Wow….it's felt like forever since I've updated this...specifically March 14. I've been busy writing for my other fandom, The Flash, that I got so distracted and didn't get to updating this one. I sincerely apologize for the wait. I hope that this chapter will be worth the wait.

One thing to note: My writing has improved, so if it feels a bit disjointed from the rest of the story I apologize.

This will be the final chapter, thank you so much for all the reviews, favourites, follows, and certainly all of the people who are still here after my absence. It means so much to me that this story was, and still is, loved, and I am absolutely thrilled to share the final chapter with you.

Jay POV

I sat behind Cole as he drove us through the Sea of Sands, rendezvousing to the location that Sensei Wu called us to. I wasn't told why we had to go, or where specifically they were going, but I knew these sands like the back of my hand.

I was going home. And, that meant that there was trouble.

I found myself fearful for my parents, and not for myself. I knew that Dolion wanted me, for whatever reason, and that he wouldn't stop until he found me. What better way to do that then take the only people that knew all of who I was, before I became Dolion's student?

I sighed, gripping my nunchucks harder, my knuckles going white. I was thankful that I had Nya and Cole specifically, they made him feel safer, more at ease, and never stopped telling him that everything was going to be okay. They always said that there was no need for giving myself up to Dolion, but I didn't believe that.

There was no escaping Dolion. No matter how good anyone was.

Through the window I could see the junkyard in front of me, and I felt my heart speed up. There were other vehicles already there, and they were not Sensei Wu's. They were Dolion's.

Were we too late?

Cole stopped his vehicle a fair bit away from the enemy, jumping out onto the sand. He gestured for me to follow his lead. I did, and it took everything I could to stop my limbs from shaking with fear.

Dolion stood in front of them proudly, Living Shadow and Decomposition standing proudly by his side.

Nya and Zane hopped out of their vehicles too, fully dressed in their colourful outfits. I felt my grey suit against my skin, and pushed the thought away that I didn't belong. I truly hoped that that was the right decision, joining the other team. But, I knew deep down that the side I was standing on was the side I was supposed to be on.

Nya walked to me, keeping a wary eye on Dolion, and put her hand in mine.

"Well, Ninja, I'm so glad that you could join us!" Dolion proclaimed in his confident voice, and I stiffened in Nya's grip. She gave me a sympathetic smile, one that I tried to return.

"I have to say, it took you pathetic children long enough."

Cole snarled. "We're going to take you down, Dolion."

"I highly doubt it, Master or Earth. You have no plan, no course of action. But I do."

Living Shadow stepped forward, and the shadows around the piles of junk began to move.

"Now," She said, her voice soft but filled with venom. "Who wants to play?"

In seconds, every shadow in the immediate vicinity came to life, bursting from their home on the surface and turning into figures that looked like men. With a thrust of her hand, the shadows flug themselves at the ninja, and Zane made an ice dome around them just as swifty, protecting themselves from the attack.

"We need a plan! Any ideas?" He asked, and I watched with fear as the shadows began chipping through the glass.

"I...I need to find my parents." I said suddenly, never expecting myself to say that, and Zane's mechanical eyes softened.

"Alright. As soon as this dome breaks I will fight the shadows. Nya, you know how Decomposition fights, you take him on, and Cole has Dolion. Jay, you can look for your parents, and get them to safety as soon as you can. Our only hope is to keep them busy until our own reinforcements arrive."

Nya paled. "I can't face Decomposition again, he killed me the first time."

I met her eyes, conscious of the way fear filled her heart. "I promise I'll bring you back if I have to. Like the first time."

She smiled, and I felt small butterflies flutter in my stomach. All I wanted to do was give her a hug, but now was not the time.

The ice around them began to crack faster as the shadows hit it from the outside, and Zane turned to his team once again.

"We can do this, everyone. I believe in us. All of us." With those words he turned to me, sincere, and I nodded.

"For Ninjago." I said softly, and Cole put his hand on my shoulder briefly.

"For Ninjago."

