Second Destiny: Discovery of Mt Horn

by RealtreeGal

When a simple mission goes horribly wrong, Zane has to flee for his life into the the Southern Tip of Ninjago, an uncharted, dangerous wilderness. Discovered in a valley of treacherous mountains, he is taken in by a new race of people. While waiting for winter to pass, he learns their culture and legend, and about a new elemental master, waiting to rise in Ninjago's darkest hour.

51. Chapter 51: Coming to a Head

Hey all! I'm back again after yet again another long absence. I would really like to apologise, life really threw a curveball at me after the last update. My grandmother passed away and with that and school I really needed my free time to check in with my mental health. But school's been out for a while now, which now gives me more free time to write! I've been working on this chapter this past week, and it's about 13,000 words, so I hope this will make amends for those of you who have been waiting. I would like to once again thank all of you for your patience and support of my story even though I don't update regularly, you are the ones who are really keeping this story going for me. Thank you!

Also, if you haven't seen already, I've posted a story that was actually my final portfolio for English class this past year titled "The Cattle Baron's Plight". It's an AU with our favorite icy boi and has a feel much like this story here. I'd love for you all to check it out and tell me what you think!

Responses to reviews:

broom- Haha, I'm glad it got a laugh out of you. I definitely had fun writing that chapter, especially the drunk Zane scene. That was probably one of my favorite scenes to write!

This has definitely been a chapter I've been looking forward to writing ever since I started this story, and I hope you all enjoy it as well. Now with all that said, we have A LOT going on in this chapter, so get some snacks and get comfy!

Warning: Extremely violent scenes when Zane and Samuel are alone together towards the end of the chapter.

"Master, what is the plan now?"

Morro and his army had finished their descent from the mountains and into the cover of the trees on the valley floor. The ghost commander set down his dragon's reins and pulled out the map he had drawn with Ghoultar's help, tracing a finger along their current path.

"We're here." Morro answered to Soul Archer, tapping the yellowed paper. "This place is massive, so we have plenty of ground to cover. The plan is to get what I came here for. The ice ninja." He let out a sharp whistle to get his army's attention.

"Alright, listen up! This valley is huge, but the master of ice is here somewhere. If we're to summon the Preeminent as planned, we have to find him before the ninja do. So I need every soul in this army to search every nook and cranny there is. So spread out, and stay on the lookout for any sort of human that can be here, we cannot afford to give ourselves away just yet. And remember, bring him to me alive!"

The ghost soldiers turned and fanned out, carrying out Morro's orders. He watched as they stalked throughout the trees, searching any place Zane could be. The ice ninja was close, Morro could feel it in his gut. Soon he'd have him under his hand, then nothing would be impossible.

…

A pounding headache greeted Zane as he opened his eyes. He clutched his head and groaned, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to make the pain subside.

The headache dulled away some and Zane opened his eyes again. He discovered he was slouched in Clemen's recliner in the living room of the ranch house. His shirt, hat, boots, and pants were nowhere to be found and a blanket covered his lower half. Across the room on the couch lay Hailey and Jackson, asleep in each other's arms. He tried to think about what the hell got him here, but his memory banks drew a blank. Where was his clothes?!

"Ugh," He mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "What happened?"

His headache returned and he realized he was also parched, getting up he wrapped the blanket around his waist and shuffled to the kitchen. He searched for a glass and helped himself to some water from the sink. He was on his fifth glass when Samuel walked in.

"Hey Zane." He greeted, chuckling at the disheveled nindroid. "Wild night, huh?"

"I cannot recall a thing…" He muttered in between gulps.

"That means you just had fun." Samuel said, clapping Zane on the back. "I think a shower might help you, those are great for hangovers."

Zane nodded and finished his last glass. The warm water from the shower head helped rid him of his headache as well as the nauseating smell of alcohol. He sighed in relief as he wiped his face clean and upon returning to his room he found a clean change of his clothes waiting for him. He changed and lay down on the bed, taking a moment to rest and recover from the wild night before. Not long after he heard a knock at his door.

"Come in." he said. He lifted his head and saw Hailey's face peeking around the door.

"Hey Zane, did you want to turn out horses with me?"

…

Jay and Kai were working together to repair the Bounty's last damaged generator while the others focused on patching up the hull. Kai was using his elemental powers to weld the outer covering back together after it had been shredded by the attack, and Jay was repairing the inner workings.

"That's the problem…" Jay muttered to himself as he poked around inside. "The bearing is busted…"

He removed the damaged component and replaced it with a new one he had in his toolbox. He got up and closed the access panel shut, wiping the sweat off his forehead. "I think that does it…"

Kai finished fixing the coverings and made his way over to Jay, who was standing in front of the generator's control panel. "I hope you're right." He said. Jay switched the engine start and Kai pressed the power button. The generator sputtered before cranking to life. They cheered as the rest of the lights of the ship flickered on, the Bounty now having full power. They high fived and went to the control room to tell Nya the good news.

"I see you have the power back on?" Nya asked as they came, and the two nodded.

"Cole and Lloyd are almost done with the outside, but we should be off the ground by the end of the day." Nya said as she looked at the papers and maps they've written while doing their research. "Finally…" she muttered. "We've been taking too long to find poor Zane as it is…"

"What are you doing with all the papers?" Kai asked.

"Now that the Bounty is almost done and you guys have the power back up, I've been trying to see what our best course would be to get to the south as quickly as possible. The faster the better, we cannot let Morro get Zane. If he does then it's game over for us." Nya said, typing furiously on the keyboard.

Jay and Kai left Nya to her own devices and went outside to help the others repair the Bounty's exterior. Cole and Lloyd were lifting new boards from a pile and hammering them into place. Ultra was basking in the sun as they worked.

"Hey, do you guys need a hand?"

Jay and Kai helped Cole and Lloyd board up the holes, with Ultra giving them a lift to reach the higher places. The sun was high in the sky by the time they had finished. Once everyone had gathered in the control room, Nya started the Bounty's engine. The thrusters roared, and the ship lifted off. The ninja cheered.

Nya went back to her computer. "Alright, now that's over, this is what we're gonna do: Lloyd had said before we got attacked that if we went to the village where Zane disappeared and swung south, it would be a straight shot." Nya set the course for the village. "Remember, we have no idea what we're getting ourselves into and we don't know what we're putting up with. Stay on your toes, and watch each other's backs."

…

"Here boys! Here boys! Good boys!"

It was a cool and clear morning on the ranch. Though Zane was still recovering from his hangover, the ranch chores would not wait. He was on Gale today, holding open the gate as Hailey and Ranger led a herd of ranch horses through a corral alley. They reached the gate and Hailey moved Ranger out of the way as the many horses came loping out into the pasture. Zane shut the gate after the last horse. Hailey joined him and they both sat on their horses, watching as the herd settled to graze on the fresh forage in the warm morning. Hailey sighed as she sat back in the saddle.

"This is it." She said.

"This is what?" Zane asked.

"This. This is all I'd ever asked for. You ever seen something like this?" She jerked her head to the horses. "I wouldn't trade this for the world."

Zane observed the herd for a few moments more. "I have not." He said. "And I see why you are quite fond of things like these. I've admittedly grown fond as well."

They sat in silence for a while, watching the horses graze peacefully in the tranquil morning. Then they left in order to finish the rest of the morning chores. They finished by the early afternoon, having just completed checking cows and fences.

"It is a very pleasant day." Zane said as they trotted their horses back to the yard. "I wish we could stay out longer…"

"You know, there's a huge plot of public land not far from here, it's about an hour or two's ride. People go to ride their horses there all the time, if that's something you're interested in?"

Zane smiled. "That sounds lovely. I'd like that very much."

