The chase that Kai and Skylor managed to send Chen on lasted a while, but two of his warriors managed to trap them in a vengestone net, blocking their powers, even managing to contain the Null in such a high density. With Chen notified, it didn't take long before he returned, and brought them to the crystal caverns, where he had his men recite the spell. As it takes effect, even Skylor begins to change, her legs becoming a tail, her skin becoming purple, her canines sharpening beyond the human point. Chen, and the two warriors had also transformed.
In a burst of rage, Kai manages to overpower the weaker vengestone shackles, freeing himself, before freeing Skylor, whom he takes priority with, sending them both through a gateway to meet up with the others. Once sure that she would be safe, Kai re-enters the gateway, to find Chen was already gone. With a scream of fury, the cave begins to shudder, and collapse in on itself. Kai once again returns to the others through the gateway. The Elemental Masters begin to retreat, falling back inside the palace. Once the doors are closed, they manage to take a moment to relax.
"They're faster, stronger, and in greater numbers than us." Jay notes, heaving out of breath, before noticing Skylor and Garmadon. "Snakes among us!" He moves to attack, but both Lloyd and Kai stop him.
"Relax. It's Garmadon and Skylor." Lloyd assures. "They're still on our side." Kai goes beside Skylor, when he notices a familiar vigil.
"Hey, when did you get this?" He asks, showing her the back of her left hand.
"I… I don't know." She admits.
"What are you talking about?" Cole asks.
"It's the mark of my Curse." Kai explains. "But she shouldn't have one. The Null shouldn't have touched her like it has with Lloyd."
"Is it bad?" Skylor questions in concern.
"That depends on your views. While you can die, you will continue to be reborn, in your body, at a different age, or as a spirit in another's body, to guide them. You will never rest after you die." Kai answers. "But we can come back to this later. For now, we need to get out of here." At these words, the Anacondrai stop attempting to get in, the doors no longer bending and breaking. The Masters race topside, only to watch as Chen takes all the aircraft remaining, and departs towards Ninjago.
"This… this is just priceless. He took the Rotor-Jet, and all the Blade-Copters too. Now we have nothing left to get back to Ninjago with!" Jay complains.
"Not exactly." Kai chuckles, summoning Ash, once again at full power now that his Fire Element was returned. "We all have our dragons within us."
"You unlock them when you cast away your doubt." Zane adds. "We all doubt who we are. But in reality, we are the Elemental Masters. Nothing can say otherwise."
"While we may be strong, even when divided." Kai assures. "It is together, United, that we are unstoppable." With the encouragement, each Elemental Master manages to to unlock their dragons, as their doubts are cast aside, even if it is only a temporary thing for until this battle is won, it is the first step. "DIVIDED, WE WOULD FAIL! BUT UNITED, AS WE ARE, WE CAN ONLY SUCCEED!" Kai assures, as everyone heads toward Ninjago.
As the Elementals return to Ninjago, Lloyd orders the non-ninja to watch over the people, check on their families if they can, while the ninja, along with Skylor and Garmadon, meet up with Wu and Misako.
As they enter, Zane's falcon immediately goes and reunites with him, earning a chuckle from Zane, as he greets his old friend.
"I looked after him while you were gone. He's missed you." Kai admits with a smile, as he guides a worried Skylor on. As they all meet up and reunite properly, Garmadon and Skylor show the spell's effects. "This is Skylor. Chen's daughter. You might be able to recognize her as the one who I had help us last year." Kai introduces properly. Misako immediately goes up to her with a smile.
"You're among friends here, don't worry." She assures. Wu and Garmadon hold each other close for a moment, before Lloyd gathers everyone's attention.
"There isn't much time. Our friends are on standby, but we don't know where Chen will strike first." Lloyd explains.
"And if we're not all there to stop him when he first attacks-" Cole begins.
"Then Ninjago will succumb to war once again." Garmadon finishes. "Our greatest fears will come true."
"Then the greatest victory, will be that which has no battle." Wu notes.
"But how do we prevent a war? How do we stop an enemy we know so little about?" Jay asks. Zane's falcon pulls up a location, which has Wu immediately understanding what the falcon suggests.
"Then we find someone who does." He declares. "Ready up. We're off to see Pythor."
As the ninja arrive at Kryptarium Prison, they are guided through by the overly cheerful Warden, who guides them to Pythor's cell.
"We need your help." Lloyd bends down to come face to face with the shrunken, bleached Anacondrai, who jumps at the sudden voice.
"Help you? The Ninja? You fed me to the Devourer, defeated every army I've aligned with, even forced me to swallow your shrinking pill. Haven't you done enough damage to my diminishing ego?" He questions, his high pitched voice not selling the anger he holds. As the ninja turn his little house around, Pythor has nothing else to do. He sighs in defeat. "I suppose this has to do with that culturally insensitive noodle baron and his ilk that are now Anacondrai. Impostors if you ask me."
"You're the last of the Anacondrai. You must know how to stop them." Jay complains.
