Once more on a windswept plain, on grasses far from the world that either of the snakes knew, Skales stood overlooking the landscape. He ran his eyes back and forth across them, taking in everything that he could see. Despite the beauty of it all, however, there was nothing for him to truly find beautiful.
Skales turned to see Ophiod, holding his staff out and running through his drills with it. The way that the Viper moved was elegant, graceful. There was beauty in the way that his motions flowed from one to the next, in the way that his arm guided his weapon in the same way his tail rippled like water as another blade. Arcturus had trained him well, beautifully, even.
"Skales…" Ophiod turned to him, his staff held behind his back, "You should rest. You need time to heal before we must fight again."
"I have spent long enough lying down," Skales informed him, "I am fine to train."
"Are you certain?" Ophiod planted his staff down, "Please, if you feel anything that is not normal, you must tell me."
"I am fine," Skales sighed, "I would like to move again before my muscles become tired."
Ophiod looked down, unsure if he wanted to train with him. Skales no longer had on bandages, but turning in certain ways would make him wince. The warrior, however, held his golden blade with pride and was unwilling to let it go.
"IF you insist upon training," Ophiod inhaled, putting his worries aside, "Spinjitzu would be less taxing on your body."
Skales nodded. Slowly, the two Serpentine put their weapons aside and placed their hands together. The two focused on each other, then both let out a loud cry of: 'NINJA-GO!' With a flash of blue and copper, Viper and Hypnobrai shot out towards each other, their tornadoes flying across the grasses to meet each other.
With a crash of light, the two hit one another. As they did, the tornadoes did not merge. Instead, they scraped and sparked against each other, causing the other to sputter and flash with light. They clashed several more times, until, finally, the two were thrown backwards and out of their Spinjitzu. When Skales hit the ground, he let out a wheeze of pain. Ophiod managed to snap his tail out to land on it instead, staring at Skales in disbelief.
"...Skales?" Ophiod blinked, "What… what was that?"
"I wonder, Ophiod," Skales hissed out with a roll of his eyes, clutching his side, "You are trying a Dyad while viewing me too weak to maintain it. Thankfully, we didn't even manage to start it."
"What?" Ophiod shook his head, "We… have not failed a Dyad since we began training together, Skales. This... "
"Do not look at me as weak," Skales shook his head, "You know what we must do. Trust in me as I trust in you, and we will come together."
Ophiod was silent, but did as he was told. With another flash of light, the two Serpentine shot at each other in Spinjitzu. They clashed together hard, this time their tornadoes slightly merging. The two pushed together, Ophiod doing his best to accept and push the power he needed onto Skales, and Skales onto him. Slowly, the two tornadoes merged together into a Dyad, but the massive vortex was unstable, crackling, and saturated with other impure colors.
Feeling the instability, Skales pushed the two away from the Dyad for fear of losing it. The two landed on the ground, this time upright, staring at each other again. Ophiod looked down at himself, blinking and shaking his head.
"We… that was our weakest ever…" Ophiod shook his head, "No… no that can't…"
"You're holding back!" Skales snapped, "A Dyad cannot have that! If you are to do that in battle, we could break apart, Ophiod," Skales narrowed his eyes, "You remember what we were told if that happened, yes?"
Ophiod could recall it now. He could hear Arcturus sternly telling him that the two had done something wonderful, and terrible. Should they break apart, the one that broke the bond would pay the price. In Skales' state, that would mean…. It would mean that Ophiod couldn't afford to let that happen. Slowly, Ophiod moved away, his thoughts weighing hard on him as he sat back on his tail. Skales, with a long sigh and rub of his eyes, walked over and crossed his arms.
"Tell me what's going on," Skales demanded, then looked to the side and muttered, "Please."
Ophiod blinked at that word, "You must be serious to ask me like that."
"I must know what is ailing you if I'm to help," Skales informed him, "You are too unstable for our Dyad. What is on your mind, Ophiod?"
Ophiod paused for a long while, then he slowly exhaled, "...Many things, Skales. Many. I have not seen Prime for some time, but he is not doing well. He is consumed by his need to fight Over. I am worried for what the next battle may fair, and… and…"
Skales frowned, "You worry your staff will hurt me again, do you not?" Ophiod winced. Skales sighed, gently moving to press his head into Ophiod's shoulder. The sensation made Ophiod blink in confusion.
"You worry too much," Skales whispered, "That happened because your desire outgrew your sense. I know that will not happen again."
"I…" Ophiod shook his head, "But I hurt you…"
"Oh please," Skales rolled his eyes, "We've taken worse beatings from Arcturus in training."
"None like that," Ophiod gripped his fist, his eyes shutting as the memory burned into his mind, "Has it not hit you, Skales? I, the one that has asked for your hand in life… I nearly ended it. I held you in my arms as you barely held on. It… it will not stop haunting me."
Ophiod hung his head. Skales, realizing this wasn't just something he could power through, sat down beside him and simply looked up towards the horizon for a long moment.
"I don't resent you," Skales groaned out, "In fact, I've moved past it. Warriors can't afford to dwell on their past wounds. It would make it impossible to move on. And besides, not like I'd get anything out of worrying over that," The Hypnobrai groaned out, "And I don't think you'll get much out of it either. Know it happened. Don't do it again. I think that's enough," Skales hissed out, "Changing the past won't affect how you feel now."
Ophiod was silent. He contemplated those words, trying to make meaning out of them. Skales, for all of his wisdom, knew that something was happening here. He knew Ophiod wasn't telling him something about what happened. And therefore, he was working carefully here. He would put those feelings aside for battle. He would trust in his betrothed. But he wouldn't forget those feelings. The only way for Ophiod to be willing to open up to him, was for him to start moving forward again.
Besides, Skales had his own secrets. His own desires. If what that boy had told him was true, then what he had just done would have to suffice for evidence. While Ophiod was training, he'd put how own secret into motion. His own messenger, of sorts. If Ophiod was going to keep his secrets, then Skales would be sure to have his own.
Ophiod whispered, "I would like to rest now, Skales," Ophiod smiled, "If that is at all possible."
Part of Skales was disappointed, but he knew he couldn't argue with Ophiod. He nodded his head. Gently, Ophiod wrapped his tail around Skales, pulling him into his embrace. Gently, Skales rested his head on Ophiod's chest, taking a deep breath and exhaling the warmth against his lover's scales. The two of them held onto each other as Ophiod tried to use Skales to stop the raging pounding of his heartbeat that echoed into the sky above.
"My, my," Emperor Garmadon chuckled as he stood up from his chair, "To what do I owe this honor, Green Ninja and… brother?"
Lloyd frowned as he stood in front of the glass cage that housed the man that had taken over Ninjago. Even before he had met Over, if there was one that he knew to be the Emperor, it was this man in front of him. The large metal catwalk barely gave enough room for Wu and Lloyd to stand side by side, crossing red laser bars over the entrance far behind them.
"Brother," Wu planted his staff down, "We have come to talk."
"Talk? Hrmm… I seem to recall that the last time we saw each other, you were all too eager to give up on that," Garmadon sighed, "In fact, it was the Green Ninja that found out how to use words to win that battle."
"Spare us the chatter," Lloyd frowned, "This world is in danger. We need your help to stop it."
"Danger?" Emperor Garmadon frowned, thinking back, "Ah, yes, I do recall I warned you of a danger. The Bringers of Doom are-"
"No," Master Wu frowned, "The threat that we face now is far, far worse than that."
