Inside of the lonely room, emptied of all else other than the bed of a rested Emperor and the angered face of a powerful child, the air stilled. Over turned to fully face Mage, revealing nothing of his body that showed signs of what he'd done. Over looked just as he had every single time that Mage had seen him. Yet as Over looked at Mage, he saw not the chipper and optimistic glance of the boy he knew, but the twisted and bitter glance of his ally.

"How did you not…?" Over shook his head, "I am certain of what I saw. Ophiod… he stabbed you. You were dead, Mage."

"I never died," Mage shook his head, "I slowed down the progression of the wound in my body the moment Ophiod struck me. I was going to tell you."

"You'd never done that before," Over raised his hand, "I thought-"

"Don't," Mage glared Over down, "Don't. Don't try to explain yourself. Nothing you did… nothing that happened can justify what you did."

"What I did?" Over shook his head, "I do not remember what I did."

Mage's breath halted in his throat. He looked at Over with eyes that betrayed a confusion and horror in them. He'd seen what had happened through Lloyd's mind. He'd watched it all happen. He'd felt the utter terror that behemoth had caused everyone. He'd watched Ophiod unknowingly nearly murder Skales to bring him down and Monty shattering his sword just to get the blow. He'd seen it all. And then, to hear that…

"No, no you don't just get to do that…" Mage shook his head, "You don't just get to not remember!"

"I don't," Over frowned, "I do not remember. I remember seeing you, injured, and feeling my anger well up. And after that… I recall allowing my power to run wild, and that was it. A bit of pain here and there, but that is it."

Mage felt his anger welling up inside of him again. He couldn't explain this anger. He couldn't place it. It didn't feel right. It didn't make sense to him. And that anger caused his eyes to flash purple. In an instant, he was across the room, grabbing hold of Over's hand and focusing. Pouring all of those memories that he'd gotten from Lloyd right into Over himself. He poured and poured those images, those sights into him. Normally Over's mind would be guarded, the strength of the Overlord enough to make anything normally useless. But the shock of Mage's attitude and actions gave him just enough time to slip it in before Over yanked his hand away.

"...What… what is this?" Over touched his head, "...These are not your memories. These are from… these are Lloyd's memories. He was watching everything, when…." Over closed his eyes, "...So that is what happened."

"Yeah… that's what happened," Mage growled, "That's what you did, Over! You nearly killed all of us! You nearly killed Ophiod and Skales and Monty and!" Mage exhaled, "You did all of that, Over. You… you did all of that."

"Mage," Over looked down, "You must understand. The sight of you injured like that, it brought up memories in me. I could not stand to lose him again. And you-"

"Him? You mean Sun?" Mage blinked, "You… you mean you did that… because you thought I was Sun?"

"I couldn't bear the thought that I had led yet another soul down the path that I did Sun, especially one that shares his spirit," Over glared his dark eyes into Mage's own, "The thought broke me. You are a child, much like he was. To think that-"

"You're not responsible for me!" Mage snapped, "Stop acting like it!"

Over stared at Mage with a look that could only be described as shock. Mage slowly held his head up, revealing there were angry tears streaming down his face. He took a step forward, placing himself right in front of Over. He looked straight up into Over's pupiless eyes, his own shaking with rage as he stared the returned dark-tyrant down.

"You don't get to speak for me!" Mage shouted, "I'm not a child! I'm not just some, some big use of power for you! I'm Mage! Lloyd Garmadon! The Dragon Lord! I saved my entire world! You never dragged me into this fight, you don't have any reason to act like you have the right to take responsibility for me! I was in this fight before you, and at no point have I been dragged along here! I came on my own will, Over!"

"It was not your fight from the start!" Over protested, "It does not matter what you said before, in that moment you acted to save others when-"

"No, don't act like you did that for me!" Mage shouted, his tears streaming more, "You did that for yourself, Over! You were upset at your own world! You lied to me. You said you weren't angry over what happened to your world. You lied to me and then you did… you did that! That was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life! It was like you weren't even a person anymore. You were just this, this giant black thing that was killing everything. You decided to fight a battle for me by becoming… by becoming that thing!"