Hailey returned Zane's smile and together they turned and trotted for the ranch gate. There was no rush, so the two took their time as they loped down the road, letting the clip-clop of their horses' hooves fill their ears. Though warm, it was not unbearably hot like the rest of the summer days he'd been here, and a small cool breeze was blowing. They reached the public acreage and took one of the horseback trails. Nobody else was there so they had the entire trail to themselves. The ride was a fantastic view of the backcountry, with old, twisted trees, clear springs, and gorgeous summer wildflowers. The sky was blue, large puffy clouds and the sweet smell of sage floating on the breeze. Deer and elk grazed on the plants as the two rode by, paying them no heed. Eventually the trail they were on ended. They rode deep into the backcountry, picking their way through the brush and many creeks. The two let Ranger and Gale pick which way they wanted to go, not caring where they went, more concerned about taking in the beauty the land had to offer. They meandered through the sparse trees that grew up through the dry grass and climbed up a few hills. Horses and riders drank from one of the springs and shared some wild blackberries that grew on the bushes below the trees. They were small, but so sweet, sweeter than any kind of berry Zane could get in Ninjago. As he watched Gale lick the berry juice off his muzzle, he was again reminded about how much he'd miss Mt. Horn and the special moments like these when he returned home to Ninjago.

The two got back on their horses and continued on their ride, winding their way through the trees and stumps. Eventually the horses' path brought them to a huge meadow with lush green grass, surrounded by trees and more of the dry steppe just beyond.

"I believe we'd best turn back now." Zane said. "We've gone quite far off the trail already, I do not feel comfortable going any further."

"Aw come on, not yet." Hailey said. "It's such a nice day, I don't know when we'll get another one like this."

"It is really not wise to continue, by my calculations we're at least a good three miles from the end of the trail that we departed from. Should something happen we would be too far to get help."

"There's nothing or anyone out here Zane, I doubt we're in any real danger. It's not like this is the Thundering Badlands, it's just a chunk of public land."

"Regardless, we're already much farther than what we should be. I do not want to worry your uncle or your grandfather. We'll let our horses rest, but after I am taking you home."

Hailey huffed, but didn't object further. But being far from the trail wasn't the real reason Zane wanted to turn back, not even Clemens and Samuel. He had a feeling in his gut that they probably shouldn't be here, and even though he scanned the meadow and surrounding area for any kind of threat, he found none. But he still couldn't quell that feeling, nor his sixth sense that was also telling him to leave. He wanted to go immediately, but by the way Gale was stumbling underneath him he could tell that his horse and Hailey's needed a break.

'And a snack.' Zane thought as Gale grabbed a huge mouthful of grass.

They rode to the middle of the meadow and got off their horses, letting them graze. Zane yawned.

"The massive amount of alcohol I consumed last night must be affecting my energy levels." He said, rubbing his eyes.

"We can stop and rest here too." Hailey suggested. She sat down and lay in the long grass. "Have you ever lay and just watched the clouds?"

Zane didn't feel like right now was a good time to rest, he still felt troubled. But another yawn convinced him to sit down. Gale walked over and lay down next to him. Zane patted his horse's neck and decided to lay back on his shoulder so he could watch the clouds and their shadows drift by.

Hailey was right, this was peaceful.

He continued to watch them go by, letting the warmth from the sun lull him to sleep. But he didn't realize that this would soon prove to be a fatal mistake.

…

Splat. Splat-splat.

Zane suddenly awoke to a deep rumbling sound and feeling of water falling on his exoskeleton. He sat up and rubbed his eyes before wiping his face, discovering water drops all on his body. He looked over to Hailey, who was just beginning to stir, then up at the sky. Black clouds stretched over the tree tops and as far as the eye could see. It was raining. How long were they asleep for?

"Hailey, get up!" He said as he grabbed Gale's reins and made his way over to her. The wind started to gust. "We need to go, it is starting to rain."

"Shit!" She hissed, jumping up. "How long were we out for?"

"Too long! I told you this is why we should have turned back!"

Just as Zane finished his sentence the rain came in a downpour, like curtains of water. Hailey grabbed her horse's reins. Thunder roared in the sky and the black clouds came alive with light as bolts jumped between them. A summer storm had rolled over them as they were sleeping.

Hailey finally managed to get herself in Ranger's saddle, and her and Zane galloped across the meadow and back for the trail. Just before they reached the trees, a bolt of lightning struck the one in front of them, scorching it and sending it toppling over.

"LOOK OUT!" Zane yelled.

The two horses jumped out of the way just as the tree crashed to the ground. The two both tried to search for a way to escape the meadow, but lightning was striking all around them and the screaming wind blowing the rain made it impossible to see.

"Head back to the other side!" Hailey said. "There's no trees-"

Lightning struck the ground in front of their horses. Gale and Ranger leapt sideways, tossing their riders from their saddles.

"Ranger, here! It's okay!" Hailey said, lunging for her horse's reins. Another roar of thunder made the black horse squeal and rear in fright, ripping them from her hands and sending him running across the plain. She fell in the mud and cried in pain. "NO!"

"Gale! GALE! COME BACK!"

Zane chased after Gale, but his horse was too fast for him. He watched distraught as their mounts ran off and vanished into the storm. Now they were stuck with no way to get back.

"Zane!" Hailey's voice came through the rain. "Where are you?!"

Zane looked around him but couldn't see her anywhere. He mentally cussed himself out as he called out, he shouldn't have left her alone.

"I can't see you!" He yelled.

Lightning flashed overhead, and for a moment Zane was able to see her. She was still struggling to get up after Ranger had tossed her.

"Oh, thank the FSM." Zane said, and started making his way over to her.

Above him, cloud to cloud lightning jumped, before striking the ground in a huge fiery bolt. The earth tremored and tossed Zane off his feet just as he was about to reach her. He tried to get up but the ground beneath them shook stronger than before. There was a great crashing noise that wasn't thunder. Zane looked up and to his horror a huge fissure opened in the ground behind Hailey, swallowing rocks and trees that were in its path.

"What's happening?" Hailey cried, still trying to get up.

"WE NEED TO LEAVE!" Zane yelled, crawling his way towards her, the rain turned the once solid ground to mush.

"I-I can't get up!" Hailey said. "Ranger made me fall, I think I broke something!"

Suddenly there was a deafening roar that wasn't thunder. Lightning struck the ground again, blinding them and making the heat crackle across their skin.

"Gah!" Zane grunted as he squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, trying to shake it off. The earth shook again. Hailey looked up and her eyes went wide.

"ZANE!" She screamed.

Zane opened his eyes and looked behind her, and he felt his heart stop.

Lightning turned the black sky white. It's glare shone upon the scales and claws of a massive black dragon. It's eyes glowed purple in the storm and it's orange horn glinted in the lightning. It crawled out of the void and drew itself to full height, a strange purple mist floating off its body.

Hailey and Zane were both rooted to their spots in fear. This was the same dragon Zane had seen when he crossed the mountains. Stonetooth, one of Mt. Horn's mythical dragons, the Four Legends. It was back? How? And why?!

Stonetooth glared down at the two and hissed. This was not the helpful dragon he remembered, he looked different, as if out for blood. Zane tried to move, to do something, but the terror running through him wouldn't let him. It was almost like a trance as the dragon stared at them. Why couldn't he move?!

Stonetooth looked down at Hailey and raised it's claws. She screamed and tried to get up.

"ZANE!"

Hearing her voice made him break out of his frozen state. He gasped when he saw Stonetooth reaching for her.

"NO!" Zane yelled as he jumped up and ran to Hailey's side, forming ice in his hands. "GET AWAY!"

A beam of ice was shot at Stonetooth and encased its talon, making the dragon roar. It broke free and swiped at Zane. He dodged it and shot another beam of ice.

"RUN!" He yelled as he continued dodging the dragon's attacks. "YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!"

"I CAN'T!" Hailey cried. "I CAN'T GET UP!"

One of Zane's attacks hit Stonetooth in the face. Stonetooth growled and struck Zane with its talons, sending him flying back. He hit the ground hard and was out of breath, but he got up and ran right back. He tried to summon his dragon, but it wouldn't come. He couldn't focus.

Stonetooth deflected one of Zane's attacks with its wing. It opened its jaws and started spewing rock. Forced to yield, Zane had to back away or risk getting crushed. One of Stonetooth's talons came down over Hailey, his claws entrapping her like a cage.

"ZANE!" Hailey screamed. "HELP ME!"

"HOLD ON!" Zane said as he dodged Stonetooth. "LET HER GO!" He bellowed, shooting ice at Stonetooth, but no matter how hard he tried or what attacks he did, he couldn't seem to best the dragon. He took hit after hit that it threw at him, but he wouldn't last much longer.

Stonetooth's claws began to curl and it scooped Hailey up, keeping her trapped in his talon as it picked her up. She screamed and beat at its claws but to no avail.