"I'm not going to say another word until you can figure out how to return me to normal size." Pythor argues, crossing his arms. "And don't ask me to trust a ninja."
"Would you trust a snake?" Garmadon asks. Pythor turns to look at him.
"Garma-Condrai? Oh, now my interest is peaked. Let's make a deal." Pythor offers. He begins to hash it out with Garmadon, when Kai notices a shift in energies.
"You'll have to sort this out now, rather than later." Kai snarks. "We've got company." Rather than take out his normal weapon, he opens his pocket dimension, grabbing the Null Saber and igniting it, the Yellow-Gold blade glowing in the well light cell block. As two Anacondrai enter the cell block, Kai doesn't hesitate. With the speed of Mikashi, he slices through the Anacondrai Weapons, rendering them useless, before he bisects the two snakes, each cauterized half falling to the floor unceremoniously. As the lockdown alarm begins to blare, they begin to make their way through the prison, passing through the security measures with practised ease, before reaching the courtyard.
Their escape is halted, however, as dozens of Anacondrai in mechs and choppers descend upon them. As the ninja are forced to fight, some of the Anacondrai take the time to go invisible, using their powers to snatch Pythor away, while the Ninja are busy, leaving them unable to get him back. Once their foes were finally defeated, with Kai's help being an imperative key, they summon their dragons and return to the base, where a new problem lay ahead.
"We got here as fast as we could. What's the situation?" Kai asks, the first one to pass the doorway.
"20 Noodle Trucks have been spotted heading for Ninjago City. This is their trajectory." Nya gestures to the screen above. "They're 50 Klicks away."
"Let me guess. They aren't hauling noodles." Cole states.
"20 trucks could carry around 200 Anacondrai. If they get to the city before we do the City will be theirs." Zane explains.
"And they'll have achieved the pivotal first foothold in the war." Garmadon adds.
"We have to stop them." Lloyd agrees.
"I've already alerted the other Elemental Masters. They'll head them off at the pass." Nya assures, opening a holographic connection with The Master of Shadows. Kai stiffens at her words.
"Sis, you said they'll hold them off at the pass?" Kai interrupts, stopping whatever conversation was about to occur.
"Yeah, why?" She asks. Kai goes to the computer, inputting a few commands, revealing several different pathways, all leading to different areas that hold populated towns. The Elemental Masters are already in the air on their dragons, as the convoy closes in.
"They're not going to Ninjago." Kai notes, looking through the pathways. "They're not planning to launch a single attack. They're trying to split us up so that they stand a chance, by attacking multiple places."
"What are we supposed to do? You told us to stick together." Shade asks.
"Split up. The people are our first priority." Kai orders, earning a nod of understanding, and respect, from Shade, as he relays the order. "Nya, our home is one of the towns that they will likely attack. I'll head over there." He explains.
"We're meant to stick together!" Jay exclaims.
"This isn't a vote, Jay." Garmadon argues. "This is about saving the people, saving our land."
"Besides." Kai assures from the doorway. "I upgraded your weapons. They'll give you a fighting edge." With that, Kai disappears, a gateway taking him to the Blacksmith Shop he lived in. While on the outskirts of his town, he runs to it's center, using the Null to enhance his voice. "IGNAICA!" He calls, catching everyone's attention. "YOU ARE ALL FIGHTERS AT HEART, AND TODAY, WE NEED THAT FIGHTING SPIRIT. BETWEEN 10 AND 30 ANACONDRAI ARE HEADING THIS WAY! IN THE BLACKSMITH SHOP, ARE WEAPONS FREE FOR YOU TO USE!" His cry bolsters their spirit. "WE AREN'T THE ONLY TOWN OR VILLAGE BEING ATTACKED! THERE ARE MORE WHO WILL BE ATTACKED! NINJAGO MUST STAND UNITED! WE WILL FIGHT THESE INVADERS BACK, AND HELP THE OTHERS!"
"FOR NINJAGO!" The chorus of the people brings a proud smile to Kai's face, as every villager makes their way to the smithy, where several of the more experienced fighters help equip people with weapons, and even armour. This battle will not be easy, nor will it be without casualties, but war, was war. And from everything Kai has seen and done, this was what he was bred for.
Kai's defense is a success, as the Anacondrai bodies litter the village. He has the people who can, remove the scales from the the dead, and has armour made for them, while burying the dead as well. But while Kai has success, the others do not.
While Kai focused on the people, and the basis that no matter what, the Anacondrai would come, the others did not. They focused on the trucks, and were lead away from the villages, the people being forced into slavery, or managing to escape by the skin of their teeth. Once assured that his people could defend themselves properly, and with Ash summoned and told to help protect them, Kai returned to base, to find no one there, and the Bounty gone, likely in the air. With nothing else to do, he follows the energy signatures of each Elemental Master, opening a gateway to one after the other, bringing them back to the base.
"Neuro. Can you send a message to Wu and Garmadon, telling them to return?" Kai asks the Master of the Mind.