Mage shook his head, "What if you'd hurt someone, Over?! What if you'd hurt Harumi, or Lloyd, or Lulloyd? What if you killed someone like that? Ophiod nearly murdered Skales trying to use that stupid scroll of his to stop you! If you want to say you were doing that to avenge me, that's even worse! Because that means anyone who died wouldn't be on you, that'd be on me!" Mage inhaled. He wanted to stop. But he couldn't.

"What right did you have to do that?! Who gave you the right to say that… to do something that horrible in my name? That's not fair! It's not fair then and it's not fair now! You had no right to finish a fight that you didn't start!"

"Mage…" Over tried to speak. Mage stomped his foot with earth, shaking the room.

"Don't act like that wasn't the reason!" Mage shouted in anger, "I know that's the reason! Because I've done it!"

Over himself was speechless. Mage tried to relax the muscles in his arms, letting his fingers dig out of his now red palms. But even then, his breathing wasn't natural. He was sniffing and rubbing tears from his face, trying to remain calm and finding nothing would help him.

"I did that… I did that to Skylar," Mage sniffed, inhaling hard to try to calm down, "I did that to Machia. My fight was with the Time Twins, not her! But I went and killed someone for Skylar without asking her! And now she has to live with that, I have to live with that! I almost lost Acronix over that. And now you say that you were right to make that same mistake?"

Mage took a step back from Over, "I'm worse than you, Over. I actually killed someone. You came back. I… I can't just come back. I have to keep it in my head whenever I close my eyes. Whenever I try to use any time powers, I have it there for me to watch over and over. I have to live with what I did! You can say you were just not yourself! You can just say that you were doing it for me. Just like I was doing it for her."

Mage clutched his hands to his head, his tears falling from his face more. The terror of watching that eldritch form, the fear of seeing Skales drop as he had, and the death that had gripped him the second he tried to step inside of that field of shadows… it all was coming up now. And it was all too much for him to handle. He let out a wail as he slid down the nearest wall.

"I… I can't let him… I can't let him feel this guilt, Over…" Mage sputtered through his hands, "I can't let Ophiod feel this! So don't try to stop me! I told Aspheera I wouldn't hurt him! And if you're going to hurt him… then I'll… I'll stop you…" His tears consumed him as he moved to curl into his legs, "I'll… I'll stop you…"

There was a silence inside of Over. Neither part of him, nor the whole, could figure out how to respond to that. To see that he'd awoken this angered guilt inside Mage, a guilt born of his own actions and those that he'd nearly ascribed onto him, it bore a shame inside of him. A shame he hadn't felt before. He watched as Mage sobbed, curled up and letting his emotions run wild inside of him. In this moment, he truly was a child. A child that didn't understand the world in full and had seen the ugly side of people. A side that Over had showed him. Mage had confronted him on top of that tower in a time that felt so long ago, and he'd rejected all of Mage's words in that one moment.

"...I will not ask…" Over paused, "I will… there is… I…" Nothing he could start had an end. No sentence had structure. He could only watch as Mage continued to cry.

Finally, Mage stood up. He reached up and gently wiped his eyes, looking up at Over and staring him down. He tried to reign in his puffy eyes to look more angry. When that failed, Mage's eyes glowed violet for a moment to use form to guise them and return himself to look more angry and composed than he normally was.

"...I'll still fight with you," Mage gripped his fists, "You're still my ally, Over. I still want to save my world and everyone else's. But… if you can't fight alongside me as an equal and have to try to take revenge for me then… then I don't know if I can trust you," Mage raised his head, "If you can't control yourself then… then don't go back out on the battlefield."

If even you, Emperor, cannot control yourself, then what right have you to stand on my battlefield?

Over stiffened. Once again, he could hear it. Sun's words, so cleanly and clearly reflected through Mage's lips. Once more, they stunned him into silence. He watched as the body turned around and opened the door, gripping it tightly in his fingers before slamming it shut behind him. A normally mundane noise cut right through Over, making his legs feel weak. As when he did, all he was left with was a feeling of guilt that stunned him into silence.