"Ah… so they have come already, then," Emperor Garmadon closed his eyes, "I warned your pupil of all of this, and yet he did not heed it properly, it seemed."
Lloyd turned to Master Wu, telling him silently to ask about it later. That conversation had felt like such a long time ago… like a deviation in the universe of sorts. But that didn't matter. Right now, he looked forward and burrowed his gaze onto his father.
"We wouldn't ask this of you if it wasn't urgent," Lloyd shook his head, "The last thing I want is you back out on the streets after what you did!"
"So, the wounds of our last battle are as fresh on you as they are me," Emperor Garmadon lowered his head, "Yes… I understand your need to come to me. Perhaps I can lend you my aid. Tell me, what is it that we face?"
"An army unlike we have ever seen, brother," Master Wu informed him, "And a vengeful foe that will stop at nothing until we are wiped out."
"Hmmph, I could do better than that," Emperor Garmadon sighed, "What else?"
"The Time Twins, thousands of Vermillion soldiers, and their allies," Lloyd frowned, "Prime, Ophiod and Oni."
"Oni?" Emperor Garmadon paused, "Ah… so you have met their kind then. That explains why their stink is so heavy on you right now."
Lloyd froze. Wu gave Lloyd his own look, asking him to silently expand on it. Lloyd saw Emperor Garmadon's eye drift down to just under his gi, where he had the Mask of Hatred still stored. When Lloyd looked up at his father, he wasn't able to meet his gaze. The action just made Emperor Garmadon's toothy mouth curl into a wicked smirk.
"Very well… release me then, Green Ninja," Emperor Garmadon looked up at the glass separating the two, "And I will give you the aid that you require."
"Not so fast," Lloyd put his hand up, "There are rules to this."
"Do you truly intend to do this now?" Emperor Garmadon asked with a sigh.
"Yes!" Lloyd frowned hard, "When you're out with us, you stay within sight of one of us at all times. You're not allowed to go anywhere if we're not there. And when you're done helping us, you go right back in here."
"You would ask for my aid, then deprive me of my freedom?" Emperor Garmadon put his hand on his chest, "What reason have I to help you, then?"
"The fact that if you do not, brother," Master Wu frowned, "You will be destroyed along with all in this world."
Emperor Garmadon listened closely to the two of them, closing his red eyes and thinking carefully about what he was being offered. When he opened them again, he just let out a long sigh and nodded his head to them.
"Fine, fine," Emperor Garmadon sighed, "You were so much more fun when we last fought, brother. You truly did lose yourself in your youth… something I still have," Emperor Garmadon chuckled and waved his hand, "I will stay within the sight of you ninja. After all," Emperor Garmadon grinned, "That way I can keep track of you as well."
Lloyd stared his father down for a long while, then he raised his voice, "Open the cage!"
There was a sound off in the distance, causing the glass to begin to disengage from the platform and raise up. After a long moment, Emperor Garmadon stretched his arms out, casting his shadow against the two that had come to retrieve him. He let out a dark chuckle before he put all his hands behind his back and took a few steps forward.
"Then let's not waste any time in preparation, shall we?" Emperor Garmadon asked, walking towards the laser bars. Lloyd and Master Wu shared a long look of apprehension before they both followed after him, the lasers deactivating as the family of three walked through the door and out into the world of Ninjago.
"And that is the situation," Pixal finished, "Will you aid us?"
In the deep underground colorful cave below Ninjago City, Skales stood with his blue-painted Serpentine Staff. Beside him slithered Skalidor, Acidicus and Fangtom. The four generals, now leaders of their people, each held their own staffs, their faces lit up by the fire in front of them. The green-covered ground they stood on was framed by small veins of water flanking it, creating a beautiful web of shapes in and around the homes the Serpentine used.
"You mean to bring the Vermillion here?" Acidicus hissed out, "To our home?"
"The power that these Twins have is enough that we have no choice," Zane informed them, "That is why we are here to discuss this with you."
"No… no that is not why," Skales hissed out, "You did this out of convenience, didn't you?"
Zane and Pixal shared a look with each other. Skales gave a small 'harumph,' his large snake tail flicking.
"What do you think," "That you can accomplish," "With us there to help you?" Fangtom's heads traded off their lines.
"You're asking us to put all of us at risk for your plan!" Skalidor grumbled out, "There are more than just humans in Ninjago, you should-"
Skales raised his hand, making the rest of them silent, "Whenever you surface-dwellers come here, you always demand something unreasonable. So, let us drop the pretense. What do you want?"
"We wish for you to stand with us on the battlefield and face the Vermillion," Zane asked them, "To stand beside the surface-dwellers and help us defeat this enemy."
"The Vermillion," Acidcus growled out, "The child of the Devourer... "
"Hrmm… these, Vermillion, we saw them only briefly, but their capability to expand is what disturbs me," Skales frowned, "You say that our world is already in danger with these Twins, then?"
"They have the power to travel freely between worlds and within time," Pixal informed them, "We are already at danger right now."
The other generals all began to share nervous looks. Skales remained stoic as he held onto his staff, thinking for a long while to himself about what he should do. He closed his eyes, his tongue slithering out of his lips a few times. He raised his head and then looked around to the Serpentine that were around him, the children playing, the warriors resting, a peaceful life underneath the city that none could fault them for having.
"The only reason that I am saying this is because of what you have brought here," Skales raised his head with a small hiss, "We Serpentine swore off the ways of fighting, but that was for sport. We will defend ourselves if we must. It has been in our blood since we were brought into this world. Those Vermillion represent the darker side of us. If we allow them to run rampant, then we will have to live with the surface-dwellers seeing us in them," Skales groaned out, "And heaven knows that they already do not trust a snake."
"Then, you will aid us?" Pixal asked hopefully.
"Yes," Skales bowed his head, "I will ask only those that are willing to fight to join, however. I must think of the future…" Skales turned to look at a certain home, with a certain young Hypnobrai outside, "... I will give you what I must, but consider this the last favor you will ever ask of us Serpentine. We are not some reserve you can draw from freely. The more you ask of us…" Skales let out a rattle, "The more you will risk being bit."
"We will make note of that," Zane nodded his head and bowed, "Thank you for your aid."
"Bah! If we didn't agree, you would just beg us until we did," Skales chuckled, "After all, none of you can ever sort out your own problems now, can you?"
Pixal frowned at his words, but Zane, understanding his need to remain in control, just nodded his head happily. Skales waved his hand for them to leave, and the two obliged, walking back down the path and out towards the broken seal on the tomb that had once belonged to an army of stone and now teemed with life.
"Master Wu," Zane put his hand to his head, "Can you read me? We have successfully acquired the aid of the Serpentine for our cause."
"Very good, Zane," Master Wu's voice rang back through the comm, "Tell them to be on standby until we can determine the place most optimal for our battle."
"Very well," Pixal followed up, "What about your own mission, Master?"
"We have retrieved my brother," Master Wu's tone dropped, "Though he seems far happier than we assumed he would be."
"That is to be expected," Zane nodded, "For now, shall we rejoin Nya?"
"Yes, but before you go to help Borg, send out a call for the other Elemental Masters," Wu instructed them, "We will require their aid to fight this battle."
"I will begin broadcasting as soon as we can reach the Samurai X Cave," Pixal nodded, "It will be done."
With that message sent, the two nindroids nodded solemnly to each other, then made their way into the sewers to find the outlet back to the surface. With each move they made, their quest to build their forces grew. Now, it was just a matter of what they would need to do once they had fully assembled all the strength they had.
