"Are you ready?" Harumi asked Lloyd, standing in front of a small camera plugged into one of the many computers inside the Universe Bounty.
Lloyd looked towards the screen in front of him. He slowly inhaled, then gripped his fists. Beside Harumi stood the others, each giving him a hard look. Mage shuffled from foot to foot. Lulloyd was nervously rubbing his arm. Over stood as stoically and perfectly poised as anyone could be, and Motny leaned against the wall with a sigh.
"So, I just record this message, then what?" Lloyd asked.
"I'll open a portal with the Universe Bounty and send your message through the same way I linked our comms," Harumi informed him, "All you need to do is tell the Twins to come here and fight us instead of at the Summit like Morro told us."
"Morro still hasn't told us what we need to know," Monty frowned, "Is this a good idea?"
"We're out of time," Over informed him, "We must move forward now. Our week is up."
Lloyd frowned. It had been hours since they'd first started running the Universe Bounty. From the moment that they first jumped into Lulloyd's world, it was clear to them that this was it. This would be the last chance they had to change the future the Twins wished for them. And now, the moment to finally make that declaration, that powerful statement, to the Twins was at hand.
"Pardon me," The door to the massive cockpit opened, allowing Master Wu to walk in, his dark brown replacement cape flapping behind him, "I have heard that you are sending a message to the Twins. If that is the case, then I believe that I can be of assistance."
"The Twins have bad blood with him, right?" Monty frowned, "Probably helps."
"I don't think it would hurt, but we need to do it now," Harumi told him, "Let's get to it."
Lloyd watched as Master Wu moved to stand beside him. His Master reached out to gently touch his arm, giving him a few moments of comfort. Lloyd nodded at him, taking a deep breath. It was the same feeling as when he'd given the message for the Resistance. All he had to do was give another one of his speeches.
"We record in five…" Harumi raised her hand up, "Four… three… two!" A small red light went on the camera as Lloyd took his breath. Everyone held their breaths as Lloyd gripped his fist and stared firmly right into the camera. A sense of deja vu struck him hard as he stared into a camera, making a declaration to an enemy, with Harumi watching him.
"Krux, Acronix!" Lloyd began with a hard shout at the camera, "I know you don't think much of me. When we first met, you didn't care to even learn my name. My name is Lloyd Garmadon. I am the Green Ninja. And I will be the one that brings you down!"
"I know having that Iron Demise must make you feel strong, like nothing can stop you," Lloyd continued, "And you think using it will make us all hide away until you figure out what to do with us!" Lloyd recalled the sight of it. The massive maw of the Iron Demise, taking up the entire sky, the entire horizon. The powerlessness that he felt at it.
"You may think that all of us together aren't many. You might think that we aren't strong. But we have power that you won't ever have. And with that power, we will defy you!" Lloyd saw the image of everyone in his head. The Shark Army. Ronin. The Prime Twins. The terrified people of the Time Tribe. Everyone that had their lives riding on this battle.
"You can turn other people against us!" Lloyd saw Prime, Ophiod, Oni, the three of them staring the group down on the plains of the battle at the Summit, "You can destroy worlds and try to scare us!" Lloyd blinked. In that darkness, he saw the Hands of the Emperor, standing around a glowing, beautiful Sun, "And you can rip away the people we fight for, thinking that will make us stop fighting!" Lloyd spotted Harumi, who lowered her head.
"My pupil speaks the truth," Master Wu spoke, "I failed to stop you before, and now you have gone on to cause countless suffering. I will not allow you to continue again. This is not a message. This is a declaration of war."
"We call upon the power of every world you've tried to tear apart!" Lloyd hit his chest, "And we will resist you! We will give everything to defeat you! If you think you can't stand up to us, then stay where you're hiding. No matter what you throw at us, we will stand together. The Resistance Never Quits!" Lloyd thrust his hand across his chest, nodding his head.
Harumi, sensing that he was done, stopped the video. As Lloyd and Wu relaxed from the tension of the moment, she turned and uploaded the recorded video onto a large screen. She quickly scrolled through it to make sure it was visible, then she reached forward and pulled the lever to begin charging up the dimensional portal. The dragon head at the front of the Universe Bounty opened up, firing a laser forward that opened into the air. Harumi then pressed another button, causing a progress bar to rapidly speed to completion and declare the video uploaded. The laser momentarily turned green, then back to blue as the portal slowly closed. It happened so quickly, Lloyd almost didn't see it happen.