Outside the door, Krux' looked down at Mage. The boy dropped his use of form, showing his tear-stained and reddened face. He looked up at Krux', then turned away from him and quickly raced his way away from them all. Krux' wanted to say something, but he hadn't listened in full to their conversation. Instead, he just looked to the guards to have them stay posted. He left the hallway and the Emperor before the door, the air of melancholy staying hovered over them all as he did.

"He's not here…" Monty gripped his fist, "Where could that idiot be?!"

Monty threw his new purple cape behind him, letting the smaller sections at the end smack around and produce a deep flapping noise. As he did, he looked up towards the small building in front of him. More specifically, the Anacondrai Tomb. The horn-shaped structure was open, normally sealed tight by the ninja but an easy lock to crack. The lights of REX shone into the small cavern, revealing nothing there aside from old bones and dusty floors.

Is this the place that you agreed to meet at? The sword asked Monty as he stepped beyond the tomb's entrance, It seems a rather obvious place.

"The best places to hide out are the ones that are so obvious you don't even think about them," Monty nodded, "The other tombs all have that underground thing Pythor built connecting them, this one doesn't. And since everyone would think we'd want to escape…" Monty shook his head, "We have three hideouts."

Yes, and both the junkyard and the Stone Army Tomb were empty… The sword posited, What does this mean?

"You think I know?!" Monty spat, "If Ronin isn't here, something's up. He should be here. We agreed if things go wrong, we go here."

Monty reached up and kicked a skeleton of one of the long-dead snakes inside the tomb. The skeleton refused to budge, buried so deep in the sand as it was. A few seconds later, Monty snarled and pulled out Ivory, firing wildly down into the thing and shattering the skeleton apart.

When a small part remained, Monty let out a hard 'tssk' and held his hand up, sending out a concentrated blast of wind to throw the thing all the way to the other side of the tomb, shattering the bones against the wall with a distant, dull crack.

Calm down, The sword advised, You're letting yourself get emotional. If you don't see him here right now, what does that mean?

"It means he isn't here!" Monty spat, "And someone probably got to him, so he's… I don't know!"

From what I saw, it appears that Ronin was working on fleeing like you demanded of him the last time you were here, and was attacked attempting to leave. Hence why your ship was loaded with valuables, but unlaunched. Isn't that logical? The sword posited.

"Well if that's the case, that's even worse," Monty growled out, "Since that means we don't even have any idea of who could have done this to him!"

Monty! The sword chastised, If you continue to get angry, you will be unable to find him. Does it strike you perhaps that he does not want to be found?

"... I won't lie, I'm honestly angry that you're right," Monty gripped his fists, "... Fine, fine, maybe he doesn't want to be found, but that doesn't make this easier. What if the real reason that he isn't here is because someone finally offed him?"

Do you truly believe that? The sword questioned.

"No," Monty relaxed his hands, "But that doesn't mean I'm not supposed to be prepared for this. You realize the type of stuff Ronin and I do means we're supposed to be prepared for this?"

And I recognize that, but I am not trying to upset you. I am trying to say that your emotions are clouding what you need to see, The SoS continued, Monty, if your line of work is so dangerous, has this never happened before?

"It has, just…" Monty paused. He moved to step back out of the tomb, and back out into the scorching sands of the desert. He raised his hand up over the sun, but he cast no shadow against his face. The sunlight just slightly dulled through his translucent green form and down onto him. If he was human, he'd likely be thirsty by now. Instead, he was just annoyed by the sunlight.

"The last time this happened, we weren't fighting literal world-destroying threats! Just low level gangsters that teamed up with some bigger gangsters to fight us," Monty grunted out, "And excuse me for being upset that the only person in all Ninjago I even trust slightly is missing after having just watched the stuff nightmares are made of."

The sword sighed, I think you care for Ronin, Monty.

"What?" Monty crossed his arms, "Come on, don't do that."