"ZANE!" She cried, trying to escape, but Stonetooth's scales squeezed tightly at her sides.

"NO!" Zane threw another ice attack at the beast. "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!" He threw another. "YOU CAN'T TAKE HER!"

Zane rushed Stonetooth, who sent another blast of rock. Zane met Stonetooth's attack with a huge beam of ice as the two elements pushed back on each other. Zane held the line until his powers gave out, in which he was then struck by rocks. He fell, out of breath and his body wracked with pain. Stonetooth took the opportunity, turning and began to retreat back into the void, with Hailey in tow.

"NO, NO, DON'T DO THIS PLEASE!" She yelled, her fists bloody from punching Stonetooth. "ZANE!"

He heard Hailey's cry and saw them going down. He staggered up and ran.

"NOOOO!" He cried. "HAILEY!"

Zane chased after them, summoning more ice. But seeing the ice ninja coming Stonetooth raised his tail and swiped at Zane with it. It struck the nindroid in the chest, knocking the air from his lungs. He fell into the mud and this time he couldn't get up, but just watched with his dimming vision as Stonetooth and Hailey descended back into the chasm below, her still screaming his name. He collapsed as he blacked out.

He had sworn to protect those who could not protect themselves. But this time, he had failed.

…

"Any sign of them?"

"No, I searched all the pastures, her truck is still in the barn, but their horses are gone!"

It was almost midnight at Flint River Ranch, but every light in the house and around the yard was on, and almost everyone was awake. Hailey and Zane had not returned from their outing, and there was no sign of them anywhere, Clemens, Samuel, and Jackson didn't even know where they had gone, and they were all worried sick. They as well as all the other hands on the farm were searching the property, but there was no sign

"Alright son, thank you for your help. You've done all you can do. Go home now." Clemens said, patting Jackson's shoulder. "We'll call you if we find anything."

"Please. I love her and don't want anything happening to her. And Zane too…"

"Don't worry, we will. Now go home and get some rest."

Jackson nodded solemnly and left for his home of 44-A. Clemens and Samuel watched them go.

"Where the hell could they have gone? I don't get it." Samuel said. "We've had every person comb the entire ranch three times over."

Clemens sighed. "I don't know…" He walked back into the house and went for the landline. He called every neighbor near and far he had in his phonebook and in his memory, but not one had seen the two. He hung the phone up.

"Dammit." Clemens hissed. "No sign…"

"What do we do now?" Samuel said, having returned from yet another search, his tan coat soaked from the rain.

Clemens heaved a sigh and picked up the phone again. He dialed a number.

"Chaparral County Sheriff? Yes, I need to file a report for two missing persons…"

…

The ninja tread carefully along the forest floor, navigating the fallen trees and boulders that lay in their path. The road that led south from the village had dwindled a far way's back and was now just a rugged footpath that wound through the trunks of the thick ancient trees. Sunlight was scarce here, and the moss and lichen that hung off the branches swayed in the cold wind.

After they had fixed the Bounty, they headed for the village and then went straight south. As the forest grew thicker, Nya had the suggestion that they split up, one group travelling on the ground looking for any clues of Zane's whereabouts while the other stayed on the Bounty and scanned the treetops. Kai, Jay, and Cole were on foot while Lloyd and Sensei Wu were searching from the deck, with Nya at the Bounty's helm. Ultra was also curled up on the deck. The ninja didn't want to use any dragons in case it drew the attention of Morro if he was nearby or any other unwelcome company. As they travelled Nya had a large piece of paper taped on the wall next to her, sketching in a rough map of the new terrain as they went.

The three ninja on the ground were spread out, Jay on the trail, with Kai to his left and Cole to his right about a few hundred yards off, they peered behind every rock, fallen tree, and any other place where they thought he might be, but so far their search yielded nothing, save for a tarnished pair of sai at the village's edge where Zane had first disappeared.

As they walked, Jay looked up, barely able to see the ship matching their pace through the thick branches above. He shuddered. This whole forest gave him an eerie feeling.

"Where are we?" Jay asked.

"I don't know…" Cole said, pausing to lift up a log to see under it. He set it back down. "But this isn't any place like I've seen…"

"I can see why now no one ever goes here." Kai said as he walked along. "I wouldn't want to be here either…"

Jay shivered. "Yeah…"

"Zane!" Cole called.

"Zane! Where are you?"

Their voices echoed through the forest, but there was no response, just the creaking of swaying branches.

"What if we don't find him?"

"We can't think like that Jay." Cole said.

"Yes, right." Kai agreed. "And you have to remember too, while Morro can be cocky, he's not stupid. If he really thinks Zane is still worth going after then that's more than enough evidence for me to believe he's still alive. And besides, we can't take any chances. Like you said, someone must be helping him too. Speaking of which..." Kai glanced up at the Bounty "Hey Lloyd! How's he doing up there?"

There was a pause as Lloyd presumably summoned his ice powers.

"He's doing okay!" Lloyd's voice came from above.

"See? He's still alive. Which means we will find him."

"Okay…" Jay said. "Zane! Can you hear us? Are you out there?"

No response.

"I'm just worried. If Morro gets to Zane before us, then what?"

"We're gonna try our best to make sure that doesn't happen."

"And if it does, then we'll do what it takes to get him back."

"Right…"

Jay fell silent and the three ninja continued their search.

"Do you see anything?" Lloyd asked, scanning the tops of the trees and the horizon on the port side of the Bounty's deck.

"I am afraid not." Sensei answered, looking over the starboard side. "Nya! Do you happen to see anything?"

"No, but…" Nya began. "Hey Sensei, do these look familiar to you?"

Wu walked into the bridge where Nya was and looked out. He scratched his head.

"N-no, I've never seen these before…"

Up ahead in the distance dark grey mountains rose above the treetops, stark and jagged against the blue sky.

"What in the world…"

They pressed on. The ninja on the ground came to a hill in the now nonexistent path. Jay made it to the top first, which gave him a view over the trees.

"Hey guys, I can see where the forest ends!" He said. "Look!"

Kai and Cole met Jay at the top, and could see that he was indeed right. Though still far ways away, they could see where the thick forest gave way to plains and foothills beyond. They continued to search the forest until they had reached the edge of the flatlands, and Nya dropped anchor to let them board the ship. They all gathered at the bridge and Nya pointed out the mountains her and Sensei had seen, still looming out in the distance.

"Mountains? Why haven't we seen these before?" Lloyd asked.

"I'm not sure, not even Sensei's seen them." Nya said, scribbling on her map. "Let's get a closer look."

Nya engaged the Bounty's thrusters and they glided over the plains and the foothills.

"I still don't get it." Kai said as they cruised along, staring down at the passing landscape below. "I've never seen or heard of any of this before. None of us have. Not even Sensei, and his father was the one that created this place. So...why are we just finding out about this?"

"Well, we've never gone far in this direction, and neither has anyone else, according to the people I've talked to." Cole said, joining him. "But I'm not too sure how to answer your question, I'm just as confused myself…"

"Hey," Jay's voice called. "Nya needs us down at the bridge!"

The two jogged their way to the bridge, joining the others. Looking out of the window beyond the helm they saw that they had reached the edge of the mountains. Like a curtain of stone, it stretched beyond their vision either way, and dwarfed the Bounty like a speck of dust. The peaks were unable to be seen, stretching high until they were cloaked in the clouds. Below them at the range's base a huge ravine gaped, so deep that they couldn't see the bottom. The ninja and their master all looked in awe.

"They're so...big…"

"Now I can see why nothing can get in." Nya said, leaning over the helm to get a better look. "This is almost impossible to get through." She observed the sheer cliff faces. "The perfect natural defenses from the outside world."

Jay ran outside to get a better look, almost falling over from trying to see the top.

"I'll say." He said, sitting down. "Looking at this makes me dizzy. You sure we're able to get through this?"

"We have to try." Lloyd said. "Nya, are you certain this is where Zane is?"

"It's what our maps and research is telling me." She went to the Ops room and typed on the keyboard, pulling up Ninjago's map. The screen was blank, save for two colored dots on top of each other at the edge of the map. They were where they needed to be.

"So...over the mountains we go?"

