looked to Liv.

"Wait! There's a trap!" Lloyd warned, just as Killow ran to pull the lever. Kai and Jay looked up at him, confusion and relief in their expression. They're not going to be relieved for long. Lloyd thought as his cage sank towards the water, Misako reached a hand out towards him, as if her will alone could bring him back.

"My son! Help him!" Misako cried. Kai and Jay ran towards the edge of the temple, watching in horror as Lloyd sunk into the water.

"You have to stop the ceremony!" Lloyd yelled, taking in a rushed gulp of air as he went under.

Jay sprang into his spinjitzu, lightning circled around him. Kai spinjitzu tornado came up beside him as the two ninja pushed against the three thugs surrounding the lever. The winds surrounding Harumi and Liv were invincible! Keeping the ninja from achieving their goal.

Failure was not an option! Failure was not an option! Failure was not an option!

"Follow my voice. Feel my presence. Join me, Lord Garmadon!" Harumi shouted, it was now or never! She had to bring him back, her life's goal is practically right in her grasp! She just needs Liv to keep the link!

It was as if Garmadon's voice was in Liv's head! She could feel him coming closer and closer, but the link was becoming weaker, she could barely keep her feet from slipping, her focus was faltering. The outside world was growing softer and softer, all Liv could hear was the sound of his voice. She screamed, pouring all her energy into her powers, the winds around Liv and Harumi grew stronger, forcing everyone in the temple back.

"We have to stop her!" Yelled Kai, kicking another thug into the water below them.

"Or maybe we should save our friend from drowning!" Jay argued.

"I can't get to her!" Kai continued, pushing against the fierce winds. He had to stop Harumi and Liv. Lloyd told him to stop them!

"Who's gonna save Lloyd?" Nya asked, spearing another thug. Cole ran over towards the pulley, swinging his hammer at the lever, Lloyd was pulled back up from the water, But Misako went in as soon as he came up. Cole huffed, going back for the lever. A thought kept appearing in his mind, reminding him that this sort of pulley system would only allow them to save one of them. Cole shoved the thought aside, focusing on saving Misako.

"Hello again!" Ultra violet cackled, pulling on the lever. Cole glared at her, pulling harder.

"A little help!" He yelled, pulling the lever back towards him. Kai spinjitzued towards the struggling earth master. With a yell, Kai pulled out his katana and sliced the lever in two. Cole mentally face palmed as Kai just gaped, Misako was pulled back up, but Lloyd went back under.

"Lord Garmadon!" Harumi yelled, he was almost here, she could feel it! "Follow my voice! Follow the shadows!"

Mr. E charged at Kai, blood red katannas drawn and ready. Zane lept in front of the blades, blocking them with his bow. With a grunt, the nindroid hurled the android over Kai, the robot's katannas fell into the water below them, Zane aimed his bow at the thug, eyes narrowed and firm.

"Someone get Lloyd out of the water!" Misako cried, gripping the bars of her cage with white knuckles.

"Nya, you are the water ninja!" Jay said, looking from the water to the empty spot next to Misako's cage.

Nya kicked a thug to the ground, hoisting her spear above her head. "You don't need to be a water ninja to do this!" She said, throwing her spear in between the chains of the cage and the pulley.

"Cole, get Lloyd up, use your lava arm!" Misako said. Cole nodded, dropping his warhammer and focusing on powering up his lava arms. Grabbing the pulley, Cole used his super strength to pull on the chains.

"It won't budge!" Cole shouted, his eyebrows knitted in concentration.

"What do you mean 'it won't budge?!'" Kai yelled, sending another biker to the floor. Cole grunted, stepping back from the pulley with a huff.

"It's stuck! I can't get it to move!" Cole said, leaning over the edge of the temple, peering into the water.

"We have to get Lloyd up or he's going to drown!" Jay yelled over the raging battle.

Misako took a shuddery breath, trying to find a way to save her son from a watery grave. The archaeologist gasped, looking over towards Liv and Harumi. "Someone get Liv! She can get Lloyd up!" Misako yelled. The ninja looked at her like she was crazy.

"She's not going to help us! She's against us!" Kai argued, gesturing furiously at the blond girl.

"I know my daughter! She'll help him." Misako said. "Now get her before my son drowns!"

Without wasting a beat, Jay ran towards the whirlwind. He was immediately pushed back, shielding his eyes, Jay pushed harder against the winds. "Liv!" He screamed. Harumi looked up at him in annoyance, before looking to his right, where a second cage was missing. Harumi smirked, knowing exactly why the lightning ninja was seeking her friends help.

"Liv, you gotta help us!" Jay said, the winds grew stronger as Liv's fists blazed.

"You… Are… Wasting your... Time." Liv panted, keeping the connection to the masks and the departed realm firm.

"Liv, you have to! It's Lloyd!" Jay yelled over the winds. "He's going to die if you don't help us! You hear? Your brother's going to die!"

The winds around Liv and Harumi slowed for a beat as Jay's words reached her ears, before picking up stronger than before. Liv grunted, forcing the link to the departed realm into one of her fists. The portal faltered, and Harumi gasped. Liv focused, forcing the rift to remain open. With her other hand, Liv reached out towards the spot where Lloyd's cage used to be.

"Get out of the way!" She screamed. The ninja quickly ducked as tendrals of dark energy snaked from Liv's outstretched hand and towards the pulley system. The dark energy wrapped around the chains and the mechanisms. Ever so slowly, the cage slowly moved, the gears slowly shifting.

The ninja silently cheered on Liv as she struggled to pull Lloyd from the water. Liv's whole body shook under the strain of keeping the portal open, and pulling Lloyd up. Her eyebrows were knitted together in concentration and the winds around them raged. Laughter rang from the vortex, tendrils of purple smoke warping around the temple. The pulley system gave one final screech of metal before Lloyd's cage came bursting from the water.