I am serious. I believe that you care deeply for him as your partner. My second master, he cared deeply for his friends. It took him many years to control himself enough to separate his care and his abilities. I am feeling that same sensation in you now, Monty, and I am trying to say that you cannot let that worry consume you. The sword explained.

Monty walked over to REX, shutting down the lights and instead hoping up into the cargo bay. His feet dangled over the sands. A gust of wind caused both the sand and his cape to go flying up gently into the air. For a bit, Monty looked out over the expanse of desert. The sun was starting to go down towards the horizon. Stiix was always so cloudy he hadn't realized it'd been early morning when they arrived there. Now it was almost the evening.

"You keep talking about these masters," Monty sighed, "Go on. Tell me more about them."

As soon as Monty said that, the ghost dissolved into REX, causing the machine to light up as he possessed the thing. Soon, REX was carried up into the air. While the tracking was on for any signs of life in the area, he doubted it would do him any good. He had other spots he needed to check, though. One spot in particular he was now flying towards.

You wish to know of them? The sword spoke to him through the shard now lying on the seat of REX, Very well. My first master, as I told you before, forged me from the soul of a dragon from a place far from here. I believe I am the soul of that dragon reborn into this form… though, my memories of before I awoke are spotty at best. What I remember was agreeing to him that I would fight alongside him to best the one that he wished to defeat. It was a noble pursuit, if selfish. He was a proud man. A very strong and passionate one. He gave everything in that fight, and managed to beat him to a stalemate with me. Once he knew he could not win, we agreed to place me where no one else could take my power. I will always remember him fondly… he was the one that gave me this form, and gave me the right to continue forward as I wished.

My second master, though, was far less suited to me, The sword continued, It was after the one that we fought passed away. The lands of Ninjago grew cold and fractured. A human prince took power in his region and oppressed his people, and threatened to consume all of Ninjago under his rule. I was roused by one of the few warriors of the village that had escaped. She was a young woman who wished to save her family. It was she who first discovered Primevil's Eye, I believe. And it was she who trained me. It took us years to truly find her power. But with me, she stood up to entire armies and won. She was an honorable woman… one that I miss even now.

It was my third master, though, that perhaps I worried for the most, The sword explained, He was a young man who wished to use my power to help unite Ninjago and the Cloud Kingdom more thoroughly. He never truly found that goal, however. He was a shrewd man, but had pure convictions. It was by the will of the Realms that he did not succeed, however. He only wielded me for a short while, and therefore… I do not have much to say about him.

"So," Monty appeared on the monitor of REX, "What will you say about me after all this?"

Assuming you manage to unlock Sanctuary? The sword thought, That you were perhaps the most brazen and rude master of all of them, yet the one that also brought the most change in me.

"Wow, am I honored," Monty scoffed, "To think, I was able to change the great Sword of Sanctuary himself!"

Indeed, The sword responded. Without a clear response in mind, Monty went silent.

The journey took the two a good deal of time. The path from the Sea of Sand into Ninjago City was mostly a straight shot, but was still a long trip. Still, Monty was used to long bouts of silence between him and Ronin. The idea of talking when he didn't want to just sounded dumb to him. Soon enough, the skyscrapers of Ninjago City were in sight. The large sight of Borg Tower was there to greet them as he instead flew towards the south end of the city, directly overhead of everyone. This was sure to get their attention.

Without quite warning anyone, Monty landed REX down on the helipad of the police building. Lights began to flash on the pad as Monty hopped out of the ship, landing on the painted H on the structure. He walked down the stairs towards the small rooftop access door, just in time for a bushy-mustache man to step outside.

"Monty!" The Commissioner grunted out, "There you are! We've been looking for you for quite some time. You still haven't given us your statement on what happened in the museum!"

"Ah, just the man I wanted to see," Monty crossed his arms, "Tell me, how's Junior?"

"...Who?" The Commissioner blinked.

"Guess that's exclusive to her place, then," Monty shook his head, "I already told you, we had nothing to do with that."