Nya nodded and went back to the helm. "Over the mountains we go. Everyone grab onto something." She said as she engaged the thrusters to full power.

"Stay vigilant, ninja, we don't know for certain what we will encounter here, so do not let your guard down." Wu said.

Nya opened the Bounty's throttle, and the ship went up, up, up, rising along the mountains' flanks and into the clouds, sailing further southward into the unknown, finally one step closer to finding Zane.

…

The early morning sun had barely started to rise over the steppe, streaking the dark sky with gray. In the darkness, rows of headlights ambled down the highway. Hailey and Zane were still nowhere to be found, and Clemens had reported them as missing. The county Sheriff ordered a search party to be organized and asked for volunteers. They had received a tip that they had been seen at the public horse trailhead, so that's where they would begin their search. Pulling into the trailhead turnout were dozens of farm, law enforcement, and search & rescue trucks, pulling trailers of ATVs, UTVs, horses and mules. Tony and Christopher also had came, the latter bringing his dog Red. They unloaded their equipment and passed out handheld radios, maps, missing person flyers, and flashlights. Animals were saddled, off road vehicles were checked for fuel, and the lawmen cleared out any other trail-goers and secured the area.

"You think we'll find them here?" Samuel asked as he finished tightening Gunsmoke's back cinch and got on.

"We better." Clemens said, mounting his horse. "I don't know where the hell else they'd be. We have to stay hopeful, Sam."

They joined the others who had gathered at the trailhead entrance, awaiting the instructions of the sheriff and his fellow officers. Once they'd seen that everyone was ready, he held up a hand and whistled to get their attention.

"Alright folks," He began. "I'm sure you know why we're here, but in case you're not: we have reports of two people missing as of yesterday, last seen in this vicinity. A female in her late teens accompanied by a male about late in his twenties. They're presumed to have been riding their horses, one black one white, at the time of their disappearance. You all should have received papers with their descriptions. All of your radios should be on channel six, and you all should have received a map of these trails and the surrounding property. Two officers will lead those with ATVs and UTVs, and another two will lead those on horseback. I myself will lead those searching on foot. For those with off road vehicles, I want y'all to focus on areas that are accessible by the trails and flat areas that you can get through. Those on horses should focus on the steeper terrain that the ORVs can't get through. For those on foot, we'll focus on the flatter areas that the ORVs don't cover. Horseback can follow these two here and ORVs can follow these two here. If you find even the smallest thing that could help us, use your radios or tell one of us. Good luck."

The ORVs and horses followed their respective officers, leaving just those searching on foot with the sheriff.

"Okay, so my people on the ground, the best way to do this is to stay about ten feet apart. Walk slowly, look and listen. Remember, if you see anything, speak up. Now let's find these two and bring them home."

…

The sun had risen high into the sky as the search and rescue mission continued, Hailey and Zane still missing. The main trail area had been combed thoroughly and now focus was being shifted to the backcountry.

Samuel guided Gunsmoke through the fallen timbers, gripping the saddle seat as his horse navigated the rocks. He reached the top of a hill and brought the horse to a stop. He stood in the stirrups as he scanned the horizon with a pair of binoculars, but found nothing. He set down his binoculars and cupped his hands around his mouth.

"HAILEY!" He called at the top of his lungs. "ZANE! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

He listened as his voice echoed off the hills, but no response came. He heaved a frustrated sigh.

"Where are you?"

He had been trying to stay optimistic, like Clemens said, but things were looking bleaker with every passing hour. He hoped against hope that they were both alive and safe, but he still couldn't help but fear the worst. Was Zane keeping her out of harm's way? He hoped so. Samuel did trust him after all, he'd expect nothing less of the nindroid.

Zane wasn't the reason they both went missing, was he? How did Samuel know that he didn't hurt her or worse and left her as he went into hiding?

No, no, that's not possible. If such a thing did happen, Samuel would rip him to pieces limb to limb. If Zane really wanted to, he was certain he would have tried that a long time ago.

Right?

Shaking the thoughts from his head, Samuel sat back down in his saddle and let Gunsmoke find the way down the hill, still calling for the two as he went.

…

Hailey awoke with a start, gasping as her eyes flew open. She burst out coughing as she struggled to her knees. Her entire body was sore, her skin riddled with bruises and cuts. Her surroundings were dim, and the air was freezing. How did she get here?

"What happened…"

Suddenly the memory of her and Zane's encounter with Stonetooth hit her like a brick to the head. She scrambled up and looked around wildly, ready to flee if need be, but Stonetooth was nowhere to be found. In fact, no one was.

"Zane?! Ranger?! Uncle Sam?! Anyone?!"

There was no answer, just her own voice echoing from the darkness beyond. She felt panic rising in her throat as she looked for some way to escape. Where was she?!

Her heart was thundering in her chest and she felt like she couldn't breathe. She felt a wall of rock and lay against it, trying to regain her composure.

"Okay...okay…" She said to herself as she took deep breaths. "Don't panic, it just makes things worse...okay…" After a while she pushed up her glasses on her face. "Where am I?"

She saw that she was in some kind of underground tunnel. The walls and ceiling were all grey rock, and the floor was made of dark pebbles. The air was freezing and damp. It was almost pitch black, the only source of light being some kind of fluorescent blue-green lichen or moss that clung to the rocks in patches. Looking around there was no entry to the surface.

Getting up to her feet, Hailey walked over to one of the patches of the strange flora and cautiously poked it. Once she was confident it wouldn't hurt her, she grabbed what she could and stuffed it into a big ball, providing her with some light as well as some comfort.

"Zane?" Hailey called again. Still no response. Had Stonetooth taken him too? She didn't think so, but she didn't remember anything after being dragged under. She must have passed out.

She began to walk carefully down the tunnel, using the moss for light and the side of the tunnel as a guide. The walls were smooth and cold. Though she had the moss, it barely reached past her feet, the path ahead was enveloped in pitch black darkness. It was silent, save for her own breathing and the occasional dripping from water. She tread carefully.

Was Zane okay? She had seen his battle with Stonetooth. Was he hurt? And most importantly, was he safe? Would he come looking for her?

She didn't doubt that last part, but the others she wasn't sure. She wanted to punch herself. Someone getting hurt because of her stupidity, again.

So, why had Stonetooth taken her? Her of all people? Did it have something to do with Zane, since he had claimed to have seen him before? And why had he taken her here?

Was she…?

'No way.' She thought. 'That's impossible.' She was just a cattle rancher, nothing special. Besides, almost no one believed in the prophecy anymore. To top it off, his bloodline was likely long lost by now.

The tunnel stretched straight, and Hailey walked for she didn't know how long. There was darkness each way she looked, there was no concept of time. The crunching of gravel under her boots echoed off the walls. Eventually she reached a point where the tunnel branched off. This wasn't just a single passageway, it was a whole cave system.

"Oh no…" She said. She looked at all the entrances, contemplating which way to go. "I'm gonna get lost in here…" She shivered from the cold air.

"Not like I really knew where I was in the first place…"

She needed to find a way out, and soon. Not knowing which one to take, she let her gut decide, and slipped into the cavern on the far right. It sloped downward and then sharply up. Her chest swelled with hope as she went, hearing running water and a faint light far ahead. Was this the way to the surface?

She burst out of the tunnel, much to her defeat it was not the outside world like she'd hoped. She found herself on a ledge, inside a massive cavern chamber. A river ran below the ledge she was standing on, and on the ceiling high above huge clumps of glowing moss and stalactites hung, shimmering with the water's reflection. A soft blue glow filled the cavern. She gazed, fascinated. Was she the first person to lay eyes on this?

"Wow…"

Crack!

"Aaaah!"

The ground beneath her gave way, sending her plunging into the freezing cold water.

"Oh no, no no!" She sputtered, swimming frantically against the current, but it was too strong for her. It swept her downstream, twisting and turning as it wound deeper and deeper into the caves.

There was the sound of roaring water ahead, and she turned to look. She gasped as she saw the water drop. She tried again to swim, but she couldn't beat the current and ended up falling over the edge of the waterfall. She plunged into the water below and resurfaced, coughing and gasping for air. She swam away from the waterfall and tread water. She saw land and swam over to it. Staggering onto dry land, soaking wet. She sat down to catch her breath before looking around to get her bearings.