"Son," Emperor Garmadon bowed his head to Mage, "I assume that you have purpose behind this?"
Mage stood at the apex of a small hill, where Skylar had raised a little table from the earth to replicate the Summit's layout. The dull light of a dawn not yet broken shone around them, dew still clinging to rocks and grass all the same. All around it, the leaders of the various tribes milled, having barely just filtered in. It'd taken Mage almost the full day to get them here, and even now he was still missing Nya given the Water Tribe having disengaged from the shore to protect themselves. That, however, had to be taken in stride. For right now, Mage smiled at his father.
"I do, dad," Mage looked up at him, "You'll see here in a minute."
Mage stepped forward. He could see all of the leaders there, assembled all for him. Shade, Ash, Jay, Zane, Chamille, and many others. Skylar stood at one point on the table. As Mage approached, she let out a long sigh, her eyes showing bags under them but her back straight for the moment.
"Looks like I managed to get them all together," Skylar yawned, "Firstbourne is out nearly cold, you know. She flew all over the World in a day," Skylar turned to look at a large mass of red scales and folded wings at the base of the hill, "She should be keeping watch for us."
"Thanks, Skylar," Mage smiled, "I couldn't have done this without you."
"Don't you know it," Skylar waved her hand, "Alright, it's all on you now."
Mage stepped forward towards the table, putting his hand on it. Garmadon moved to stand beside him, and to his other side Skylar cocked her hips. Acronix' and Krux' both stood across the table, looking at Mage with a look of support, but also apprehension. The other leaders, seeing Mage arrive, turned to put their focus on him.
"Dragon Lord," Shade frowned, "Looks like you really managed to pull us all away from our tribes."
"Yeah, what gives?" Griffin crossed his arms, "It wasn't easy leaving in the middle of all these Raiders coming back!"
"The situation has grown more dire," Zane nodded, "But my scouts report the Vermillion have retreated from almost all fronts and have assembled at the former Summit grounds."
"They're just planning something, then!" Jay protested, "Isn't that right, Dragon Lord?"
Mage shook his head, "I know you all have a lot of questions, and I'm here to answer them! I've been tracking these Twins for a long time, and I finally know everything about them! And that means I finally know how we can finally defeat them and the Raiders!"
There was a jolt of energy that went through the assembled group. Mage looked around, watching them all begin to chat amongst themselves in confusion. Acronix' and Krux', however, remained stoic as they looked towards Mage. Acronix' in particular gave a small nod of his head.
"What do you mean, you've been following them?" Tox frowned, "Where have you been?"
"I've been pursuing them from beyond the borders of the World," Mage told them honestly, "And I've seen that these Twins will never stop until we face them head on!"
The room began to chat again as Mage put his hand on the table, "Which is the reason that I, your Dragon Lord, have gathered you here. The Raiders may have destroyed our Summit, attacked our homes, hurt our people, but the spirit of all of those who live in the World is still here! We won't give into them any longer!"
The group looked at Mage with baited breath. The boy felt their weight all pressing on him. He'd spent the entire day thinking of this speech. Even now, he wasn't sure if it was going to be enough. But he had to go and tell them. He had to get their support. If they were going to stand up to the Twins, they would need everyone's support.
"We've been giving them everything we have," Kai crossed his arms, "What else are we supposed to do?"
"My people have had to take shelter in Tempus," Cole reminded him, "We're almost at our breaking point again. I'm with Kai, what can we do now other than protect our own?"
Garmadon and Skylar both turned to look at Mage. Mage inhaled, then he stared at the assembled group, "We raise an army and go after the Twins directly, that's what we can do!"
The silence that fell over the assembled leaders was thick and tense. Mage felt their gazes all beginning to settle on him again, but this time it wasn't with anticipation. Rather, he felt the scathing look of all of their skepticism on him. The sudden atmosphere was filled with an oppression he felt the overwhelming urge to shy from. Instead, he straightened himself up.
"What?" Ash growled out, "Dragon Lord, we're at our limit here just defending our homes. We can't split the pack at a time like this."
"I agree," Zane nodded, "We do not have the resources to spare."
"Karlof recall that Ice Tribe say Raiders have begun retreat," Karlof hefted his massive gauntlets up onto the table, "Perhaps consider Dragon Lord's offer?"
"Easy for you to say," Bolobo turned to him, "You haven't suffered just trying to keep your walls intact."
"We've all suffered," Kai leaned forward towards him, "Don't imply that we're not all doing all we can here for our people!"
"Mhm…" Neuro closed his eyes, "An army, to fight them? Do you even know where they are in the first place?"
"I do!" Mage nodded his head.
"And, where is this place?" Neuro asked him.
"My allies are luring the Twins out in a place that's far away from here," Mage informed him, "Right now, they're making a vessel that'll be able to take all of us there."
"Somewhere far away?" Chamille gave Mage a harsh look, "You want us to raise an army and then abandon our tribes to go fight somewhere else? Why not here?"
"Because we are not the only ones involved in this conflict anymore," Acronix' spoke up, defending Mage, "There are others out there the Raiders have hurt. We are raising an army to help defeat the Raiders alongside everyone that they've hurt."
"Other people?" Griffin paused, "Like those weird guys that helped drive them out the first time?"
"Yes, exactly!" Mage smiled, "They're gathering everyone together that can help us. Right now, we need to help them by giving them our strength. Together, we can all take on the Raiders at their source and finally show them that our World is not one to be trifled with!"
Mage hoped that would be enough. Instead, the bickering around the table had begun up again in full force. Mage looked to the side, trying to think about what he could say. The bickering only grew to its peak as his gut began to sink with the feeling of it.
"We can't just abandon our people!" Bolobo protested, "We have a duty to them!"
"Our dragons have already been called out!" Acronix' added, "We are already in a dangerous situation!"
"Even if we did raise one, what good would it do?" Jay asked, "Haven't we already been shown how weak we are?"
"Karlof say time to make Raiders stop!" Karlof spat, "Bickering solves nothing!"
"The only reason we've all survived is because we take care of ourselves!" Tox hissed.
"Even together, there is not enough of us to make a difference, if what our scouts say are correct," Neuro lowered his head.
"We can't just give up!" Kai planted his hands down.
Mage opened his mouth, but the bickering seemed to be too much for him to penetrate. His hand gripped into a fist, but he didn't know what to say. Even now, he could feel the pressure of what he had to do here. He knew this wasn't going to be easy, but right now, he felt overwhelmed. He had to do something, but what could he say…?
Suddenly, the table cracked in half. Everyone went silent as Skylar raised her fist up from the table, the crack originating from her. She took a small breath, then leaned her head up to look towards everyone else around them.
"Hey!" Skylar growled, "Maybe you should all give him a chance to speak first! He's your Dragon Lord, after all!" Skylar looked back at Mage, "He drove the Raiders off once. I know for a fact he was the one that made them retreat. If he says that they need to be taken down, I think the only one of us here that managed to actually beat them should be the one to speak!"
Mage was stunned into silence for a moment, As Skylar finished talking, though, she waved her head for him to step forward. As Mage did, he turned to see his father, giving him an approving nod. Mage did as he was told, thinking of what he could say to convince them, what he could do in order to make them listen to him.
Mage got an idea. He reached down and detached Aevum's belt from around his hips. He moved forward and planted the massive sword onto the table in front of him. Acronix' blinked in surprise, while the rest of them looked at him in confusion.
"This is Aevum, a sword that Acronix made!" Mage began, "When I left to pursue the Twins, he gave me this sword. He told me that I needed to learn how to use the power that I had, and until then, I would use this sword."