"We don't know that!" The Commissioner gasped out, "Do you realize how big of a deal that was? A murder, right in the middle of the city! And you just so happened to show up the same day it happened!"

"Was I on camera?" Monty asked.

"No, but-"

"Was there any evidence of a break-in?"

"Not that we currently-"

"And was the cause of death something that fits with my profile?"

"No?"

"Then you got nothing on me, and I didn't do it," Monty narrowed his gaze, "I wanted to know if you all had brought in Ronin."

"What?" The Commissioner blinked, "No, we haven't. Why?"

"Great," Monty pressed his hand to his temple, "Just great. Well, that's all I needed. See you, Commish. I'll send an expresso your way."

"An expresso?" The Commissioner shook his head, "Wait, no, Monty!"

Before the man could move to stop the ghost, Monty had stepped back up on REX and possessed the thing. The Commissioner held his hand up over his face as REX floated up into the air and turned, blasting off into the air faster than their helicopters could hope to move.

"Sir?" Jimmy asked as he walked up behind the man, "Uh, what does expresso mean again?"

"It means, get back to your desk and finish your report!" The Commissioner shouted. Before he'd even finished waving his hand ,Jimmy was running back into the building. A second later, the Commissioner groaned out and followed him.

Expresso? The sword asked as Monty flew away.

"Oh, something Ronin and I started doing a few years ago," Monty spoke up through the panel on REX, "We give him coffee to give him little hints. Expresso means he isn't even close to the real culprit. We used to give him mochas whenever it was us just to mess with him."

I see, The sword paused, Where are we going?

"For right now I'm going to hide REX somewhere and-" Monty paused. The projection of him on REX suddenly paused, looking down at his device. After a moment, he sighed, "Well. Nevermind. We're hiding REX and then Lloyd apparently wants us back."

And are you going to go? The sword asked.

"Clearly we can't find Ronin right now," Monty frowned, "So might as well do something useful instead."

Your reasoning is not what I would have said, but yes, The sword responded, Let us rejoin with your companions.

Monty sighed, his image fading from REX as he instead steered REX towards the ocean over the city. The sunset bathed the ship in its golden rays as he flew over Ninjago. Ronin had to be out there, somewhere. Somewhere for him to find him. But for right now, it was time for him to see what the others had in store for him.

"I want to go home."

Harumi's words were ones that stunned the two around her to hear it. Acronix' and Lulloyd were gathered in front of the small thrones for the leaders of the Time Tribe, the cool colors of the palace framing Harumi distinctly against the entrance to the palace itself. Acronix' leaned forward in his throne, while Lulloyd, previously talking to Acronix' about something, were both made to stare at her in shock.

"What?" Lulloyd asked, "You… you want to, what?"

"I want to go home," Harumi gripped his hands, "...I have to… I have to see what the Twins meant, when they…. When what happened to me, happened."

"Can… she even do that?" Lulloyd asked.

"There's no reason why she couldn't," Acronix' frowned, "But I don't see why you would want to. That would be the equivalent of walking right into your enemy's headquarters."

"I don't care," Harumi shook her head, "I'm not going to be able to do anything unless I know what happened to me!"

There was a long bout of silence in the room. Lulloyd could see that Harumi's face was a mixture of too many emotions to count. She wobbled on her feet, as though walking like this took more effort than she had to give, yet the words she spoke didn't hold an ounce of that weariness. Her arms were tensed up, yet she was slouched forward. Her hair was a mess, not brushed or washed in days. And as she looked the two down, she was breathing somewhat heavily, enough they could see her chest rising and falling.

"He… Over was able to do it," Harumi lowered her eyes, "He was able to enter his own timeline with the Iron Doom and… and to then fuse with the Overlord to stay stable, right? If you all already stabilized me, I should be able to go."

"...Harumi…" Lulloyd gulped, "I-I don't… I don't think that you should… I-I mean, Lloyd said that the Twins, they… change, things…" He waved his hands a bit, not wanting to say what he was thinking yet.