The river and waterfall had dropped Hailey into a huge underground lake. More moss hung from the ceiling, and the water was crystal clear. Its shores were gravelly, and at the far end the river continued through a small split in the cavern walls. It shimmered a bright turquoise color, its light reflecting off the surface and all around. Glowing fungi also pushed its way through the rocks, and even a couple of stunted vines grew. It was unlike anything she had ever seen, and despite her current situation, couldn't help but admire it's untouched beauty.

As she was sitting, a cold wind blew past her. She jumped up, startled. Behind her was another cavern entrance, so huge that a dragon such as Stonetooth could comfortably fit through. Where did it lead to?

She wasn't sure if she should, should Stonetooth or any other sort of cave creature be there. But as another gust of wind blew, she realized this also could be the way out.

Hailey gulped and walked in, watching the darkness for any danger. It had now gone pitch black and she gripped the walls so she could find her way. The cave turned right, then left. As she rounded the bend, She saw a bright light ahead. Was it sunlight?!

She ran, bursting through the tunnel's mouth. To her dismay, it was not the surface, but that didn't stop her from stopping in her tracks, gazing upon what lay ahead in awe.

"Oh my god…"

It was a mammoth cavern, it's ceiling vaulted high like a stone cathedral. Fissures in the walls glowed with purple crystal, casting it's faint light on the smooth stone floor. But that wasn't the most spectacular part.

At the center of the cavern, rising from the floor was a round stone platform with roughly hewn steps. Surrounding the platform were four colossal stone dragon statues.

Hailey knew where she was now. She was standing in the shadows of Mt. Horn's original creators, the beings that had given life to the valley long before time had a name. The four names she had always heard throughout her entire life, Cyclone, Stonetooth, Witherwings, and Spitfire, all stood before her.

They were real.

Which also meant the prophecy was real.

Another cold wind blew. Hailey timidly stepped into the cavern, looking up at her homeland's deities. The air here felt different, the cavern feeling as if being charged with some kind of energy. She swore she could feel the four looking down on her as she scooted carefully along the floor, as if one wrong step would awaken them.

Cyclone's statue was the closest to her. She walked over and gingerly rested her fingers on the stone scales, swearing she could feel her veins hum. Everything was just as the book had said. She could see the wounds of the dragons, deep slashes and teeth marks in their scales, every detail of them was preserved in the rock that kept them for eons.

She withdrew her hand and walked back to the center of the cavern. It felt so surreal of what she was laying her eyes upon, she still wasn't sure if she could believe it herself. Why was she brought here?

Something dark caught her eye, and looking in the direction she noticed a dark object sitting on the stone platform. Curious, she walked over to it. Peering over the stone's edge she saw what looked like a sword in a black leather sheath.

What was a sword doing here?

She swung herself up the platform and crouched down to get a better look. The leather and handle were in perfect condition, not showing any signs of being left in a cave for what could have easily been thousands of years. It was placed neatly on the stone surface, as if its previous owner knew someone would come for it.

Hailey reached for the sword and grasped its handle. She stood up, turning it over in her hands. The metal hissed as she slid it out of it's leather sheath, revealing an immaculate blade crafted of a shiny black metal.

"Wow…"

Suddenly the blade burst into purple flames. Hailey cried out in surprise and tried to drop the sword, but she couldn't will her fingers to let go. It was like her hand was stuck.

As Hailey continued to struggle with the sword, she saw the eyes of the four statues begin to glow. She paled.

"No! Stop it! What's happening?!"

Four beams of energy burst from the mouths of the statues, striking her and the sword and they platform they stood upon. Blinded by light, she found herself being consumed by pain, searing heat erupting from the inside out and bursting out of every pore. She thought she was dying. She cried out in pain as she felt what she thought was fire flow through her veins, her brain, her heart.

Then everything went dark.

…

The snowy wind beat at the sides of the Bounty, rocking the ship violently. Nya tried to keep a grip on the helm but it was ripped from her hands as the bounty swerved.

"I lost the wheel!" She cried as she got up. Kai came running in.

"I got it!" He said, grabbing the helm and straightening the ship. "You can take a break sis, I can take it for now." he peered through the window. "Hey Lloyd, did I hit Ultra?"

"No, he's okay!"

The ninja had ascended the great mountains and began the journey of navigating through the mountain range. As soon as they reached the peaks they were met with strong winds and violent snowstorms. They quickly realized that they couldn't go through as they were, so they had to improvise in order to be able to travel and not wreck the ship. They had taken down all the sails and wrapped the anchor chain around Ultra, so the dragon could guide the ship while one of the ninja could man the helm and thrusters, keeping the ship in the air and somewhat stable. The snow also posed little issues to the dragon, being able to easily get through the snow and melt through it when snowbanks got too thick. Because the storms blowing through the mountains were so strong, the ninja would take turns keeping the Bounty steady. They had to make sure they did this right, because if the ship were to get damaged yet again, they would become stranded and eventually perish. As long as they remained within the Bounty, they stood a good chance at surviving getting through the range. But it was still brutal regardless. Gusts of wind often rocked the ship, and the freezing weather outside forced the ninja to bundle up to stay warm. They haven't seen the sunlight since they entered.

Kai looked out of the window of the bridge, unable to see anything except white in every direction. He could feel the wind yank and pull at the helm as he held it steady.

"How far are we?" He asked, to no one in particular.

"I'm not sure." Nya said, walking back into the bridge. "I tried to see if we could get our location or anyone else's, but nothing's working. The GPS, the digital maps, nothing."

"So...how can we tell where we are?"

"We've still been on the same course from when we left the forest." Nya said, tapping the compass next to the helm, its needle pointing south. "And we've been going through the night, so we should be a good ways in by now. But the thing is we don't know how long these mountains go on for."

"Yeah."

Lloyd walked in, along with Jay. The green ninja peered out the window past Kai, looking at all the blowing snow. He grimaced.

"Are you sure we're gonna be able to find Zane in this?" He asked. "I can't even see the bow of the ship in this weather."

"We have to try." Nya said. "He could be anywhere here. It's our job to look."

While Lloyd was talking, Jay had busied himself into looking at the map drawing Nya had made. It had been more filled in to reflect the mountains they were currently travelling over. It was by no means a perfect drawing, but it still showed how far they were from the Ninjago they knew. Then he thought of something.

"Hey," He began. "Has anyone thought about what would be on the other side of these mountains?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, what's on the other side? When we get to the end of the mountains, what are we gonna see? Ocean? More mountains? A valley?" He pondered for a moment more when he thought of something and gulped nervously. "Horses…"

"Again with the horse thing, Jay?" Nya asked. "You've fought so many things that are probably way worse. Why are you so worried?"

"I don't know! I guess I just don't know what to expect…"

Suddenly Wu burst into the room. "Ninja, come quick!" He said. "Stop the ship!"

Kai powered down the thrusters as the ship suddenly came to a halt with a jolt. He and the others scrambled for their warmest jackets and followed Sensei to the bow deck and leaned over the railing to get a better look.

Ultra had stopped walking, staring ahead at something in the storm that the ninja couldn't see.

"Ultra?" Lloyd asked. "What is it?"

"I don't know…" Cole said.

Ultra bristled and bared its teeth, a growl rumbling from its chest. A huge shadow began to appear from the storm in front of them. The ninja and Wu drew their weapons and readied themselves.

"What is that thing?" Kai said as the shadow began to grow closer, still not being able to make it out.

"It's a horse!" Jay gasped, petrified.

Two glowing purple eyes began to show through the blowing snow, and as the thing got closer the ninja were able to make out the outline of a dragon. Ultra hissed, as if letting out a warning. Unphased, the newcomer approached Ultra and the Bounty. Suddenly the ninja found themselves in the presence of a huge black and grey dragon with a pair of twisting horns that was twice Ultra's size. It let out a hiss of its own as it glared down at the outsiders.

"A...dragon?"

"Sensei…" Kai said, not taking his eyes off the dragon. "What is this?"

"I don't know…" Wu said. "I have no idea such a dragon like this existed."

"I-it looks an awful lot like the Overlord." Lloyd said. "It's not him is it?"