"Did, it work?" Lulloyd asked.
"It did," Harumi declared, "The Twins should be getting our message now."
"That was a good speech, Lloyd," Mage smiled at him, "You're really good at this!"
"Thanks," Lloyd smiled back at him, "I… had some practice recently."
"We need to gather up everyone before they decide to ambush us," Monty sighed, "Considering we just kicked the hornet's nest."
"We have brought forth the Shark Army and those allies from this world that had stood with it. It is time we liberate Mage's home, and those he has gathered from it," Over informed him, "It is time to make our defiance clear."
Over walked over to the viewport of the Universe Bounty's cockpit, looking out over the massive deck and to the world beyond. The ship hovered above the lands of the World, the warm anime-esque shapes and colors spread out as far as the eye could see. It had been Over's idea to send the message from here, hovering in the sky in the world under siege. In the distance, they could see the Summit ruins, standing firmly against the landscape. Surrounding it was none other than the Vermillion horde, gathered there as per the instructions that Morro had given the Twins. Seeing them standing there was enough to make Over snarl as he turned to the rest of them.
"It is time we deal the opening blow of this battle!" Over declared, "Man the cannons!"
All along the slides of the Universe Bounty, small cannons reminiscent of those on the Bounty 2.0 slowly charged up, blue rings around their barrels flashing to show they were ready. The cannons extended both from the sides of the ship's hull, as well as turrets positioned above each of the sixteen massive jets holding them up. Manning the turrets were none other than Lloyd's friends. Master Wu turned to Lloyd, and the two quickly rushed out and down the stairs to man them.
"Take us in!" Over roared. Harumi nodded, twisting the wheel towards the Summit.
The Vermillion warriors there stood waiting with spears and swords ready for battle, their tanks and bikes all spread out and undergoing either repair or simply idling. The legions of Vermilion all stood waiting, only for a few to see a shadow begin to pass over their numbers. As they slowly looked up, a cry of panic fired through the shared mind. As the Vermillion looked up towards the sight, thousands of their number were blocked out by the shadow of the Universe Bounty and its cannons that were now all firmly trained on them.
"This is for what you've done to our homes," Over snarled, "Fire!" The last thing the Vermillion saw was the roar of the cannons as the Universe Bounty descended upon them.
"No matter what you throw at us, we will stand together. The Resistance Never Quits!"
Acronix and Krux stood inside of the Iron Doom within the Iron Demise, flanked by Ophiod, Skales, Oni, Morro and Prime. The seven of them had their eyes trained on the video of Lloyd and Wu definitely telling them that they were planning to fight them. Alongside the video was the last images they had been able to extract from the Hive Mind, showing cannonfire raining down on their forces gathered at the Summit. All those gathered knew the two events were no coincidence.
The Iron Demise's cockpit was rather similar to that of the Iron Doom, and even comparable in size. There was no viewport, however, a weakness they had finally snuffed out. The entire room was scaled so that the controls were being held by the Iron Doom, inside of which the group stood, a machine so massive it required the Iron Doom just to pilot it. A screen stretching around the entire Iron Demise showed them everything outside, currently switched off. The lighting came from red lights in the ceiling. Just like the Iron Doom, the ceiling was made of metal plates being held up by hundreds of Vermillion snakes. If one was silent, they could hear the faint slithering from all around them. The Twins had learned to block it out as white noise.
"You have heard nothing of this?" Acronix asked, "Nothing?"
"No," Oni shook his head, "I was unaware that they were making a plan. This is the first that I have heard of this. They have concealed their intentions well."
"Over…" Prime rubbed his head, "He's helping them do this, isn't he?"
"Shortly after this message," Morro stepped forward, "There was an attack on our gathered forces at the Summit. We were unable to determine what it was that attacked them, but with its firepower, it was able to completely destroy our gathered troops," Morro looked up, "They knew that we were planning something."
"What is the last known location of their pathetic group?" Krux asked, "Do we have any confirmation as to their numbers?"
"Right now, our Vermillion scouts have determined that they have fled that universe," Morro informed them, "We are currently searching through both the others. It is my guess, though, that they've assembled in your original world."
"Then they're picking a fight with us?" Acronix laughed, "Oh… this is going to be good. We called you all here to make a strike on them, but it looks like they're going to make us come to them instead. This is rich!"