The ice shattered, and Zane proceeded to jump at the shadows, shurikens aflame with flakes of ice. He swiped at the shadow, and I found myself thankful that Living Shadow's shadows could be hurt. I didn't know why, but at least they could do some damage. I proceeded to run with Cole and Nya to where the others stood, sand slowing my friends down. But, the sand didn't stop me.

This is what I believe was Dolion's first mistake. We were fighting in my home, my territory. Even after five years nothing had changed, that I could tell. I always knew how to move my body quickly through the wind-blown sand, and no one else did. I knew the good vantage points, the hiding spots, the ruts of rock hidden under the blowing sea of dust.

I knew exactly where to look for my parents first. The trash compactor.

I managed to dodge around Dolion's and Decomposition's attacks, and left Nya and Cole to distract them, while I ran with urgency, sweat pouring off of my brow. But then I saw it.

The trash compactor was old, one of the only pieces of machinery my dad never bothered to fix. The Walker family rarely ever used it, well, ever since Jay was here, yet it was still good to get rid of things that no one could make use of.

The walls were thick, and the lid sealed on top of it, and, even though I could hear no noise coming from within, I knew my parents had to be in here. There was no other spot Dolion could stash them where they wouldn't be heard. And, his parents were loud people. Even with gags they wouldn't stop talking.

I rushed to the control panel, pushing the necessary buttons to open the ceiling. Nothing happened. I let out a frustrated sigh and opened the inner workings, struggling to fix the wires. I could hear sounds of a fight behind me, and I forced my hands to work faster.

Oh, great. Dolion must've cut the wires. Both wires, black and blue, were sliced clean through, letting out small sparks of protest.

I forced myself to calm down. Just fixing wires. It was easy. A part of my brain laughed, and the thought that I had done this simple task 5 years ago, and not anytime sooner, made me doubt. I pushed through it, and got to work.

Kai POV-

From the instant I saw the junkyard ahead of my bike, I could immediately tell that a battle was going on. Zane was fighting what seemed like hundreds of shadows, Nya was fighting Decomposition, and Cole was taking Dolion alone, and the good guys were clearly losing. Jay was nowhere to be found.

I jumped off my bike and ran as quickly as I could to Nya, thrusting my sword at the enemy. Nya smiled when she saw me.

"Finally you got here! I was getting really worried!"

"What? You really think that I would let my little sister fight alone?" I laughed, and Decomposition growled, reaching for my arm to inflict the death-touch. I swung my sword around, letting him dodge the blade but then striking him in the stomach with my fist. Decomposition flinched, and Nya gave him a swift kick to the head, rendering him unconscious.

She panted. "That's one down."

I looked around the junkyard-turned-battlefield. "And two more to go."

She glanced at me, concerned, as we quickly chained Decomposition up. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Nya. It wasn't my first time that I was captured."

"I know. But can't a girl worry about her older brother?"

A loud scream filled the air, and I looked up in time to see Cole being flung to the air, hitting the ground with a grunt. I ran over to him, sighing when I saw his eyes closed.

"He's unconscious!" I yelled, and Nya rushed to my side, holding Cole's head gently.

"I'll take care of him, go!"

I waved Lloyd and Sensei Wu over, and Dolion faced us, his face blemished but still in that evil smirk of his.

"I have to admit, your Master of Earth was more of a fierce competitor than I imagined. You taught them well, Wu."

"Yes, but their true strength is their passion to do what is right!" Sensei Wu responded, holding his staff out in defiance. "An asset that your students lack!"

Dolion laughed dryly. "They don't need passion when they have the right training and a brilliant leader."

"That's tough talk for a man whose students left him!" I shouted. Dolion didn't even turn his eyes to me.

"What is your plan, Ninja of Ninjago? Keep on hitting us until we fail?"

"No! We will stop you from ever hurting Ninjago again!"

Wu ran straight for Dolion, and the two older men began to exchange blows. Before I could react, a shadow hit me right across the face, and I held up my sword once again.