"Guys, look!" Cole said, pointing to Ultra. They saw that Ultra had stopped its defensive behavior and growled passively. The other dragon cocked its head and hissed quietly, icy mist escaping from between its teeth. This behavior kept going back and forth.

"What are they doing?" Jay asked.

"I think…" Cole said as he watched the two. "They're communicating."

They continued to watch in amazement.

"What do you think they're saying?"

The black dragon looked up from Ultra, it's gaze settling on the ninja. It stepped closer and the ninja lowered their weapons.

"I don't think it's here to hurt us…" Nya said.

"Uh, heheh, heeey...mister...dragon?" Jay began, chuckling nervously. "W-we're not here to hurt anyone, we come in peace?"

The dragon huffed and looked at the others before stepping away. It drew to full height, spread its wings and let out a great roar. Ice and snow swirled around it's horns. The wind stopped howling and the blizzard became a light snowfall in a matter of seconds. The dragon had stopped the storm. It growled at Ultra, who began to pull the Bounty again. The dragon folded its wings at its sides and stepped back, allowing the ninja to pass. They stared at it in awe as they passed. Wu took off his hat and bowed.

"Thank you." He said.

The dragon nodded, then turned and vanished into the snowstorm beyond.

"Can you believe that?!" Jay whooped. "It helped us! It actually helped us!"

"Yeah it did." Kai said, he ran back to the helm. "Did you see the size of that thing?"

They rounded the bend of a pass, where they saw another rise ahead. Just above it was a bright light that shone through the clouds. Ultra hiked its way up until it reached the top. The winds had stopped blowing and it wasn't as bitterly cold, so the ninja jumped down to undo the chain. They were all sure to give the dragon some pats and scratches for its help.

While the others were attending to Ultra, Jay wandered through the snow banks and up to the very top of the ridge. The clouds broke here, and he could finally see the beautiful blue sky. There was no more wind. And the sun! It's warm glow felt glorious on his face. He looked to see what lay ahead, and gasped.

"GUYS!" he called at the top of his lungs. "Guys! You need to come see this! Hurry!"

The others came quickly and joined Jay. When they saw what he was talking about, they were also taken aback.

The mountain they were standing on overlooked a huge expansive valley. It stretched beyond view, that of what could be seen was covered in rolling hills, lush forests, and green meadows. Sunlight sparkled on the surface of rivers, and the setting sun cast a golden glow upon the landscape.

"It's beautiful…" Nya said, taking it all in. the others voiced their agreement.

"Sensei, did you know about this?"

Wu shook his head, also in awe. "I have not."

"This place, its huge." Kai said. "Morro's gonna have a hard time finding Zane here."

"And so will we." Cole said. "Which is why we should get going. It's beautiful, sure, but we still don't know what lives here, so we have to be careful."

The ninja boarded the Bounty and flew out of the mountains and into the valley, greeted by clear skies and fair winds. At long last, they had reached the heart of the southern frontier.

…

The sun was setting, and the night was fast approaching. The search and rescue mission for Zane and Hailey had been ongoing the entire day, and yet still had yielded nothing. Soon it would be too dark to continue and the search would have to be called off for the night.

One of the volunteers on an ATV had driven to the top of a hill in the open backcountry to stop for a drink of water. She had just finished and was putting her water bottle away and getting ready to regroup with the others when suddenly she heard a horse's whinny in the distance. She scanned the area around her and saw a couple of horses in the distance. She pulled out a pair of binoculars to get a better look, and sure enough there were two. A black horse and a white one milling about together, fully tacked with no riders in sight. She grabbed her radio and went to channel six.

"Sheriff, we've got something."

…

Flashing lights. Search and rescue crews. Detectives. Law enforcement. The trail had become a madhouse, swirling with first responders and authorities. Zane had been found alive, and was currently sitting in the back of an ambulance with a blanket around his shoulders. But with everything going on he didn't seem to notice, he was in a daze in the aftermath of his battle with Stonetooth. He had seldom said a word, even as the paramedics were examining him and the detectives were asking him questions. Currently search and rescue crews were trying to get down into the fissure to see if they could find any sign of Hailey, but Stonetooth had taken her and left no trace other than the great split in the ground.

Zane still couldn't believe it. She was gone. Taken right in front of him. He knew they shouldn't have gone off the trail. Why did he let her?

This was all his fault.

He had fought Stonetooth with everything he had, he knew that, but he couldn't help but think, could he have done better? Surely there was something else he could have done to save her. He was built to protect those who couldn't protect themselves, but even now he couldn't do that. So what was he good for?

He wondered what he would say when Samuel and Clemens would ask what happened. That he let them walk right into a death trap? They were helping the S&R crews, but would likely be back soon. He could only imagine how they felt, especially Samuel. He loved his niece to bits, and now without her was probably in shambles. Would he ever forgive Zane? He wouldn't blame him if he didn't. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself either.

A few hours later the search had been called off for the night and Samuel and Clemens returned, dejected, accompanied by one of the police officers. They stopped next to the ambulance.

"The medics went ahead and cleared him, so he's okay to go. We might need to question him some more later." The policeman pointed to Zane. "I'm sorry we couldn't find her, but the Sheriff's gonna take it from here. We'll call you when we have some more news."

"Thank you."

The policeman left. Clemens and Samuel embraced, in the blue and red lights Zane could see tears rolling down Samuel's face. He looked away. A hand rested itself on Zane's knee. It was Clemens.

"Come on, son. Let's go home…"

…

"Gah!"

Hailey awoke with a start. Her chest was heaving as she shot up to her feet. She remembered what had happened, the blinding lights and horrible pain. Was she dead?

Frantically, she felt her face, and her body. She was alive.

"Oh my god…" She said, heaving a sigh of relief. She sat back down to catch her breath. "What was that?"

Looking around, she was overjoyed to see that she was no longer in a cave, but surrounded by trees. It was night, and she could see the stars and moon in the sky above. Cool wind blew across her skin, and the air smelled of pine needles instead of the mustyness of the caves she had been in. She must have been taken here after she blacked out. How did she get here?

She looked down at the ground and saw that there by her feet lay the same black sword she had picked up before she was shot by the beams. Why was that here too?

It was cold out tonight. She shivered and rubbed her arms. Looking at them she saw that all the bruises and cuts she had gotten before were completely gone. Her leg also didn't hurt anymore. And something else in her body was off, she felt...different, but she wasn't sure what.

"Zane?" Hailey called. "Uncle Sam? Grandpa? Anyone?"

…

A voice echoed through the woods. Morro held up a hand, signaling his army to stop.

"What is it, Master?" Ghoultar asked.

"SHHHH! I hear something. Listen."

"Uncle Sam? Grandpa? Anyone?"

"It's a person." Soul Archer said. "Shall we investigate?"

Ghoultar was right after all. There was life in this valley!

Morro nodded. He and Ghoultar jumped off his dragon, making it disappear. He began to stalk through the trees in the direction of the voice, motioning his army to follow.

…

Hailey wandered through the forest, sword in hand. She called out for her family, not knowing where they were or where she was. She hoped to find them soon.

"Zane?" She said again. "Uncle Sam?"

Wandering for a while more, she became aware of the sound of voices. She grew hopeful. Had someone finally found her?

"Hello?" She said, louder this time. "Anyone out here?"

She began walking up a hill and saw light through the trees.

"Hey! I'm down here!"

She ran up the slope, towards the light. She made it to the top, and the voices and light got closer. But when ran out of the trees, she quickly realized that these were not her rescuers.

They were ghosts. The ghosts that tried to capture Zane.

She gasped in terror, which got the attention of the ghost leading the others. He had dark green hair with a light green streak, and evil green glowing eyes. He turned and they locked eyes. Not knowing what to do, Hailey panicked and froze, clutching her sword with white knuckles. She didn't need Zane here to tell her that was Morro.

"That's her!" Said another ghost. She recognized him as one of the ghosts that tried to pursue her and Uncle Sam when they rescued the nindroid.

Oh, this was bad.

Not knowing what else to do, Hailey whipped around and fled as fast as she could.

"Get her!" Morro yelled behind her. "We can't let her get away!"

She ran down the hill and sprinted through the forest, three ghosts close behind. She tried to lose them by ducking and dodging through the thick growth, but they were relentless.

She tripped over a log and fell to the ground. She felt one of the ghosts grab her.