"If they've called for you," Ophiod spoke up, "Then they have some sort of goal in mind. We should keep that in mind as we make our plan-"
"Thank you, Ophiod, but your opinion right now is not needed," Krux shook his head, "We will confirm the location of these defiant worms and rip them from the dirt they crawl in."
"How were they able to send this message to us?" Morro asked, "This implies that they have achieved technology that is comparable to the Iron Doom."
"It appears they opened a portal briefly and beamed a transmission through it," Acronix waved his hand, "Simple thing to do, really." Hearing that, Morro's eyes shone, then he nodded.
"What… does this mean for us?" Prime raised his head, "I… I outfitted Invictus. I'm ready to go to war. I'm ready to finally put Over down once and for all. Give me the order, I will destroy him for you without hesitation!" Prime turned to Ophiod, "I'll protect you all from him." Ophiod felt his body chill over.
"Now now, hold in that bloodlust!" Krux laughed, "My brother and I are rather good at that. We intended to launch our attack on the Tribes tomorrow morning. I see no reason to move that date. We will simply change our destination. We've already assembled all the Vermillion we need to defeat them!"
"You've taken nearly all Vermillion from your own headquarters," Oni spoke up, "Do you believe that is enough to destroy them?"
"Mhm… it's also about their despair when they see thousands of Vermillion all marching towards them," Acronix grinned, "That look will be everything we've wanted to see in Wu's pathetic face, and now in his allies too."
"Then, Skales and I must prepare," Ophiod nodded his head, "We will continue our training and be ready to deploy at-"
"Actually…" Krux shook his head, "With what Vermillion we are already using for the effort, we require a more… personal bodyguard," The twin turned to look at Skales, "Your knight is a rather formidable one, yes? Perhaps he would be better served at our side."
Ophiod's eyes widened at those words, turning to look at Skales with an undisguised look of concern. Skales kept his face completely neutral, staring at the Twins with his own look of slightly hidden annoyance. Both Twins looked back at him almost as though they found it more cute than anything else.
"Skales…" Ophiod shook his head, "I have fought by his side this entire while, I would like to-"
"But you have that scroll, don't you?" Acronix smirked, "You'll be fine out there. The only thing we need you three to do is take out all your anger on that little pesky group. Is that so hard?"
"I will do it," Skales informed them. Ophiod stared at him in utter shock.
"Then that's decided," Krux nodded, "You all must have much to prepare. You can keep Skales until we deploy for this battle, Ophiod. We trust that you will serve us well until the very end."
Prime slowly nodded his head, his eyes still half unfocused and glassy. He turned and quickly strode out of the room, faster than Ophiod could actually do anything to stop him. Instead, Ophiod turned and gently took hold of Skales' hand, guiding him out of the room nervously.
"What, why did you?" Ophiod muttered at him, "You understand that this battle will be our greatest challenge, yes? I, I cannot do this without-"
"We are unable to perform our Dyad," Skales shook his head, "You will be at risk if you have to protect me, as you clearly want to do," Skales inhaled, "Focus on your battle. I will be here to protect you from here, as I always will be."
"Does this not speak of some deception?" Ophiod asked him.
"It does," Skales informed him, "But you are not strong enough to defy them. We will not spend this battle apart," Skales narrowed his eyes, "I trust you know what that means."
Skales turned to walk away from Ophiod, forcing the Viper to remain stunned and have to rapidly follow after him. The two disappeared into the massive halls of the Iron Demise.
As they left, another figure emerged from the doorway, none other than Oni. As he turned to leave, he saw a small, strange flash of light from behind him. When he investigated it, he saw none other than the normal face of Morro in front of him.
"You asked me about Monty," Morro told him, "I think I found an answer for you."
"Oh?" Oni fully turned to face him, "Do tell me more."
"Monty is someone stronger than you or I," Morro informed him, "He's lived a life of hardship and he still has the ability to stand up to people like you. And if he can do that, I think it doesn't matter what he was in the past. What matters now is that neither of us have any chance of defeating him."
"So that is your answer," Oni nodded, "I see. I will take my leave now."
Oni turned and began to walk away. Morro watched as he rounded the corner, disappearing out of sight. At that moment, Morro's Chi hawk slowly floated down from the ceiling, flapping its wings and holding something firmly in its talons. Morro reached up and slowly plucked none other than Oni's Realm Crystal from it. The Chi dissolved back into Morro's body with a small flash of aura around him.
"It's time I take my own," Morro nodded, "And make sure they know about it."