"I know that… I know that!" Harumi gasped out, "But I have to see! I… I can't just go on not knowing. I have to see. I have to know how we can fix this!"

"What's going on here…?" Mage asked. The boy walked in from the left hallway. He looked as though he'd recently bathed, with some redness left on his face from it. He was still wearing the more distinctly black robes of the Time Tribe, his golden ones still being washed from before.

"I want to go home," Harumi turned to look at Mage, "I need to see what happened."

"Okay," Mage nodded. A moment later, Lulloyd realized what he said.

"W-What?" Lulloyd blinked, "Mage, no! We can't do that!"

"Why?" Mage snapped back, "We've snuck into enemy bases before. We can't just sit around and hope that someone will save us. We have to work on solving our own problems."

Lulloyd was taken aback by the ferocity in Mage's tone. Harumi looked at Mage, the two sharing a small look. Acronix' was left quiet, thinking to himself. The room was left in an odd state of tension, with Mage and Harumi collectively pushing silently against the other two.

"It's… risky, at best," Acronix' frowned, "What if you were caught? What retribution would they bring down on you? You understand the Twins already have a vendetta against myself and my brother, yes? If you are caught and tracked here, it could put my entire tribe in danger."

"Then we won't get caught," Harumi frowned, "I'll go with Mage and Monty. Mage already showed he could hide us before. The three of us go in, we find out what we need to know, and we get out."

"And what is it you need to know?" Acronix' stood up, "Harumi, please. I know the anger you are feeling. I have been in your position, just not in the same situation. I know what you want to know. You're confused and you need answers. But racing in will-"

"I know that!" Harumi gasped out, "I know that I'm confused. But I can't do anything right now, Acroinx'! I can't! The moment I even think of doing something, I don't know what I'm even working to solve. I can't fix these problems without…" Harumi inhaled, "I can't do anything unless I know what really happened."

"I say we let her go," Krux' spoke up, walking into the room from behind Mage, "For what it's worth, at least."

"Brother?" Acronix' asked, "Why?"

"Because we're already on the tip of the knife, brother," Krux' crossed his arms, "And I for one don't like having to worry about losing my balance. IF we are already under threat of death, there is nothing that we can lose from this. I don't think we quite know the severity of the threat, but they do."

"And what about Lloyd?" Acronix' asked, "Could you ask to send him along with them?"

"That part I admit I'm not very happy about, but yes," Krux' nodded, "I think it will be good for Mage."

"Are, you sure?" Acronix' sat back, "I don't know about this."

"Is it even our decision to make?" Krux' countered, "I think all we've done is keep our own world running for them. And as much as I hate to admit it, we're no match for the Twins if what they say is true. Not even if Muto gave me back my full powers," Krux' looked down to his gauntlets hanging on his belt, "We can advise them, yes. But no matter what they decide, does our position really change?"

Acronix' was silent for a long moment. The weight of the conversation seemed to reach up and grip him, dragging down what he wanted and thought he could do more and more. And after all that time, he stood up and walked down to look at his brother more directly. Then to turn and look at Mage. A concern flashed in his eyes as he did.

"I hate the fact you're right, you know," Acronix' sighed, "But this is dangerous. We should call the rest of them here before we make anymore decisions."

"I already did," Harumi informed them, holding up her wristband, "I already called Lloyd and Monty. They already know about this."

"...I see," Acronix' frowned, "... Mage, are you certain that you can handle this? This is not stepping into the snake's den, this is leaping headfirst into its jaws while it slumbers. If you wake it…"

"I can," Mage nodded. There were no other words.

"Should I get Over as well?" Krux' asked, "Perhaps we should inquire about-"

"Over isn't coming," Mage spat, "He's not going anywhere right now."

That line was enough to make all of them look at Mage. Lulloyd, in particular, had concern in his eyes. Acronix' and Krux' were both stunned at the venom in his words, but it wasn't unexpected. The anger was one they all understood. They knew why he was upset.

"...Alright then," Krux' nodded, "Then let us get your friends together so we can discuss this plan further."