"I'll try." He responds, opening his mind up, sending the message, in hopes it would be received. While that happens, Kai reboots the computers, revealing the progress that Chen and his Anacondrai have made.
"Chen's army has taken most of the east coast. Now, he's beginning to move inland." Kai explains.
"That's a lot of red. Karloff not like red." Karloff bangs his gauntlets together.
"How are we supposed to stop them? We've lost control over our dragons. We're afraid, we're doubting ourselves after such a loss." Gravis adds.
"We're all scared." Lloyd affirms. "It may look like we've lost, but it was just bad judgement. We believed we were on the right trail, but we weren't. But a battle isn't the war. We can still turn this around."
"He's right. There is hope." Wu assures, bringing up a certain location on screen. "The corridor of elders."
"Corridor of Elders?" Shade asks skeptically.
"I know we don't stand much of a chance taking on his whole army at once. But after the east coast is under his control, he will move west. Tomorrow. He'll have to pass through Echo Canyons. Our best tactical position is to make our stand where it bottlenecks. Here, at the Corridor of the Elders." Wu explains further. "The monuments honoring our ancestors."
"If we lose there, the rest of Ninjago will fall like dominoes." Garmadon adds.
"We won't lose. We'll be together. United. Strong." Kai assures.
As the Anacondrai march through the corridor, the Elemental Masters wait, ready to fight. As they notice the Masters, the Anacondrai stop, before charging. As they close in on them, a trap door opens, sending seven or so Anacondrai down to their doom, the spikes impaling them as they land.
"Now, the fight begins." Lloyd declares, as each Master, and a number of citizens from all over Ninjago fight for their homes. Back to back many stand, fighting together, covering each other. Lloyd and Kai take the front, with Kai brandishing the Null Saber yet again, slicing through any Anacondrai that gets too close, immersed in his Curse, allowing him to feel those who try any sneak attacks.
With everyone working together, the Anacondrai are momentarily pushed back, before they begin to push forward. As the Masters form a line, trying to hold them back, they begin to lose ground. As the other Anacondrai take to the skies, Shade disappears, before managing to take control of a Blade-Copter, using it's weapons to push back the ground forces, shards of Anacondrai scattering everywhere, as the missiles impact. As even more take the place of those that have fallen, Kai begins to let the Null feed, as gateways open around the corridor, taking dozens of Anacondrai to it's depths, further thinning them away.
The Bounty joins in soon after, firing nets at those on the ground, before using it's anchor as a weapon, smashing through the ground vehicles, while on deck, the cannons defend against air attacks. Chen, using the Rotor-Jet, fires a barrage of missiles at the canyon corridor, destroying one of the carved figures, which Gravis stops from harming anyone. But with the destruction, the canyon is widened, allowing the Anacondrai to push past.
The biggest surprise, was when Pythor arrived on the back of a sewer rat, spell book strapped on its back. As Lloyd takes Pythor and the book to Garmadon, the others continue to fight, with Kai taking the front, his Saber making the biggest dent to the Anacondrai forces. As they fight on, a chill passes through Kai's body, a breeze that demands death, and destruction. Above, the portal to the Cursed Realm opens, while Lloyd begins to cut through the lines, his rage fueling the Null to empower him. Before Kai can stop him, he returns to the Bounty, his powers calmer, more in control. As Garmadon is sent into the Cursed realm, the spirits of the ancient Anacondrai emerge.
In droves, they snatch up the impostors, dragging them back to the Cursed Realm, while the others can only watch in awe, and fear. Kai watches, as an Anacondrai looks to him, seemingly bowing it's head, as though it knows what he has done. As the portal collapses, the Generals make their way to the Bounty.
As those on the ground cheer, Kai opens a gateway, sending himself to the Bounty to see what the Generals are doing. He arrives to them praising Pythor, who is humbled by their presence, before they return him to normal size.
"Anyone can change." Pythor sighs solemnly. The spirit of Arcturus then moves to Lloyd and Kai.
"I must thank the both of you. You did what my tribe could not. Unite the Serpentine and People of Ninjago together. And, because of your father, our spirits can now be free. You all have our eternal respect." He assures with a bow. As they disappear, they leave behind a purple and gold scale.
"It's yours, Lloyd." Kai explains, gesturing to the scale. "It's their final gift to you, for what has been done. They'll be with you from here on out, to guide you, to help you." He picks it up, before creating a string around it, hanging the now necklaced scale around Lloyd's neck. As the Bounty lands, and the Masters all meet up, they celebrate, telling each other that if they ever need help, they'll be there, and vice versa. This war, was won, and never to be fought again.
"No one will forget what Garmadon did this day, and no one will forget how, while evil to start with, he made us who are. He gave us strength, courage. He gave us everything." Lloyd admits sadly.
"He will be carved into this stone for eternity. Where water does flow to erode, and the winds are buffeted to prevent damage." Kai assures. "Another is added, for those to remember."