With another massive crackle in the sky, the Universe Bounty blasted out through a portal, its shape blurring as it accelerated through the space between dimensions itself. The ship cast its massive shadow across the massive sandy plains that made up the space in front of the Corridor of Elders. The sun was just beginning to dip below the high point in the sky as the sound of its jets echoed throughout the canyon itself. The sloping hills of the land that the corridor pinched shut reflected the shadow of their ship as they did.
Slowly, Harumi twisted the wheel of the ship down, causing it to land gently just in front of the Corridor. Even then, the sound of it landing kicked up a small dust storm around them, obscuring them from view. The jets all slowly rotated back as the cannons retracted into the ship itself. Small stabilizers began to extend from the front and back with a pneumatic hiss to hold them up. As the dust slowly began to clear, the massive painted metal of the ship came into sight once more.
Slowly, those metal plates let out their own hiss, lowering down towards the ground to become ramps down to the area below. The massive interior of the Universe Bounty was revealed inside, showing it to be one massive hollow space, filled with large seating areas and pens to contain the people inside. Said people all stood up as they were shown the world in front of them, each blinking as they adjusted to the sensation of being in a brand new, foriegn land.
"Alright, men!" Krux' shouted out as he stood up in front of the ramp, "We march into camp now! Eyes forward!"
The men and women of the Time Tribe all stood up, hefting up their weapons and forming up in rows behind him. Krux' led them down the ramp and into the world that he knew Lloyd came from. Each of the men wore the distinctive spiked and tiered armor design of the Time Tribe, each painted colors of either Krux' or Acronix'. Each had on a helmet that was vaguely reminiscent of the Vermillion, with a streak that ran along the top of it that signified what power they had. Men with green streaks held onto long pikes, those with orange had on gauntlets, and so on. As they marched out, they filled the Corridor completely, an organized and proud procession towards their camp.
When the group had marched the long way through the Corridor of Elders, they emerged into another wide plain that was significantly less open. Tents had been erected all throughout the area in the closet approximation to rows that they could make them. The tents all surrounded small campfires where food was being passed around, weapons sharpened, and soldiers milling around in rest. A massive middle lane spread throughout the tents through which supplies and men were running. To the east side of the split of tents were large, sand blue and gray vehicles being worked on in massive airfield-like rows, interspersed with men in various shark-themed attire. To the west side were tents emblazoned with the symbols of each of the various tribes.
As Krux' marched his men into the main path, he could sense the sudden confusion that rose up from his troops. He turned back around to face them as he did, forcing them to put their attention on him. He looked them over back and forth, then he raised his voice.
"Men!" Krux' declared, "These will be your allies in the coming battle for our homes! This land may be foriegn to you, and its people not those you know! But however they may look, they are fighting for the same cause as you! You will treat them as men from any tribe, from any battle you will fight in! Is that understood?"
"Yes sir!" The tribesmen let out a collective shout. Krux' quickly directed them towards their tents, leaving it to the squadrons to manage finding their locations to rest.
Once he was certain that his men were finding their locations to begin rest for the battle, Krux' found his way over towards a large command tent, set up in the middle of the entire camp. The sensation of being inside of a camp like this gave him a strange sense of deja vu, even if he hadn't been in the camp the last time it was set up. When he entered, however, he found himself standing in front of a massive hologram display of the Corridor and the plains around them. In front of that map was none other than the familiar faces of Lloyd, Monty, Over and Lulloyd. Behind them, though, he saw three faces he was unsure of how to process.
"Lloyd," Pixal announced, "We are to expect the Twins tomorrow morning. Given the large numbers of troops we have had to command, I am impressed at the efficiency of the Universe Bounty's voyages. I believe she has completed her last trip."
"I agree," Master Wu nodded, "You should be proud of yourself, Lloyd. You have done a great deed in gathering us here."
"Don't mention it," Lloyd shook his head, "I didn't do it alone."
"No… I don't believe that he should," Emperor Garmadon growled out, his dark and imposing presence behind the two burning through the room, "You have only managed to bring men together. That does not mean you know how to lead them."
The atmosphere of the room felt slightly darkened with the presence of Emperor Garmadon in it. It was the first time many of them were seeing what Lloyd's father was, revived by Harumi and weakened from his defeat atop Borg Tower. Despite his lowered state, he cast an aura of tension around himself, ensuring none around him could truly relax.