On the outskirts of the Time Tribe stood a small group. Lloyd, Lulloyd, Harumi, Monty and Mage were joined by Acronix' and Krux', the two Twins standing outside of the gates of their tribe. The rocky mountains of the world around them caused the air to circulate and howl deeply in their ears. As they all stood together, they each looked out across the vast expanse of the World, taking their time to take it all in.

"Where's your sword?" Mage asked Monty as he adjusted Aevum's strap.

"It's not done yet," Monty sighed, "You'd think the tribe famous for all of their weapons and blacksmiths would have it done in a day."

"Ray is a master forger," Acroinx' gestured to Aevum, "When he crafted that blade for me, it proved that much to me. If anyone can reforge a blade like yours, it is him. But quality takes time. Would you prefer a half-baked replica, or a time-honed repair?"

"You know, not everything I say is some sort of genuine complaint," Monty sighed, "Have you never learned how to tell when someone is complaining just for complaining's sake?"

"Forgive him," Krux' raised his hand up, "I'm the one that got all of the social skills."

"And yet I'm the one who handles most of the responsibilities of ruling," Acronix' rolled his eyes.

"You were born to handle the boring bits, I was born to handle the other bits," Krux' chuckled, "It's why we work so well together."

"If that's what you want to think," Acronix' rolled his eyes, but a smile played at his lips.

Harumi nodded her head. In front of her, Monty and Mage stepped forward to stand beside her. Monty looked at Harumi for a moment, but said nothing else. Mage was silent as well. The three together almost shared the same energy, a fact which felt almost unnerving to Lloyd for a good number of reasons. Judging by the look on Lullyod's face, he felt it as well.

"Harumi… are you sure you want to do this?" Lloyd stepped forward, "This is really dangerous. What happens if-"

"I know what I'm doing," Harumi stopped him, "If this were your world, you'd have already gone off to do it too."

"...Harumi," Lulloyd stepped forward as well, "We're just… worried about you. We don't know what, you know, could… happen to you? It's… look, we know that you're upset. We just… we care about you."

"I know you do, and that's why you have to let me do this," Harumi nodded, "If I don't then… then I won't know what to do. I have to… I have to try."

The two green ninja looked at each other, but had nothing else they could say. They both stepped back, knowing they had nothing they could really use to dissuade her. Harumi looked towards the two by her side, then nodded her head.

"Alright, let's do this," Harumi nodded, "We have to see what happened. I'm… I'm ready."

"Be safe, please," Acronix' looked directly at Mage, "And… remember to control yourself."

"I won't forget it," Mage informed him, "I've already learned that one. It won't happen again."

"I'll make sure they come back," Monty sighed, "If that's what it takes to make you all calm down. Got it?"

That was all that the others could hope to get. Harumi raised her hand up, then nervously set the coordinates on her watch. If what she hoped was correct, then the watches would still cloak all of them from entering and leaving the view of the Twins. Still, the thought for a moment brought her a momentary worry. However, her determination flared up a few moments later. She checked her coordinates, then ensured that her companions had done the same.

"Be safe," Lloyd called out to them. Harumi gave Lloyd a look that caused her hardened gaze to momentarily soften. The action was enough for Lloyd to feel some of his stress unwind.

A moment later, the three activated their devices. The portals opened up underneath them. The vortexes were violent and chaotic, the lines hazy and ill-defined. The whirling mass of dimensional tunnels sucked them, causing them to fade away.

The trip through the void was far more violent and chaotic than before. The journey they normally took was smooth, silence all around them, a nothingness that almost was a kind and gentle embrace. This felt more akin to a violent whirl through a stormy ocean, the concept of direction lost to Harumi as soon as she entered. It was as though the tunnel was restrained, begging to be released from its grip and fighting back desperately. Yet something held it, and them, back from being embraced by the void.

When the portal opened, Harumi expected to land on solid ground. The coordinates were set for Zane's Academy, a place that she knew the precise layer and location of. Instead, the three were ejected into the open air. As soon as the portals shut, the pull of gravity grabbed hold of them. The sky around them was a deep gray, hazy with clouds and filled with mist. Before Harumi could focus on what had happened, the three were sent hurtling down into the abyss of the ground below them.