"I'm sorry!" Zane shouted from behind him. "I couldn't stop them!"

I barely saw Living Shadow amidst the chaos, but I pushed my way towards her, slashing at the grey figures that stood in my way.

I saw the female ninja's eyes go wide as I headed towards her, and she summoned more shadows to attack me. In desperation, and a hope that I couldn't justify, I called for help.

Nya came to my assistance, continually hitting the shadows until I could get to Living Shadow. I shot fire at her, and she responded by throwing a knife, one that I easily dodged.

"Are you telling me you depend so much on your shadows that you can't fight the fire?" I asked with a laugh, and she screamed in anger, tossing a few more knives at my chest. A quick spinjitzu fixed that problem, and she spun too, and we were soon in combat within our tornadoes.

I take back what I said earlier. She's really good with hand-to-hand combat, but still horrible with knives.

I lit my whole body on fire as I spun, making her move away from me as quickly as she could. Breaking off the spinjitzu, I lit fire all around her, trapping her in a cage of hot flame. She shrunk back in fear, and all of the shadows she once controlled faded into nothing.

"What? Are you afraid of fire?"

She composed herself and clenched her fists. "You may have beaten me, but you will not stop Dolion. You've lost."

Kai gave her a mock salute. "Thank you for the warning."

"Sensei Wu!" I heard Nya scream from behind me, and I looked to see Dolion take Wu by the throat and hold him in the air, choking him.

"Sensei!" Zane shouted, and Clarissa threw everything she had at Dolion, but he smiled, making the crystal crumble.

"You ninja aren't the only ones with powers." He boasted, and Cole stumbled up beside me, frowning.

"What do we do?" Cole whispered, and I shook my head, losing hope.

"Let him go, Dolion!" A voice exclaimed, and Jay emerged from behind one of the piles of rubble, two elderly people following behind him. Luckily, they seemed unhurt, only shaken up.

Jay looked like a new man. Not only did he hold himself with confidence, but there was not a bit of fear on his face, his eyes burned with passion, his fists cackling with electricity, the current dancing around his palms.

"You wanted me, right? I'm right here!" Jay shouted, and Dolion smiled.

"Finally the possum comes out of his hidey hole."

"Let Sensei Wu go, and then we'll fight and see who's the small, frightened animal."

Dolion frowned. "Since when was he your Sensei, and I the enemy?"

"You destroyed every bit of humanity I had." Jay continued, striding forward. "You locked me in a cellar, told me I was nothing, ripped every piece of who I was out of my hands. Sensei Wu, this team he made, the true heroes, they never did that. All they've ever wanted for me was to be safe. So, Wu will be the only man I ever call Sensei, or anyone else he sees fit. Now let him go."

Dolion obliged, dropping Wu at his feet. The older man took in shallow breaths, and Zane rushed to his side, glancing up at Jay. The Master of Lighting shook his head, and Zane carried Sensei away from Dolion.

Dolion took out two swords, his sick smile returning. "If only I had this brave pupil that you kept from me."

Jay stood taller, eyes hard and turning blue. "Then you might have won."

Jay began to glow a transparent blue, lighting flickering all over his body. His body rose in flashes of blue light, and my mouth widened in shock.

"His true potential."

Dolion's eyes widened with fear, and he rose his hands at the same time Jay did, and a cascade of lighting shot from the sky, hitting an invisible barrier Dolion had made. Jay opened his electric blue eyes and thrusted his hands into the sky once again, and I knew that he was pushing harder.

I smiled as Dolion struggled under the weight of the electricity, and whatever shield he had made for himself dropped in seconds, and all the electricity poured onto him. Dolion screamed, and the lightning ceased as soon as it came.

I ran to where Dolion was standing, the older man's suit covered in black spots where the lighting hit. His hair was a mess, his eyes hazy, and with one swift punch I knocked him unconscious. Nya ran over and checked his pulse.

"He's alive."

Jay lowered himself to the ground, and when his feet touched the ground, he collapsed. The man beside him, who I assumed was his father, grabbed him before he could touch the ground, and smiled.