"So… that's Lloyd's dad?" Lulloyd whispered to Monty.
"You're horrible at whispering," Monty groaned out to both of them, "Yes, that's his dad, the one that she brought back. Keep up, we have enough characters here as it is."
"Krux'," Lloyd nodded his head as the man stepped forward, "Have you brought all of the Elemental Army though the portal now?"
"If the other leaders are already here, then yes," Krux' nodded his head with a smirk, "Looks like we had an even greater turnout than we thought. If our numbers are correct, we have a force of fifty-thousand strong."
"Those numbers will have to suffice," Pixal informed him, "We have tallied roughly ten thousand members of the Shark Army have arrived. This puts out total strength, along with those numbers from both the Serpentine forces and our allies, to approximately 60.5 thousand."
"Against a force of hundreds of thousands…" Master Wu rubbed his chin, "These odds are not great. But we have overcome these odds before, yes, brother?"
"Hmmph," Emperor Garmadon growled out, "You should not have evoked their anger this quickly. You must have some ace up your sleeve to be able to withstand this force."
"I have told you, I have already made my preparations," Over leaned forward, "As of this morning, I have extracted enough Dark Matter from the Dark Island for my own needs. Before the night is over, I will travel to the island personally and make my final preparations for this battle. I will ensure our forces are sufficiently strong."
"And why have you refused us this information?" Emperor Garmadon asked him.
"Because you do not know what spies may be present, and I would prefer we have at least one surprise for the Twins," Over nodded to him, "Surely you know this. You are not the only one here who has claimed the title of Emperor over others." The two men, former Emperors of vastly different and yet distinctly similar lands starred each other down.
"Speaking of surprises," A gruff voice opened the flap to the tent, "Guess who showed up?"
Monty turned to see Ronin calmly striding into the room, hefting up a large sniper rifle against his shoulder as he did. He waved his hand as he entered, moving to stand next to his ethereal partner and grin as he looked around the room.
"Let's see… lots of faces here I gotta know," Ronin chuckled, "Well, I know you three," He waved his hand at Lloyd, Lulloyd and Over, "Gonna guess the rest of you are guys aren't the ones I know. I'm-"
"This is Ronin," Monty cut him off, "He's my partner. Now then," Monty turned to Ronin, "Can you sit there and be quiet, or do I need to get you to leave?"
"Sorry kid, I'm here to stay," Ronin wrapped her arm around Monty as best as he could, "By the way, heard you're getting good with that sword you got there. Looks different from last time. Everything okay with it?"
"How about I find a place to shove it and you can find out?" Monty sighed.
"Not sure, but I think you should save that for the bad guys," Ronin laughed, "Well. The worse than we are guys. Speaking of that, we've missed a lot of orders back home."
"I couldn't care less about that," Monty sighed, "You run the business, I shoot the problems."
"He's taking this rather well," Lloyd turned to Pixal, "Did… we uhm, contact our Ronin?"
"Attempts to establish communication with Ronin failed," Pixal informed him, "I am grateful for that fact."
"Hey!" Mage leapt into the tent, holding the hand of someone, "Guess who I brought!"
Skylar stepped forward into the tent. The young remainder of the Amber Tribe was dressed now in a set of light leather battle armor that they hadn't yet seen before. Her clothes were now a mixture of yellow and red in their entirety, with the leather painted the same way. She wore a deep breastplate of metal, the only piece that was, along with several leather straps on her legs. Her arms were entirely barren, though, the sleeves cut off at her upper arms and leaving them entirely exposed. Given the nature of how her elements worked, however, the style spoke purely to her own lack of weapons.
"Nice to see you all again," Skylar smiled warmly as she did, "Well… uh, most of you." She looked over them, doing her best to get it all in her mind, "Or, uh… huh. Well, I know you," Skylar pointed at Krux', "And you four…" She gestured over the travelers, "...But you three I don't get…" She pointed at Pixal, "Is she, a metal user?"
"I am not," Pixal informed her, "For now, understand that I am not human, and we will leave it at that."
"I recognize your face…" Emperor Garmadon nodded, "You were the one that attempted to control my Colossus… only," He stepped forward, putting himself just in front of her, "...Mhm, no. It appears you only share her face, and not her power."
"Sssuuuurrreee…" Skylar blinked, "You kinda sound like Mage's dad."
"I would be careful in defining me in relation to others," Emperor Garmadon nodded, "I am more than whatever your own perception of me amounts to."