"Lloyd!" Shouted the collective ninja,rushing over to free the green ninja. Cole pried open the cage bars using his lava arm, and Lloyd all but collapsed into him, gasping for air and coughing.

Cole slipped an arm under Lloyd, helping him stand. The blond shrugged off the help, taking a few more gasping breaths before looking into the swirling cyclone. The ninja all looked from one another as the laughter grew louder.

"It's him." Lloyd said, softly as he stared into the vortex.

"I hear you, feel you. Come! Be mortal once again!" Harumi shouted into the rift. "Your son wants to stop you! But I want to make you stronger!"

"Ha...ru...mi!" Garmadon growled, Liv stumbled back, the winds around them howling.

Lloyd yelled, charging into the whirlwind. Shielding his face, He glared at Harumi, taking small steps into the raging winds.

"You cannot stop it!" Harumi yelled, smirking at the green ninja.

Lloyd spun into his shimmering green spinjitzu, pushing against the winds. With a yell, Nya's water spinjitzu joined him, pushing Lloyd forward. Soon all the ninja had joined, all of them pushing Lloyd closer and closer towards the center of the cyclone.

Liv grunted as the link faltered, her father was so close, she could feel him now more than ever. Harumi was giving her a pleading look, and Liv pushed everything she had into the link. Screaming, Liv sent out an aura wave of dark energy, sending one last final tug to try and pull her father into Ninjago. At the same time, the ninja shoved Lloyd through the cyclone. Using his spinjitzu, Lloyd knocked Liv to the ground. Garmadon let out a blood curdling scream as the rift closed.

"No… NO!" Harumi cried as the vortex disappeared, the three Oni masks falling uselessly on the ground. Harumi fell to her knees. Panting like she'd run a marathon. She sprawled out on the altar. Knocking over the bowl in the process.

"Father…" Lloyd whispered, he then noticed the blond still lying unconscious on the ground. He knelt down next to Liv, hesitating briefly before stroking a sweat soaked strand of hair from her eyes.

"Lloyd!" Hissed Kai, storming over towards the silent green ninja.

Lloyd ignored Kai as he fretted over him, soon the other ninja were gathered around him. Cole went to free Misako, and the archaeologist knelt down next to Lloyd and her unconscious daughter. Even in sleep, Liv still looked to be in pain, Misako gingerly caressed her cheek, eyes welling with tears. The ninja stepped back, allowing the family to have a much needed moment. Jay's eyes lingered on Liv before following the rest of his family.

"I'm - I'm sorry I dragged you into this." Lloyd said after a while, Liv's head now resting in his lap.

"You didn't drag me into anything. This isn't your fault." Misako reassured, placing a hand on her son's wet shoulder.

"I - I should've known, I should've been able to stop her before it came to this." Lloyd argued, looking down on Liv, then casting his eyes towards Harumi. "I should've seen through them."

Misako took Lloyd's hands in her own, squeezing them tightly. "Your only mistake is that you're trusting, and good, and see the best in people. That's not something to be ashamed of, Lloyd. You're a kind person, and they're are people in the world who will take advantage of that. But you are not responsible for her choices, This is not your fault."

Lloyd shook his head, picking up Liv bridal style. "Not anymore." He said through gritted teeth, before striding from the temple. This is the last time someone will take advantage of him. First Pythor, then the overlord, then Morro. Now Harumi and his own sister! It's about time he starts making decisions based on his gut. Not his feelings.

Jay tried to pull Liv from Lloyd's grasp as they left the temple, but Lloyd just pulled away. Muttering something before spotting his target. Walking towards a police van, in the van was a white haired psychopath.

Lloyd stood in front of Harumi, who's eyes narrowed as she caught sight of Liv. Lloyd rolled his eyes, plopping Liv in the seat next to Harumi. Without saying a word, Lloyd shoved the back doors of the van shut, and stormed away. Joining back up with the ninja, his heart and mind racing.


Harumi sighed, looking over her shoulder at Liv, who was still knocked out. Maybe Harumi shouldn't have pushed her to form the link, maybe Harumi shouldn't have told Killow to start the wheel. Maybe then Liv wouldn't have overexerted herself to free him. There were too many 'maybes' and 'what if's.' What's done is done.

And Harumi failed. Her life's goal shattered by one bad choice.

Harumi kicked the seat across from her with an angered huff. Liv stirred next to her, and Harumi's head whipped towards the blond. Liv peaked open an eye, turning in the dim light of the van.

"Hey." Harumi said as Liv's hazy eyes found her's.

"...Hey?" Liv said, sitting up. "Did it work?" She asked. Harumi shook her head, the movement barely visible in the dark van. Liv slumped, muttering a soft "Oh."

"I… I'm sorry I made you do that." Harumi continued. Liv placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's - it's fine." Liv said, sounding tired. Harumi just sighed.

"Okay."

The two girls spent the rest of the ride to the police department in silence. Both lost in their own minds. Both thinking about what the future had in store for them. But, unbeknownst to the two blonds, Liv wasn't the only one in her head.

Something - or someone else, was in there, too.


DU DU DUU! Little explanation, Harumi needed Liv to form the link between the masks and the departed realm. Liv also had to help guide her father to ninjago. The link, or connection Liv had in this chapter was just the link between the Oni masks and the departed realm. And the cyclone of wind was a protective barrier around Liv and Harumi while they did the ceremony. Only Someone with Oni blood could enter the whirlwind once it was formed.

This chapter was fun to write. There was SO much going on!

Next time: Not everyone is happy about the victory over the Sons of Garmadon. And maybe it isn't a victory at all…

GreenGirl~