"I learned many things when I was out there, pursuing them…" Mage raised his head, "I learned a lot about many things. And while I was out there in the world, I learned what it meant to be the Dragon Lord. I realized that, alone, I couldn't do anything. I failed so many times. When I was alone, I couldn't do anything."
"But now, I realize what it means to be your Dragon Lord," Mage inhaled, "It means that I am the one to ask the Tribes, the ones that grant me my power, to stand beside me. Not behind me, not in front of me. I don't come to you today, asking you to do that. I ask you to fight, not even for me! Not for your Dragon Lord. Not even for the World."
"The only thing I ask of you today, is to fight for your homes!" Mage shouted, "I ask each of you to fight for the very things that mean everything to us! Each tribe must stand on its own. But there is only so much we can do alone. I am not the most powerful one standing among you right now!" Mage's eyes began to glow, "The most powerful one standing here is all of us!"
"I am asking the impossible of you. I know now that is what the Dragon Lord must do. I must ask you to do the impossible, and for you to find a way to make it possible! And the only way for us to do that is to come together. We must raise our swords together!" Mage roared, "Today, we must be an Elemental Alliance, one that will shatter through anything the Raiders throw at us! Raise our colors together to show them that no matter what, they will never overcome the Tribes that the First Elemental Master and Firstbourne gave us!"
It was at this point that Mage realized he was floating off the ground, sound projecting his voice harder across the table. Everyone there looked up to him, watching him as he hovered there. Mage considered lowering himself, but Skylar gave him a small smirk out the side of her mouth. Garmadon looked up at his son, a small look of pride concealing underneath his stoic exterior.
"An Elemental Alliance then," Krux' sighed with a smile, leaning forward, "The Time Tribe will pledge their support to this alliance."
"The Metal Tribe will fight alongside Dragon Lord!" Karlof grinned.
"I know it's just me, but," Skylar crossed her arms, "You have the Amber Tribe behind you."
"Well, if the Time Tribe says they're in, I have to help out too,!" Cole nodded firmly, "Earth Tribe's in."
"And what about the fact we still have our people to worry for?" Bolobo asked, "I agree with your words. But what will happen when we act on those words?"
"Hey, I'm siding with the one that stopped us from destroying each other," Kai crossed his arms, "Maybe you should get on board. The Fire Tribe will send their support!"
One by one, the other leaders began to raise their own voices. Poison. Speed. Ice. Smoke. Each of them began to raise their own voices. The last of them to say anything were Bolobo and Chamille, both of whom waited until everyone else had done so before they opened their own mouths to say anything.
"I still think you're all crazy for this," Chamille sighed, "But if we're all in, then I won't be the one to hold back."
"I'm certain that the Water Tribe will join us," Neuro nodded, "I admit to having my reservations about this. But the Dragon Lord is correct. It is precisely when we are at our most desperate that is the best time for us to pull together our strength."
"Tell us then, Dragon Lord," Bolobo frowned, "Where do we assemble this army?"
"Bring your troops to the edge of the land the Summit once stood on," Mage slowly lowered himself onto the ground, "We'll assemble them here. You have until the end of the week!"
A new round of clamor rose up around the table. Mage looked around, knowing his request was hardly reasonable. But even then, he had to say it. He had to make clear his intentions.
"Mhm… Karlof not sure can march men that far in short time…" Karlof shook his head.
"That might be possible for us," Kai raised his head, "But the tribes further north won't have enough time!"
"Those that are closer to me, bring your men to the Monastery!" Garmadon suddenly declared, "We will create two staging sites, then. Those that can more easily march into Amber Tribe lands, do so. I will prepare space to stage all of those that come to us."
Mage gave his father a look of relief. Slowly, the clamor began to die down slightly.
"We won't have time to establish a supply chain," Neuro shook his head, "You will need to ensure we have supplies wherever we are heading."
"I'll make sure that we do," Mage nodded, "After you're all assembled, we'll arrive to help transport all of you to them! I will explain all that you need to know about our enemy before you leave here!"
The other leaders began to murmur amongst themselves, talking logistics and things in the meantime. Garmadon stepped forward once more, taking the moment to draw upon his own authority to speak to them.
"We will break here!" Garmadon nodded his head, "And allow for those of you that have messengers to relay them back to your tribes. We are all relying on the Dragon Lord for this," Garmadon pointedly remarked, "Therefore, we will ensure he can rely on us."
With that said, the other leaders agreed, standing up and soon making their way to find the attendants that they'd arrived with away from the table. Mage waited for them all to be far enough away for him to turn around and let out a massive sigh of utter relief.
"We have faith in you, son," Garmadon walked forward and put his hand against Mage's shoulder, "Be certain that you remember that with whatever you do. You will have support behind you, but you must ensure their faith comes to its fruition. I wish to hear more about this plan in private, however."
"You can hear about it with everyone else," Skylar moved over and put her hand on Mage's shoulder, "That was perfect, Mage."
"Was it?" Mage asked, blushing slightly, "I don't know, I felt like I messed up a lot of stuff there… I didn't mean to make you have to stand up for me."
"I'd do that anyway," Skylar rolled her eyes, "Come on, let's take that break before someone comes looking for you."
Garmadon nodded his head in approval, even if he looked slightly annoyed. Skylar guided Mage away from the table, using gravity to walk on air and over towards another nearby hill. When the two sat down, they were given a view of the distant sunset, peaking over the horizon. Rays of red began to shine on the horizon as Mage turned to look at her as they sat down together.
"That was crazy," Skylar yawned, "Really. You're insane to think you can just walk in and get everyone to listen to you like that."
"Well… I uhm, guess that it worked though, didn't it?" Mage smiled sheepishly.
"As long as you remember it only worked cause I was there!" Skylar chuckled.
"Y-Yeah... " Mage nodded his head, "It… you really were there for me, Skylar."
Skylar blinked, "Well, of course I was. You need someone to help you out sometimes. Just like you said back there."
"No, I mean… just in general, Skylar," Mage rubbed his hands together, "I can always rely on you if I need you to. You ran around to all the tribes and gathered everyone together in a day!"
Skylar looked at Mage in confusion for a moment, then she shrugged and planted her hands behind her. She looked off towards the horizon, thinking for a long while about that before she just let out a little chuckle.
"Mage, you're the one that's been there for me," Skylar sighed, "You were the one that got me to finally see that revenge wasn't going to be the answer. Anyone else would have just… let me die, after I tried to call all those dragons and… well. Started that entire war. You…" Skylar inhaled, "You gave me a chance to be more and… you've always been there. Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it."
Mage felt his heartbeat start to pick up hearing that. Right now, he was feeling something. Something that he had in his head for a long while. Something that he wasn't sure if he wanted to really go and say anything about it. But in this moment, seeing the morning light on her face, the smile on her lips, the way the wind made the tips of her hair flutter, he couldn't help himself. Slowly, his hand reached out and took her own.
"Then… then can I ask something else of you, Skylar?" Mage whispered, "Something that… something that I want to say now, before everything gets complicated and…"
"Mage?" Skylar asked, her tone utterly confused.
"You… you've been there for me and… and I want. I want to…" Mage gulped, "I, I don't know how to say it. I don't really know but… but I think. I think I know what I want, and…" Mage silenced himself. He gathered his courage, took a deep breath.
With a swift blur of speed, Mage planted a small kiss on Skylar's cheek.