"Righhttt… and who's that?" Skylar pointed at Wu.
"Oh, he's uhm… remember how I told you that when my dad had me, my uncle got really mad cause he broke the promise?" Mage nodded, "He's that guy, but for Lloyd. Different worlds and stuff!"
"I… did what?" Wu blinked, "I am not sure what to make of that."
"Look at you, looks like his ain't the only world you messed up in," Monty somewhat smirked. Lloyd gave him a harsh look.
"Hey, Lloyd!" There was a noise from outside the tent, "I got the rest of the masters together, we wanted to let you know we're ready when you are," The flap to the tent opened up to reveal none other than the owner of Chen's Noodle House herself, Skylor, "What do you want us to do?"
Skylor, dressed in the robes that Lloyd had seen her wear back during the takeover of the city, was first shocked by the sight of Emperor Garmadon standing behind Lloyd. She let out a long whistle, a tiny chuckle, then she turned her head away from him. When she saw Skylar, though, the two versions of the same person made eye contact.
"...Woah," Skylor blinked, "It's like, looking into a mirror. A very… curvy mirror."
"Is she, the, uh… version of me?" Skylar asked, cocking her hips.
"Is this some comic book stuff? My dad used to buy me those when I was younger," Skylor shook her head, "Well, uhm… hey. I guess I'm you."
"Guess I'm you too," Skylar blinked, "Wait a minute, are you older than me?" The young Amber teenager was staring at the significantly older young adult Noodle Shop owner.
"Looks like it," Skylor nodded, "Why?"
"Well…" Skylar nodded, "Nothing. I just like what I'm gonna be seeing later on."
The two women both looked at each other, then they shared a laugh together. Mage looked between the two of them with a slightly lost gaze. Lloyd looked over to Mage, trying to tell him he was sorry for this sudden confusion. Monty just sighed and began to toss Ivory in the air, to which Ronin caught it and gave him a cheeky smirk.
"Well… I'm just not going to ask about him," Skylor pointed at Emperor Garmadon, "Just letting you know that our friends are with us. We're waiting on you."
"You can board the Universe Bounty," Lloyd informed her, "The other Elemental Masters can get on board too."
"Oh!" Mage, seeing a chance to try to get back on track, remembered something, "By the way! I got them to come with us too!"
"I'm still not sure how you managed that," Krux' finally spoke up after feeling lost in the crowd for a long while himself, "But the men are calm thanks to it."
"I'll make sure to meet with them before the battle," Mage told him, "Don't worry about that!"
Lloyd, Monty and Lulloyd all looked confused as to who 'them' were, but given the insanity of the current conversation, they decided not to mention it. Monty wrenched his gun back from Ronin with a snarl, while Lulloyd slowly snuffled from foot to foot. Lloyd stepped forward and nodded at Mage as Skylor turned to leave the tent, leaving just Mage's partner in her place.
"Is Harumi with you?" Lloyd asked him.
"She's with Borg doing some 'tuning up' on the Universe Bounty," Mage informed him, "And, also… well. We kinda picked up someone else when we went to get Ronin."
"Who?" Monty asked, "We weren't supposed to be grabbing anyone…"
Mage blushed sheepishly as he stepped aside, slowly letting a man with a golden staff step forward behind him. White battle robes were tied tightly around his body, reflecting a deep white beard and conical hat. As soon as Monty saw him, he yanked Ivory from Ronin's hand and up into the air, planting the gun firmly down against the head of the Chi Master himself, Wu.
"What is he doing here?!" Monty spat at Mage.
"Monty," Wu shook his head against the barrel, "I have come to get my pupil back."
Master Wu and Emperor Garmadon both stared in confusion at this alternate version of the former. Lloyd and Lulloyd quickly leapt forward, however, planting themselves on either side of Monty and trying to figure out a way to diffuse the situation. Ronin, still hanging out in the background, simply frowned and gave Monty a long look as he pointed the gun at him.
"I distinctly remember telling you and your ninja if you showed your face in front of me again, I'd drop you," Monty spat, "You were the reason the Twins got away from us! You sent your students to attack us! I've deliberately kept you out of this. Why did you decide to come back right now?"
"Because your friends spoke with me," Wu informed them, "And asked me to come."
Monty turned to Lloyd and Lulloyd, seeing the two of them tense up as their secret was revealed. Monty felt his arm starting to tremble as he tried to process all the emotions inside of him. Wu, for his part, remained perfectly still as Monty threatened him so readily.