"By golly ge, son, you did it!"

His mother ran to his side, taking a cloth from her pocket and wiping the sweat from his forehead. "We're so proud of you, sweety, you made your parents so proud!"

Jay staggered to his feet and leaned on his father for support, and the trio headed closer to the group, slowly but surely.

Jay opened his mouth once, twice, trying to find words, and Sensei staggered to his feet, pride clear on his features.

"What...what was that? Spinjitzu?" Jay asked, confused, and everyone let out a chuckle.

"No, dude, that was your true potential!" Cole exclaimed. "That's a huge achievement! I don't think anyone has ever gotten their true potential before Spinjitzu!"

Sensei gave Jay a pat on the back, and I smiled. Jay looked so happy, but a bit overwhelmed.

"True potential is a power that one reaches when they overcome the one thing that stood in their way from being the best person they could be." Sensei exclaimed. "You fought Dolion, and I think he was the one holding you back."

Jay turned to his parents kindly. "They helped out too."
Nya hesitantly walked over to Jay, and he loosened his arm around his dad and wrapped her in a hug. I didn't mind. He just saved Sensei Wu, so he and Nya could hug. Actually, I liked him as a person. If they were a thing...I wouldn't mind.

Cole nudged me. "Don't go soft, Kai."

I rolled my eyes playfully.

"Like I need your input, Cole."

Crystal wrapped her arms around Cole from behind, making him jump in surprise. "You don't go soft on me either, Cole."

He turned to her with a smile. "Umm...sure. Hey, would you want to go on a date sometime with me, maybe?"

She grinned. "I would love to."

Jay POV-

I stood in front of the mirror, analysing the new look in my reflection.

It had been a week after we had defeated Dolion and his pupils, and they were all safely put away in the highest security prison in all of Ninjago. Thankfully, the court had deemed both myself and Clarissa victims and heroes, as, although we trained with him, we fought him in the end. We were not at fault, so we never had to face punishment.

Clarissa had gone back to the dance school she had once attended, resuming her studies to become a dancer. She, like myself, would still have to live with the effects Dolion left on us, but she was doing what she loved, and I knew that it would be easier for her. And, she was free, and at one point, not that long ago, that's all she wanted.

Cole promised that he would visit her as often as he could, and the two of them became official boyfriend and girlfriend.

I, after spending a day or two with my parents, had agreed to Sensei Wu's proposal. I was now officially a part of his ninja team, and, although I was very far behind with training, everyone was eager to get me up to speed.

I felt at home here. I already had a special connection with everyone on their team, and was slowly learning everyone's likes and dislikes, abilities and weaknesses. I found out really quickly that Cole was a horrible cook, but Zane was the best, and that Kai and Lloyd loved their video games. But, in all honesty, I think I loved video games more than them.

But, out of all of them, I truly connected with Nya the best. We weren't going to be boyfriend girlfriend yet, but hey, maybe one day. If that kiss on the roof meant anything, it meant that maybe they had a future together.

I could only hope.

Now, as my reflection stared back at me, I traced my hand along the soft blue fabric of my new uniform awed by the bright color I now wore. The Master of Lighting symbol was displayed on my chest like a trophy, and my nunchucks hung from my waist, waiting to be used for good.

It was so much different from the grey suits I used to wear with Dolion. The suits were dull, uniform, unable to share all of the personality that each ninja had. We were all the same, with no room to be ourselves.

But now I wore blue. A testament to my uniqueness, my individuality, and my element. A sign to all of what I stand for, instantly recognizable in the heat of battle. There was no mistaking me for anyone else. I was Jay Walker. I was the Blue Ninja.

I heard Nya walk up behind me, her angelic voice echoing through the room.

"How does it feel?"

I smiled, wiping the tears of joy from my eyes.

"It's perfect. Absolutely perfect."

Again, thank you all so, SO much for reading and giving all of the amazing support I have gotten! You all are incredible! I hope you enjoyed this story!