As soon as Mage pulled back, Skylar's face was lit up just as red as Mage's cheeks were. The two looked at each other, a long look in their eyes. Mage thought for a long while about it, then he moved to slowly drag his other arm against the hill under his hand. He didn't want to let go of her hand, even if his grip was tense and nervous.
"Well… uhm… wow," Skylar blushed, "I mean, I, uhm. I didn't expect that, but. I… I'm uhm."
"I… I don't know if you feel that way but… but please," Mage looked up to Skylar, "Promise me in whatever battle happens… you won't get hurt. Please."
"I… yeah," Skylar nodded, "I, won't get hurt."
"G-Good!" Mage chuckled, "And, uhm, y-yeah! That's… y-yeah…"
"Uhm…" Skylar reached up to rub her neck, "M-Maybe we should get back to the others.."
"Oh! Yes!" Mage jumped up, "Y-Yeah we should. We… uhm… let's go! We'll talk more about this later!"
"Yeah… uhm… but, Mage?" Skylar asked.
Before Mage could say anything, Skylar stood up and leaned forward, planting her own little kiss on his cheek. The action made Mage's body freeze harder than any ice could ever make him. Skylar tugged his arm, her own hand now gently grasping back.
"Come on, let's, get back now!" Skylar nodded, "That's… so you know that I do wanna talk more about that later."
Mage, feeling a smile unlike anything else he'd ever gotten before, nodded his head, his eyes turning copper as he jumped forward. The two rushed back towards the group of leaders, ready to hear all that Mage had in store for them. All the while, though, Mage didn't want to let go of Skylar's hand, no matter what happened.
Within Borg's lab, Harumi and Over worked. There was a strange quietness, a tension that had formed between them as the day of their eventual fight ticked over even closer. A sensation that was palpable enough that Over was able to sense it, even as Harumi worked as she was.
"Harumi," Over frowned, "We are deciding locations to set this battle. Your mind seems elsewhere. You must be with me. We require both of our intellects to plan this."
Harumi perked up a bit, then blushed in a bit of shame, "I'm… sorry, Over. I have a lot on my mind right now."
"We both have much to think about," Over shook his head, "But what in particular?"
"It's, the plan we're making. With me, going back to, undo what the Twins did. It's just… got me thinking," Harumi shook her head, "About things that I don't want to remember."
"Speak them," Over demanded of her, "I know far too well that the past may come to haunt you. If you are afraid the others may think less of you, then know that I will not judge you. I know your strength, Harumi. It is for that reason I pulled you from the brink of despair. Show it to me now."
Harumi slowly tilted her head up, staring at Over for a few moments. Her perception of him had wildly veered off over the course of the time she knew him. He'd started out as the embodiment of everything that was wrong with her past, then a begrudging ally, and now… now he was offering her aid and had helped her when no one else could. To call him a friend would be too much, but to call him something else?
"I… I think Morro said something about, two decades in the past," Harumi shook her head, "And, it's got me thinking… what if they did something to my parents?" Harumi looked up, "I'm only twenty-two, you know."
"I do not believe I have fully heard the story of your parents," Over nodded, "Would you tell it to me? I would like to know, if you would spare it to me."
Harumi grimaced, "It's… it's not a very happy story."
"And we have not led happy lives," Over countered, "Humor me." Harumi saw no reason to deny him the information, and with his comment about speaking about the past to help her… she decided, reluctantly, to acknowledge it.
"I think you figured this out, but my father never got… aged up," Harumi shook her head, "My grandfather never actually was able to use the Golden Weapons. He held onto them so my dad wouldn't actually go and attack him directly. My mother was… she was still hurt when the Devourer killed her family. I think that she went right to my grandfather, though. Lloyd mentioned something about her being a Princess and, I don't remember ever hearing that."
Harumi looked up, "Garmadon trained my mother to use her rage for everything. She was so angry that everyone called her the Seething One. I've seen footage of her during battle and… she was like, some kind of beast. No matter what, she would just dig deeper into her rage and keep fighting. And she was always trying to find dad, and kill him."
"She spent, years trying to kill him," Harumi admitted, "I think it got to him, having someone always trying to take him down. He felt guilty, knowing that it was his fault the Devourer got out for unleashing the Serpentine. I think, Uncle Zane said he just got tired and couldn't take it all anymore. He went off to Hiroshi's Labyrinth to try to figure out what his destiny was and… mom came after him."
"And I assume that they fought?" Over asked.
"Yes, but they got trapped," Harumi shook her head, "Dad mentioned that the Jewel of the labyrinth is more than just what pictures say it is. It can trap people inside for a long time. And I think they both got trapped there by accident. I don't know what happened while they were there, but… after they got trapped."
"They fell in love," Over surmised, "And they had you."
"Yeah… but I never got to see mom," Harumi gripped her arms, "She… died just after I was born. Dad named me after her, as a way to honor her memory."
Over lowered his head for her, "And this is why you speak so highly of your father, is it not? That he was willing to tame someone as fierce and violent as your mother, and dedicated himself to looking after you."
"That's exactly why," Harumi whispered, "He spent all those years trying to keep me safe. He was willing to do anything he could and then…" Harumi inhaled, a twisted grin on her face, "And then the one time he ever asked anything of me, I told him no… and I watched the Overlord put a hole through his chest for it."
Over was completely silent as Harumi hung her head, still grinning and bitterly chuckling, "And you know what the best part is? That's how I unlocked my Golden Power. I was so filled with grief that… it just clicked with me," She threw her head back, "I took the Golden Weapons, smashed them together with my Golden Power, and used them both to seal away the Overlord. He's trapped now in this… this megaweapon thing, down inside of the Golden Peaks, and the only one in the world who can touch it without getting vaporized is… me."
"Raise your head firmly, Harumi," Over demanded, "A hero does not smile like that."
Harumi turned towards Over, realizing what he was saying. Slowly, she moved to put her head straight, "Sorry… sorry I. I just. It's. It's hard, Over. It's hard for me to live like this. Knowing that I hurt him. Knowing that I…" She inhaled, "I'm fine. I'm fine now. I promise."
"Good," Over looked forward, "I also think that your logic is flawed."
"What?" Harumi asked, "How?"
"To think that your father asked you to do that because he needed you to," Over shook his head, "I am certain that if you think he was disappointed in you, that would not be the case. From everything you have told us, he loved you more than anything in the world. Dying to protect you… I am certain that he can rest easy now, wherever he may be."
Harumi wasn't sure what to say to that. She was stunned into silence, yet the look on Over's face said he didn't intend that so. He intended for her to simply know what he said, know it was true, and know that it was what he had always meant. And so, Harumi was left silent herself, trying to think of what in particular to say.
"…You're a lot kinder than you look, Over," Harumi admitted, "…Thank you."
"There is no need for that," Over shook his head, "It is time that we continue with our preparations for this plan."
Harumi took a long breath, but for right now she knew that he was right. With a nod of her head, she turned back to the massive hologram diagram they were staring at, picking up a virtual marker and planting it down. As the two began their work again, Harumi had to admit that a certain weight was off her chest, even if another was soon to come crashing down on it.
When Lulloyd and Monty touched down in Ophiod's world, Lulloyd had felt every single ounce of his body tense up. Ophiod had stolen Mage and Over's wristbands, and the two needed to find them as quickly as possible. Mage hadn't said anything about seeing them, but he knew something had been happening with Ophiod after hearing what he'd done with Over. His initial goal had been to be careful, methodical, and do his best not to draw attention…
"Up we go," That was all Monty said before he'd grabbed Lulloyd's arm and dragged him hard into the sky, blasting the two off with the power of wind straight through it. Lulloyd had only gotten a chance to yell out before the wind had carried away his voice. The two were shot straight out from the rather crowded and old-timey Ninjago City, and soon they were rocketing out towards Serpentine Lands.