"No, get away!" she yelled, raising a hand. She felt a hot, tingling sensation run through her arm and to her fingertips. She watched as a plume of purple flame came from her palm. Surprised from the sudden attack, the ghost holding her jumped back.

But there was no time to be amazed. Not thinking and barely registering what just happened, she scrambled back up and ran. Another tackled her to the ground, making her drop her sword. A second ghost grabbed her and they both hauled Hailey up to her feet.

"Let go of me!" She yelled. More fire was shot from her hands as she struggled, scorching the ground and trees around her.

"Another elemental master?" One of them said, unfazed. "Morro will be very pleased."

They dragged Hailey all the way back to the top of the hill and brought her before Morro. He saw her and smirked.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" He said.

"It's the girl." One of the ghost soldiers holding Hailey said. "But that's not all."

He let go of Hailey and raised his sword at her as if he was about to attack. Hailey flinched and stuck out her hand instinctively, which let out another plume of fire. They gasped. Morro grinned.

"Another elemental master?" He said. "This is quite a treat. Perhaps she knows Spinjitzu too?"

"What?! No!" Hailey cried, still struggling with no avail. "I'm no master, and I don't even know how to do Twist-itzu or whatever you call it! Just let me go!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Morro said, crouching down to her level. "See, now you know too much, and I don't need you to run home and raise the alarm. And I would never let an elemental master slip through my fingers. So I think it's better that you stay here with us." He pointed at her. "Tie her up!"

Some of the ghosts produced loops of strange looking chains. The ghosts holding Hailey kicked her to her knees and tied her up. As the metal came into contact with her skin she began to suddenly feel drained. What was happening?

"You won't get away with this!" Hailey spat as they tied her hands together. "I have people looking for me, and some very good people at that!"

"Your friends won't find you." Morro said, pulling out his sword and checking its blade. "And I'll see to that personally." He began to walk away.

"Oh yeah? Just wait, my friend Zane will find me, and he'll kick your ass while he's at it too!"

Morro stopped walking and turned back around. "Say that name again."

"What? Zane?" Hailey said. "Yeah, you heard me right. He'll turn you into an ice cube once he finds out what you've done to me!"

Morro said nothing, an evil grin spread across his face. Hailey suddenly paled, and realized too late that that last part would have probably been better left unsaid.

Uh-oh.

One of the ghosts hit Hailey hard over the head with their sword, knocking her out. Morro picked her up.

"What will you use her for?" Soul Archer asked.

"Bait." Morro said as he slung her over his shoulder. "You'll see. Now all we have to do is wait."

…

Back at the ranch house, Clemens, Samuel and Zane all sat in the living room together. Silence stretched between the three, not sure what to do. To try and continue normally without Hailey, it just felt so wrong.

Zane had seldom said a word since he was found. Though Samuel kept pushing Zane to talk about what happened, Clemens could tell that the nindroid was terribly rattled and would need time before he could talk about what happened. The old cowpoke had told Samuel to let Zane talk when he was ready and to not force him, but his grandson didn't listen.

"I'm...I'm gonna go check some of the mares." Clemens said. "Some were due to foal earlier this week...I'll be back…"

He got up and walked out, needing some fresh air and an excuse to go for a walk and clear his head. Now it was just Samuel and Zane together alone.

"Zane, please, tell me what happened." Samuel pleaded. "How did she disappear?"

Zane didn't answer. He didn't know how.

"Zane, please!" Samuel said, his voice cracking and his eyes filling with tears. "This is something I need to know! You know how much she means to me, we have to find her!"

The man broke down in tears, dropping his hands in his face and crying. Hearing Samuel's distress tore at Zane's heart. He heaved a shaky sigh.

"We were in the backcountry when the storm hit us…"

Zane began recalling everything that had happened from their attempt to flee the storm, the lightning bolt cracking open the ground, to Stonetooth grabbing Hailey in its claws and dragging her down under, and him fighting the dragon until it hit him and he blacked out.

"I...I don't understand…" Samuel said. "What were you doing that deep in the backcountry?"

"She wanted to go further, and I knew we shouldn't have, but I didn't have the heart to tell her no."

Samuel looked up from his hands. "You let her?"

Zane nodded, slowly, uncertainly.

"Let me get this straight: You let her go that far, knowing it was dangerous, but still went ahead anyway?" Samuel asked again, something sparking in his eyes as a tone of anger became present in his voice.

"Now Samuel I-" Zane began as he started to panic as he watched Samuel become upset but was cut off.

"My niece was taken by some beast, and you led her there, someplace where you knew you weren't supposed to be?!" Samuel yelled and stood up so fast his chair fell over, glaring at the nindroid with spite. Zane was so terrified as the grizzly man loomed over him that when he tried to talk he found no voice.

"Well?!" Samuel shouted, a fire set ablaze in his eyes as he clenched his fists and started to tremble from the rage coursing through his veins. Zane became even more terrified when he saw but finally managed to say something.

"Y-yes…" He squeaked, almost inaudible as his throat seized up.

Samuel's anger came brimming over the edge and he saw red.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

Samuel lunged at Zane and seized him around the throat. Zane cried out as he struggled against Samuel's grip, clawing at his hand. But Samuel was undeterred and slammed the nindroid hard against the wall, pinning him by his neck.

"I TRUSTED YOU!" Samuel yelled in Zane's face. "I TRUSTED YOU WITH MY NIECE! I TRUSTED YOU WITH HER LIFE! SHE'S THE ONE THAT KEEPS ME GOING ZANE, DON'T YOU GET IT?! SHE IS MY LIFE! AND I TRUSTED YOU WITH IT!"

Samuel paused in a fit of rage to punch Zane in the face. His cry of pain wasn't heard over Samuel's next bout of yelling.

"BUT NO! YOU LED HER RIGHT INTO DANGER, KNOWING YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE! AND YOU COULDN'T EVEN SAVE HER! WHY ZANE, WHY?!" Samuel screamed, grabbing a fistful of Zane's shirt and shaking him. "YOU'RE THE ELEMENTAL MASTER OF ICE, YOU COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING! YOU COULD HAVE STOPPED IT, YOU COULD HAVE SAVED HER! I'LL BET SHE WAS LOOKING AT YOU IN HER FINAL MOMENTS FOR YOU TO HELP HER! SHE WAS COUNTING ON YOU, DAMMIT! BUT NO! SHE'S GONE NOW! SHE'S DEAD! SHE'S BEEN TAKEN FROM ME TOO SOON! AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!"

The infuriated man paused to take a breath, chest heaving, watching Zane weakly claw at his hands, trying to free himself of his iron grip, but with no avail. There was no stopping him now; his eyes were ablaze and nothing but pure spite, hate, and sorrow bubbled in him and surged through his veins. He thought of how they had slowly built trust between each other. He thought about how they had become friends. He thought he could actually trust him with something so precious as his niece.

And then that one moment that sent it all crashing down.

Then Samuel thought back to when he first saw Zane, that night, when a particular time came to the front of his mind.

"LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING! ON THE NIGHT HAILEY TOLD ME ABOUT YOU WHEN YOU WERE OUT IN THE WOODS, SHE TOLD ME SHE WAS AFRAID TO TELL ME! WHY?! SHE WAS AFRAID I WOULD KILL YOU BECAUSE YOU WERE AN OUTSIDER! OUTSIDERS ARE THE REASON WHY WE LIVE IN FEAR! OUTSIDERS ARE THE REASON WHY WE'RE ALMOST ALWAYS AT WAR! OUTSIDERS ARE THE REASON WHY WE WERE ALMOST WIPED OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH! OUTSIDERS ARE THE REASON WHY MY LIFE WENT TO HELL! OUTSIDERS ARE THE REASON WHY I ALMOST LOST EVERYTHING I HAD! OUTSIDERS ARE THE REASON I ALMOST COMMITED SUICIDE! OUTSIDERS ARE THE REASON I SLEEP WITH NIGHTMARES ALMOST EVERY DAMN NIGHT! OUTSIDERS ARE THE REASON I HAVE THESE!" Samuel pointed to the scars on his jawline and face. "AND THESE!" He pointed to a few twisting scars on his neck. "AND THIS!" He pulled down his sleeve using his teeth to reveal a big one on the underside of his wrist.