Mage was the first one to act. He blasted over with a jet of fire, grabbing hold of Harumi's hand and focusing. His eyes turned copper, causing the two to begin to rapidly lose gravity's pull. A moment alter and Mage's right eye turned yellow, applying a cover of light to camouflage them perfectly into the world around them. Monty, thinking quickly, pulled wind down from the sky and hovered near a cloud to hide himself away, not daring to touch the thing as he did.

"Zane's Academy should be…" Harumi looked around, "Where… where is it?"

"I think you mean," Monty narrowed his eyes, "Where is Ninjago City?"

The three looked out over the vast expanse. Ninjago City, a city that reaches hundreds of stories into the sky in seemingly all directions, was gone. There was nothing left around them. The ground beneath them was far, far below. At first, there were no buildings as far as the eye could see. Only small villages, dotted around a sloping countryside. The only light that seemed to reach up towards the sky was that of flickering fires and torches. The sky above them, lacking sunlight, was left to shield them away from the sight.

Off in the distance, however, was a large wall. A large, circular wall hid away a massive structure of buildings, with one that towered towards the sky. The lighting and shape were undoubtedly modern, but segmented away only within that small wall. And at the top of the tower was none other than the symbol of the Time Twins, a deep rest cast into the sky for all to see.

As the three looked, it dawned on them precisely what this meant. As they hovered towards the ground, far, far below them, the fact was undeniable. The Ninjago City that Harumi knew was no more.

Inside of a room under guard, in a world yet unchanged since the arrival of the Time Twins, an Emperor sat upon his bed. Yet he had no need for rest. His body was one that didn't require such things. He was an immortal being, born of flesh and darkness, a fusion of the two halves of himself rejected for the world and together to make the world accept them by force. He was a being that had power strong enough to command Ninjago's fate and history.

Yet now, this being refused to move. It'd been a long time since he moved, so long he wondered if he should get up for fear of falling asleep. Yet there was no desire for him to do so. The will to move, to go and assert himself towards the guards that hung around him, was one he refused to attempt to muster. At present, he had to many thoughts on his mind. Too many demons clinging to him in those moments. Too many sins that weighed upon him to move on.

"Overlord?" Overlloyd, the half of him formerly mortal, spoke up. There was no response.

Over silenced himself. He'd never been without the Overlord's voice in his mind. He was a being that was both two, and one. Someone that was the parts and the whole. Yet in this moment, there was no other to make those two. The silence of the voice inside of him was a terror that almost skirted the edge of his perception. A terror that was so deep, intrinsic to who he was, that the thought of living without it was one he wished not to think of it.

"...Do you know how the pain of seeing death, Mage?" Over voiced his thoughts, as though hearing the words would make it easier on him, "Did you not hear my words? Did you not…"

He trailed off. Of course Mage had heard him. It hadn't mattered. No words he'd said to him had an impact. And now, he couldn't hear the voice of the only person who could empathize with him: himself. He reached up and gently wrapped two of his arms around himself. The other two planted down on the sheets behind him. Suddenly, he needed to stabilize himself. He needed to hear these things, he needed to hear him. He needed to…

"Why?" Over growled out, "Why must you fight me on this, Mage? Why must you turn your own grief onto me? I am already a broken man, have I not become an heir of suffering by now?"

"Those who take on the title of heir do not do so willingly," A voice that made Over's eyes widen sounded from behind him, "Even if they wish to believe that they have."

Over slowly turned his head. The sight he saw was one that brought him a shudder within his very soul. A boy, no older than Lloyd, standing in front of him. His robes flared out around him, a shimmering white and yellow that glowed powerful from underneath them. A single wooden hilt strapped to his belt, ready to be drawn. Hair slicked back and a face that bore a smile that seemed never to fade, not even in the worst of circumstances.

"As it was," Sun placed his hand on his hip, "I became the heir to Ninjago's light, did I not?"