Soon, the two arrived at the coordinates Mage had relayed directly from his borrowed device. The two landed there, seeing the small oasis. Lulloyd looked around it for a long while, expecting to see some Serpentine pop up and ambush them. His memories of tangling with Arcturus weren't exactly dulled in his mind. Monty, however, was far less apprehensive.
"They're probably not even here, and it's been too long for us to make educated guesses about tracking them," Monty surveyed the area with eagle-eyes, "Deserts are tricky enough as is. Sands moving can obscure almost anything. I can see signs of a camp, but I don't see anything else…" Monty walked over to a tree with the sparse few blades of grass rising up from the dirt broken down. He reached his hand out and slowly ran his palm over them, the ghostly appendage passing right through them.
"There was camp made here, clearly," Monty looked up, "... I'd give it at least less than… twenty-four hours. If Ophiod was here, he was likely using this area as somewhere to stay. Figures, since he's all afraid of his mom dragging him to his room again."
"It's, a bit more complicated than that…" Lulloyd muttered out, looking around the base camp, "...I don't see any other camp signs. Is that spot big enough for both of them?"
"Barely, if Ophiod decided to curl his tail up… which, I can believe," Monty sighed, "If he had Skales with him. Serpentine are cold blooded. They'd need to conserve body heat."
"Why was Ophiod out here in the first place?" Lulloyd asked.
Monty didn't say anything at first, but Lulloyd could tell his pensive look was telling him to be quiet. Monty stood up slowly, taking advantage of his ghostly body so as not to disturb the scene. When he did, he noticed small marks in the dirt. They were so small most would have missed them. Upon seeing them, Monty moved over and gently pressed his hand to them.
"...Tail tracks, Pythor makes ones just like this…" Monty looked up, "He was here. Going off when we last saw him… well, Over did, I'd say that he's probably in some state of emotional distress. Not hard to believe, given he nearly offed his boy-toy."
"I think, Skales is more than that to him…" Lulloyd paused, "...Mage did say Aspheera was healing him, right?"
"Yeah, that's probably why he was hiding out here, no need to go show his mother what he was doing. Probably dropped Skales off and ran," Monty paused, "...Though I imagine at least someone would have noticed him."
"...Arcturus!" Lulloyd deduced, "Uh, right?"
"Exactly," Monty sighed, "Mentor figure, works with the Queen, somehow the Queen didn't know her kid was around? Probably bribed into silence. I bet that's how Ophiod was able to stay here without getting caught. And now that Skales is healed, he's off and about."
"So… where does that leave us?" Lulloyd asked.
Monty opened his mouth to speak, but then he stiffened up. Lulloyd did the same, feeling his heartbeat rise in turn. Monty was incredibly still, almost like he was dead. Before Lulloyd could mentally berate himself for that thought, Monty reached down and tapped something on his belt.
In a flash, Monty used his wind to snap his body around inhumanly fast, throwing a grappling cable straight out from a winch on the belt towards the other side of the oasis. The cable wrapped firmly around the arm of their intruder, clicking and going taut a moment later. Monty gripped the cable and whipped Ebony out from his hip, holding it up towards his ensnared target.
"Figured you were overdue for a cameo," Monty spat, "Oni."
Lullyod spun around, drawing his own sword and pointing it towards the figure. Oni stood before them, his eyes glaring at them with an emotionless flare. His body this time seemed to lean almost more towards dragon, with his arms and legs now sporting purple scales and full claws at the end. A deep V of human skin went from his shoulders to his navel, splitting up the more blackened carapace of Oni. His horns, however, had grown even larger, breaking up the illusion of his mostly human face. His white necklace now had even more of those odd bone-like additions on it. He stood just slightly taller than them as well, if only to add to the effect. His black pants were now a deep leather that clung to his knees. On one hip, he held his navy Mask of Dominance.
"..." Oni looked to his right arm, currently wrapped up in the cable, "Do you intend to fight me, Monty?"
"Last time we fought each other, you were pretty adamant about it being the last time!" Monty growled out, "So yeah, I'm itching to see if you can take a few more bullets."
"Hmmph," Oni shook his head, "I am not here to fight you. Not now. I have decided that when next we spar, I will ensure that it is the last."
"Then why are you here?" Lulloyd asked, "Whenever your around, it's never good news..."
Oni looked to Lulloyd, then to Monty. After a moment, he reached down to his belt. Monty cocked his pistol. A moment later, however, Oni held something up in his hands.
"Oh, so you had them?" Monty asked sarcastically. In his hand, Oni held the two wristbands that they'd been looking for, stolen from Over and Mage.
"No… I was told to bring them to you," Oni informed them.
Both Lulloyd and Monty blinked in surprise. Lulloyd, sensing that this wasn't the time to fight, slowly lowered his blade. Monty, however, remained with his gun trained on Oni. He held onto the cable for a long while, not wanting to let this man go. Oni looked up towards the SoS glimmering on Monty's back.
"...I will return these devices," Oni informed them, "If you, Monty, agree to battle me for the right to claim dominion over that blade."
"Why should I?" Monty hissed out, "When I can just shoot you right now?"
"Because you know as well as I do that the battle that is coming, that you have orchestrated, is going to be the last," Oni narrowed his eyes, "I could think of no better plane to do battle with you. Whoever claims the blade then, claims the true Sanctuary over all."
Monty looked Oni firmly down with dead eyes. After a few moments, Monty gently tugged the cable, causing it to retract. Instead of lowering his gun, though, he drew Ivory in turn, pointing both oversized pistols at the amalgamation of a being.
"I will await for you there, Montgomery," Oni nodded his head. Upon hearing that name, Monty's eyes widened.
Before Lulloyd could stop him, Monty fired off both of his guns. The bullets struck the arm Oni held the devices in, causing him to drop them. With a quick mental gust of wind, the two wristbands flew right into Lulloyd's face. Lulloyd scrambled to catch them.
"Get out of my sight," Monty spat, "I don't need to declare some duel in order to want to put you into the ground. You've decided that I'm the one that you want? Fine! I don't care anymore," Monty snarled, "I'm going to show you and your stupid concept of 'justice' that I'm the one who gets to keep this blade, now and forever. You hear me on that?!"
Oni looked down towards the two, then he gently nodded his head. After a moment, he took a step backwards. As he did, he placed his hands on both of his masks.
"I look forward to our eventual duel, then," Oni nodded, "And tell the mask bearer, I look forward to facing him on the battlefield as well."
With that said, Oni slowly withdrew his Realm Crystal, holding it up and letting the power of it crackle around him. He stepped into a portal of his own design, soon enough completely eclipsing him and swallowing him into the void.
"...I'm getting really sick of him trying to play himself off like that," Monty growled out, "High and mighty, like he's in charge of everything. He's just some dramatic theater actor who got hopped up on his own power."
"He, did give us these though… but, who sent him to give them to us?" Lulloyd asked.
"I don't know, I don't care, I just want to put him on the ground," Monty spat, "Come on. You take one and I'll take the other one to Harumi." Lulloyd nodded, splitting the two devices between them. He strapped one onto his wrist, feeling it and a sense of relief at the same time with it. Monty just stuffed his into his belt. As the two looked at each other, though, a thought cross his mind.
"The mask bearer, he's talking about…?" Lulloyd blinked.