"But, out of all the things…" he hissed, breathing heavily, his voice almost dropping to a whisper. He reached for his zipper and undid his jacket. "They are the reason I have this."

Samuel lifted up the left side of his shirt, and what Zane saw, his eyes went wide.

On Samuel's side just below his ribcage were countless grey, horrific, ugly, scarred-over, dark red slashes. It looked like someone was trying to stab him to death, trying to hack a hole by raking his side with a knife. They went deep below the surface of his skin, down into his flesh. The scar tissue was dark but dried blood was caught in there so it looked like he was still bleeding. The area was larger than his hand. Like a spiderweb. Right above it was another scar, but it was different from the others.

It was some sort of writing in a different language, left in his skin from a hot brand. The text was swirling and definitely something Zane hadn't seen before.

"Outsiders did this to me! I have the Oath of the Calusán burned into my skin! PERMANENTLY! Do you know what it's like Zane, to live with something your enemy lives by on you?!" Samuel once again started to shake Zane, grip around his throat tightening.

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS?! THEY WANT TO CONQUER US! THEY WANT TO POISON OUR MINDS! THEY WANT TOTAL CONTROL! THEY HATE US FOR BEING DIFFERENT! THEY WANT TO US TO FEAR THEM! THEY WANT TO KILL US ALL! WE CAN'T TRUST THEM! THEY'RE TOO DANGEROUS! THEY'VE CAUSED ME SO MUCH PAIN AND SUFFERING!"

"AND YOU'RE NO BETTER! FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE I THOUGHT I COULD ACTUALLY TRUST SOMEONE LIKE YOU FOR ONCE! WE SHELTERED YOU, WE FED YOU, WE CLOTHED YOU, WE PROTECTED YOU! AND THEN YOU TURN YOUR BACK ON THE GIRL THAT SAVED YOUR LIFE WHEN HERS NEEDED SAVING! IS THAT THE THANKS SHE GETS?! IS THAT THE THANKS I GET?!"

Samuel paused, chest heaving face contorted with rage, hand like an iron fist around Zane's throat, staring daggers into his eyes.

"P-please…" Zane squeaked, terrified at the sight of a side of Samuel he had never seen before.

"Shut your damn mouth." Samuel growled, his voice dropping but dripping with venom. "Hailey didn't tell me about you because she was worried I would kill you. Well, she had a right to after all."

Zane had no idea what he meant.

There was a cold spark in Samuel's eye as he reached for his waistband. Zane's blood ran cold as Samuel drew his handgun from its holster.

"Hailey had a right!" Samuel said, his voice rising once more, switching the safety off the gun. "SHE HAD A RIGHT! SHE THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO KILL YOU! SHE THOUGHT I WOULDN'T TRUST YOU! AND FOR A MOMENT I THOUGHT I COULD! BUT NO! SHE WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG!"

Zane's struggling was unnoticed by Samuel, who was so enraged his only thought was trained on how Zane had "betrayed" him.

"WHY ZANE?!" Samuel screamed, tears again starting to fall from his eyes. "WHY?! HAILEY WAS SUCH A SWEET, BEAUTIFUL, INTELLIGENT GIRL! SHE'S A BLESSING I THAT I DON'T KNOW WHAT I DID TO DESERVE! SHE SAVED YOU! AND YOU LET HER DOWN!"

Then Samuel raised the gun to Zane's head, fury, rage, sorrow, and spite etched in every line of his face, staring death at nindroid.

"YOU'RE NOT BUILT TO PROTECT, YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A HEARTLESS MACHINE!"

Zane stared down the barrel of the gun, and for a fleeting moment his vision flickered, the sight of Samuel about to kill replaced. It was Morro, sword poised above his head, where it all started, in the moment where Zane, lying injured and helpless on the ground, surely thought he would die.

And now it didn't seem so different.

"HAILEY'S DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!" Samuel half screamed, half sobbed. Tears flooded down his cheeks. He lifted his finger onto the trigger. "AND THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE IT RIGHT!"

Samuel began to pull the trigger. In a flash of fear and desperation, Zane suddenly found the strength to twist out of the man's grip. Samuel fell forward into the wall with a THUMP! and dropped his gun. Zane collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath. Samuel snarled and lunged for the weapon, but Zane kicked it away and it went sliding across the floor. Samuel grabbed Zane, but the nindroid shoved the man off of him with a great heave and froze both of Samuel's feet to the wooden planks before running out of the door. He had to get away from here before Samuel could get free, otherwise he'd be killed.

Zane ran for one of the stables. He threw the barn doors open and ran for the tack room, grabbing his saddle and bridle. He found Gale's stall and hastily threw on the saddle and shoved the bit into Gale's mouth. He scrambled onto Gale's back and dug his spurs into the horse's flanks.

"RUN!" He yelled, and he and Gale took off for the gate. As they passed the ranch house he heard the door slam open.

"YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY THAT EASY YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Samuel's voice bellowed behind them. Suddenly there were gunshots and shotgun slugs went flying past Zane and Gale. The horse put on a burst of speed as they ran past the gate, and Zane had never felt Gale go so fast.

Samuel cussed and ran to the shop. Patriot sat there, keys in the ignition. He jumped in and started the truck, slamming on the gas. Tires squealed and gravel flew as he tore out of the yard and after Zane. He gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles as the speedometer needle was going seventy, seventy-five, eighty, ninety.

Zane saw the headlights fast approaching them, and he knew he was in trouble. He opened his arm panel and he sent a shuriken flying out. It went under the truck and sliced the fuel line. Samuel leaned out the window and started shooting again, when he realized Patriot was losing power. He looked at the fuel gauge and saw it was on empty.

"Dammit!"

The truck ambled to a stop, its fuel tank completely dry. Samuel cussed and leaned out the window, but Zane and Gale were already out of range of his shotgun.

"THIS ISN'T OVER!" Zane heard Samuel yell behind them. "RUN WHILE YOU CAN, I'LL FIND YOU! AND HELL'S COMING WITH ME, YOU HEAR?! HELL'S COMING WITH ME!"

Zane and Gale ran down the road, leaving Flint River and Samuel out of sight. They ran until they reached the forest and jumped into the treeline, still running. Zane didn't care where they went, he just needed to get as far away as he could.

Tears pricked Zane's eyes as he thought about what Samuel had said. He wasn't wrong, of course. It was his fault that Hailey was gone, leading her right into danger and not being able to save her.

Maybe Samuel was right, maybe he was just a heartless machine. Even through his fear, Zane could see the sorrow and pain in the man's face, his niece being the only thing keeping him together after the brutality he had been through. But now he had nothing, another family broken apart at Zane's hands.

And now he was once again on the run, fearing for his life. He had been so close to getting back to Ninjago, finding people that were willing to risk their livelihoods and keep his secret to help him. And what did he do? He blew it.

Would he ever see his family and Ninjago again? He doubted it. Even if his brothers were here looking for him, Zane knew for a fact Samuel had raised the alarm and dozens of angry cattle folk would be out for his head. He would be killed, and the ninja would never find him. What would happen then? Would they drift apart like last time, when he'd sacrificed himself to defeat the Overlord? And with a broken team, Ninjago would stand a greater risk of falling into Morro's hands, and there was no telling what the ghost would do to the land and its citizens. So many people's lives would be ripped apart, and it was all Zane's fault.

"What have I done…"

Yikes, a lot of things are starting to come to a head.

Also a quick note I'd like to point out. It's now been revealed that my main OC in this story does in fact have powers, and I understand that many do not like it when such a thing happens. However for those concerned, even though Hailey is revealed to be The One the Four Legends spoke of, this does not mean that she will become extremely powerful or that the story will become entirely centered around her. She will have her own set of struggles and obstacles, and equal if not more attention will still continue to be given to the ninja and other canon characters in both the remainder of this book and the next, which is fast approaching. If you have any concerns please feel free to PM me and I would be happy to address your concerns.

Now its a race to see who can find Zane first. Who do you think it will be? Morro? The ninja? The ranchers? Drop your guess in the reviews!

Thank you all for reading! Be sure to follow, favorite, and drop a review on your way out! I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions, especially since I've been anticipating this chapter for the longest time! Stay healthy and safe! RealtreeGal, out!