"Yeah… looks like we're not the only ones noticing him getting too comfy with that thing," Monty growled out, "We're gonna have a problem on our hands with him… probably because I forced him to put it on."
"You, told him to use it!" Lulloyd defended him, "You didn't make him, you know."
"I don't care what he's done with it, right now I just know that I've made him... " Monty sighed, "I don't want him going into this without a clear head. I'll make sure he doesn't get out of control." Lulloyd, not sure how to take Monty's declaration of being willing to do so, simply let it slide for the moment.
"Oh… and you," Monty pointed at Lulloyd, "...You're going to do just fine leading the army, you hear me?"
"W-What?" Lulloyd blinked, "Where'd, that come from?"
"The fact that I've been around you long enough to know that you're upset," Monty sighed, "You're way more competent than you think you are. Trust me, you're the only one of us that could handle the insanity of leading an army. You get it from your dad…" Monty paused, "...And I wouldn't want anyone else leading an army behind me than you, got it?"
"I… I think I do?" Lulloyd asked.
"Good," Monty sighed, "Then just… if you can't believe in yourself, just…" He sighed, "Believe… in the me that believes in you, alright?" He paused, "Don't read too much into that."
With that said, Monty vanished into a portal of his own making. Lulloyd, stunned into silence at the sight of it, quickly found himself doing the same. He wasn't sure why he did so quickly, but it might have had to do with the feeling of a small blush on his cheeks at the compliment from Monty, of all people.
It wasn't a very long trip through the void, but Lulloyd knew where he wanted to go. Lulloyd soon found himself standing on the deck of the Bounty. It was a location that he felt so familiar with, and yet almost felt like he knew it hardly at all anymore. He'd seen so much out there, so many new things and places, things he couldn't have ever truly have thought of before. It was almost comforting to be there, on a place he knew, even if he was here to discuss something else.
It was on that deck, however, that Lulloyd found himself staring at something peculiar. Four Eyes, the octopus General, was standing inside the training dojo on the Bounty. Crowded inside was his father, the rest of his friends, and the massive octopus-wearing general. Slowly, Lulloyd made his way towards it, listening as he did.
"Only ten thousand?!" Garmadon shouted, "I had at least twenty last time! What gives?!"
"I'm sorry, sir," Four Eyes spoke calmly despite Garmadon's outrage, "But after Lady Iron Dragon gave the order that those who didn't want to be apart of the army could leave-"
"I don't care about any of that!" Garmadon continued, "Do you know how many enemy troops we're going up against? Honestly I want at least one-hundred thousand and you're telling me I get only a tenth of that?!"
Lulloyd, hearing that, felt a cold pang in his chest. Unfortunately, he'd gotten way too close already to slink away. Jay, nervously fiddling with his flail, saw Lulloyd and quickly smiled at him.
"Oh, Lloyd!" Jay called out, "Uhm, do you think you could tell your father to maybe, calm down a bit?"
"I will not calm down!" Garmadon growled out, "This is the opposite of a situation to calm down in! Lulloyd, did you hear what he just said?"
"I… I did," Lulloyd told him.
"Ugh… at least tell me that we were able to get some more reinforcements then!" Garmadon barked out.
"We've finished sending out those requests for reinforcements you asked of us approximately 1026 minutes ago," Zane informed Garmadon.
"Good," Garmadon spun around with his staff, "Once we get all of that cat's friends into the battle, we'll be unstoppable!"
"We were unable to establish any communication at this time," Zane blinked at him, "You will be, in fact, stoppable." Lulloyd felt a pang in his chest, realizing this meant that Unikitty was currently out of reach for him.
Garmdon's expression darkened. He spun around to put his back to Zane, tilting forward to make shadows cover his face. His red eyes burned with their fiery passion as he put a hand to his chin.
"Then… all hope is truly lost," Garmaodn grumbled.
"Wait!" Jay perked up, "I, uhm, do have good news! We were able to contact Green Lantern!"
"Then…. all hope is truly lost," Garmadon growled.
There was a long moment of silence among the group. Lulloyd looked down for a moment, feeling the mood of the room shift. Garmadon was silent, lost in brooding thought. Zane was twisting his head around, wondering what he'd done wrong. Jay and Cole both looked down, not wanting to say anything. Even Kai and Nya weren't saying anything.
For a few moments, Lulloyd thought about what he wanted to say. He thought about what he should say in this situation. If he should say anything. The room of the mood had just downturned in a massive way. And, after a few moments, Lulloyd felt something rise in his chest, and his eyes flashed with their green color. Monty's words rang in his head as he watched the sight in front of him.
Lulloyd slowly took a long and deep breath. He stepped forward and reached out, taking hold of his father's staff. Garmadon blinked as Lulloyd hefted the thing up with one hand, then rotated his arm out and slammed it hard into the ground. The noise that it created sent a massive 'CRACK' through the room. All eyes turned to him as Lulloyd held the staff there, standing in front of his father and looking over towards Four Eyes.
"If we have ten thousand, we have ten thousand," Lulloyd told him firmly, "Are you saying that isn't enough for us to take on the Twins?"
"It's only about as much as we had when we fought… you…" Four Eyes began to wither under Lulloyd's glare.
"I said," Lulloyd dropped his tone, "Are you saying that isn't enough?"
Four Eyes was silent. When he was, Lulloyd turned over to his friends, his tone staying firm. He pulled the staff forward and planted the massive war-axe head of it into the ground, scraping it to twist between two studs. He stepped forward, walking his way through the group of his startled friends, dragging that staff behind him. The sound of it scraping against the Bounty's deck rose until he stood firmly between the dragon heads. When he turned around to face them, he flung the staff into the air, letting the massive thing flip like a shuriken before catching it.
"It doesn't matter if we have a thousand or a hundred thousand!" Lulloyd raised his voice, "One shark is worth a thousand snakes! We have the Shark Army at our backs. There's nothing the Vermillion can do to hurt us."
"But, Lulloyd," Zane pointed out, "If what you described is accurate, we're outnumbered at minimum 10:1."
"No, that just means we have ten times as much work to do to win!" Lulloyd barked at him. Zane blinked as his processors tried to take that in.
"So… what does that mean?" Kai asked him, "What now?"
Lulloyd looked over at his friends. Slowly, Garmadon walked forward. A sparkle was in his eyes as he looked up at his son, holding his staff. Lulloyd took a deep breath, looking over them. He met his father's gaze. There were too many emotions in that look for him to grab them. Awe. Shock. Wonder. Pride.
"It means that we gather together every last one of our troops," Lulloyd raised the staff up, "Every last brick we have. Every last weapon we can hold. Every last man!" Lulloyd inhaled sharply, "And let their General Number son lead them into battle!"
Lulloyd cracked the staff against the deck of the ship. The sound of it felt as though it was about to crack apart the very ship itself. Lulloyd turned to look towards the volcano, a hardened look in his eye. He slowly took hold of the staff in both hands, looking at it as ti glowed in the sunlight. With a tiny breath, Lulloyd pointed it towards the volcano.
"Harumi will be expecting our troops at a moment's notice," Lulloyd shouted, "Get our troops ready, now! I want every single ship we have ready! When the Universe Bounty arrives, we board them to fight our war!"
Garmadon stepped up beside his son. Lulloyd looked at him, seeing a glint of red falling down his face. Slowly, the warlord reached up and gently wiped his tear away, the flaming trickle sizzling as it hit the water below him. After a moment, though, his lips curled up into a massive laugh and grin, echoing across the ocean.
"What are we waiting for?!" Garmadon shouted, "You heard the General! Get this ship moving!"
"So… we concur, then," Over nodded.
"Yes," Harumi looked up, "Our battle will take place at the Corridor of Elders."
Lloyd nodded his head. He, Harumi and Over stood inside of Borg's blueprint room. Lloyd had returned from having to recruit his father, while Harumi and Over had spent their time inside of the lab. Monty had returned the missing watch, explaining where it came from as he did. The thought that Oni was around again brought a long pang of fear into Lloyd's chest, but other than that, it was the least of their current worries.
"And… you're sure that our plan to send you back in time will work?" Lloyd asked Harumi, "Acronix said he could do it?"
"As long as he figures out when the Twins changed it, then yes," Harumi told him, "If he does, then he'll send me back, and with what he gave me…" Harumi touched where she'd placed the stone inside of her robes, "Then I can come back to the present and remove the Time Twins from the timeline."
"The Corridor will be our best place to wage a war like this," Over informed them, "It is the only place where we will have terrain advantage. We cannot be pushed back into the canyon, but we can put it at our backs to avoid being flanked. If we have the support of the Shark Army, we will use them to ensure this."
"And once Harumi fixes her timeline, the Twins don't have anywhere to run to," Lloyd nodded, "And then if Morro manages to disable the Iron Demise, they'll be trapped."
"Oru plan is filled with us relying on others, but I believe it is all we can do," Over nodded, "I have sent the message to Morro. He will find when to send you. At the eve of battle, Harumi, your part of this battle will begin."
There was a moment of silence among the three of them, one born of the worry and fear that they knew was going to happen with the coming battle. But even still, Lloyd felt his own spirits rise for the first time in a rather long while.
"Oh!" Borg's voice emanated from the doorway. The inventor smirked, "Good, you're all together!"
"Ah, Borg," Over nodded, "What have you for us?"
"Come, come!" Borg called out, his hands rapidly spinning his wheelchair, "I have much to show the three of you!" Without reason to decline, Lloyd, Harumi and Over all followed after the eccentric inventor.
"I assume this is progress being made on our design?" Over asked him, "That is truly why you have called us together, yes?"
Borg nodded his head, "Yes, oh yes! An inventor never shows off his creations until he has a prototype! Well, at least not a good one! It is why I've persisted so long in my field!"
"Indeed," Over nodded. Lloyd didn't know why, but that line made him shudder slightly.
Borg led the three into the main elevator of Borg Tower. Once the four had piled inside, Borg used a special key to unlock an excess panel to gain access to more floors. He hit the lowest button and quickly sent the elevator down. As they descended the tower, the panels on the outside of the building began to gently unfold out, revealing a hidden track. The pavement opened up in turn, letting them descend underground. The elevator moved to slowly slot down into what looked almost like a monorail, and, once inside, they began to speed off horizontally instead of vertically. After another brief trip in darkness, a faint blue light began to emanate from outside. When Lloyd turned to look at what it was, his eyes bulged.
The track that the underground monorail rode on passed into a massive metal chamber. The entire chamber was absolutely gargantuan, as wide as perhaps half of the entirety of Ninjago City. The track rode along the very bottom of it, letting them look up at the massive dimensions that the entire underground chamber took up. Catwalks and platforms rose up everywhere, with Nindroids in white and Borg blue walking about with various tools. The only light came from massive blue spotlights all around the area.
In the midst of the chamber, however, was a massive ship. The ship itself was bigger than any Bounty or ship that Lloyd had ever seen. The sheer size of it made the Bounty look like a simple tugboat. The ship itself was clearly styled after the Bounty, with the typical two-tiered structure in the stern of the ship and a massive dragon head on the front. The entire ship was made of metal painted to mimic the traditional olive green, red and tan of the Bounty itself. Rather than just having the two jets at the back, there were instead a total of eight on each side, each of which were currently being tested by Nindroids to blast out massive geysers of flame. At the front even had a massive dragon head reminiscent of all of those previous.
The monorail stopped underneath a small observation box built into the side of the chamber. Slowly, another elevator rail took hold of the car and gently pulled it up into the box. With a small 'ding,' the doors opened. Borg wheeled himself out and up towards a massive console, a panoramic set of glass allowing them to see the massive construction taking place.
"W-What the…?" Lloyd turned, "B-Borg where are we?!"
"Hrmm? Oh, perhaps two miles outside of Ninjago City!" Borg nodded his head, "I was originally planning to build a factory there but… ah, given the circumstance of my first factory being, oh, hijacked yes that's the word, I was forced to instead build a massive underground facility!" Borg grinned, "The moment I received your request, I dismantled nearly every prototype I had to make scrap metal for this project! That and commissioning a, certain junkyard for their assistance."
"This…" Harumi's eyes widened, "This is exactly what we need! Will it fly?"
"Ah, yes!" Borg pointed upwards, "Once she is ready, we'll unleash her into the world! Ah… assuming that I will have access to your, erm, manipulators!"
Lloyd, Harumi and Over each held up their wristbands, taking in the sight of the devices to let them travel in the very worlds themselves. Lloyd looked back over at Borg with a nod.
"Once it's finished, we'll plug them in wherever you need them," Lloyd informed him.
"What about… artillery?" Over asked pointedly, "Will she have any?"
"Hrmm… your prototype was vague about that…" Borg informed him, "But yes! I will ensure that this vessel does indeed have the ability to defend herself!"
"Consider that your top priority once she is able to fly and sustain fire," Over told him, "But you have once again proven yourself a valuable asset, Borg. I commend you."
"Oh, think nothing of it!" Borg grinned, "Now, erm, what shall we christen her?"
"You mean like a name?" Lloyd asked, "Well… I can think of a few?"
"I built her in the style of your other ships! I figured you would prefer to have, familiarity in your battles. She can hold approximately ten-thousand people!" Borg informed them, "Perhaps something in that vein?"
"...Wait," Harumi turned to Lloyd, "No."
"No, what?" Lloyd asked.
"No, I know what you want to name it!" Harumi put her hand up, "And that is a bad idea!"
"I haven't even said it yet!" Lloyd informed her, "I just thought of it!"
"Let him say it," Over sighed, "I'm certain I know what it is already."
Lloyd stepped forward, standing in front of the massive display to overlook the ship. Harumi and Over moved to flank him, and as the three looked out over the in-progress model, Lloyd nodded.
"If she was built after the Bounty, then we'll name her…" Lloyd nodded, "The Universe Bounty!"
"...We're doomed," Harumi shuddered.
"I concur," Over nodded, "Sadly, I must."
As the three looked out over the ship, Lloyd felt a sense of anticipation building within him. Soon, this ship would fly, and soon, it would be time for them to gather all they could to fight the Twins. As that thought came down on Lloyd, he slowly inhaled and turned to look at the others.
"Let's get ready," Lloyd nodded, "Once she can fly, it's time."
Author's Note:
So! A bit of an explanation for this chapter.
Generally when I write Ninjaverse, I tend to write it in terms of scenes that I know I need to happen. Chapters 93-96 were a collection of scenes that I had in a document that needed to be in the story. Chapters 97 and 98 were already set in stone as to what they were, meaning that this chapter ended up being the one that got a rather large dump of scenes that had to happen. It's a bit jumbled, but I couldn't think of any of these that needed to be cut. Hence why this one is also so long compared to the other ones. But that means we're getting even closer to the endgame!
More fanart! It's becoming a bit of a regular thing, isn't it? Not that I would ever complain! Go check out hwompy!
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