"I don't know when they had time to do that… but I don't want you here," Monty growled, "Morro is still with them. Who says you won't just let them take over?"
"The fact that I know my pupil has been aiding you," Wu told him firmly, "And that right now, you require all the help that you can muster. I am not asking for your forgiveness. I am asking for your permission," Wu exhaled, "I must ask you to put aside your feelings about us… about me, and allow us to lend you our aide."
"Kid…" Ronin finally spoke up, "I know he messed up, big time, but I think it might be worth keeping him around for this."
"Don't try to talk me out of this, Ronin," Monty informed him, "I'm not going to let him go after all that he did to help them."
"I think he's telling the truth," Ronin shook his head, "I've been around liars. Heck, I am one. I know when someone's lying. He's not lying."
Monty took a long while to debate whether or not to pull the trigger. Both Lloyd and Lulloyd were ready to tackle his gun out of his hand if they needed to. Wu, however, stood firm, refusing to let any amount of fear show through on his face. Finally, Monty slowly lowered the gun, at which point shadows that had begun to reach up from Wu's back subsided. Monty turned to see Over with a neutral look on his face slowly lowering his hand.
"You can fight… but if you show a single moment of helping the Twins, I will not hesitate to put you down," Monty turned around, "...If you're trying to make up for that, you can't ever do that. You hear me?"
"I do," Wu shook his head, turning around, "I will ensure that my ninja are aware of that."
Monty simply scoffed, letting Wu leave the tent. As he did, a sense of palpable relief shot through all of the assembled allies. Ronin slowly lowered his hand from his grappling cable as the ghost finally moved to back off of the rest of them.
"What do we do now?" Mage asked the room, "Erm… I mean, what are we waiting for?"
"For Morro to finally make good on his message," Monty grumbled out, "He's been taking a long, long time to do anything."
"He'll get it to us," Lloyd informed him, "I think right now, we should go and make sure everyone is getting along alright. We need to be ready to go tomorrow morning."
"Assuming the Twins don't try to pull something tonight," Over warned him.
"They won't," Lloyd assured, "I'm counting on it."
Lulloyd sat down outside one of the many Shark Army tents, trying to get comfortable on the small bit of log that had been turned into a chair. In front of him, flames that flickered rather than simply spin warmed his hands. He'd never get used to how this world was. In front of him was a finished plate of food, the sun having started to go down towards the horizon and therefore an early dinner having been in order.
"Lulloyd," Garmadon's gruff voice came through the area, pushing past a large Jelly Sub being tuned up and pressed together, "Found ya! Looked like you were avoiding me there."
"I… wasn't, dad," Lulloyd sighed, "I just… you know. Wanted to get my rest before the battle."
"Rest, yeah, of course," Garmadon rubbed the back of his neck, "That makes sense."
Lulloyd sighed, slowly laying down with his legs tilted up slightly in the air. He could feel the hard ground against his head, so he rotated his arms back to lay on them. He looked up towards the sky, seeing the clouds as they flew up in the far reaches above him, still shocked they weren't just bricks in the sky. Then again, the sky and water here did look more like what he was used to. Sometimes. His world, he learned, was a rather unique one.
"So… you know," Garmadon rolled his eyes, "I may or may not have, something to give you now, cause you know, once your battle plans really get going it's hard to squeeze things in there, and it's, well… something I think you could use!"
"Dad," Lulloyd sighed deadpan, "If you have something for me, just give it to me."
"Right! Right" Garmadon whistled, "...You should, probably stand up for this."
"...Alright," Lulloyd sighed again, slowly rotating himself up and doing a front flip to land perfectly at the edge of the fire. He took a step back, then spun his body around to face his father, "What are you planning to give… me…?"
Lulloyd went silent as he stared at what his father held. In his bottom two hands, he held a set of clothes. They appeared to be battle armor, partially metal along the middle of the chest and in the legs to absorb impacts. The pants came with large boots with golden talons attached to each one, whereas the chest area was dominated by a massive V of deep armor framed by slight yellow outlines. What set it apart the most from the other outfits Lulloyd had seen in the Shark Army, however, was the fact the outfit was primarily a deep sand green.
In his top two hands, however, Garmadon held something else. The piece appeared to be similar to the distinctive helmets the Shark Army wore. The pauldrons were a deep gunmetal gray, and the piece lacked the battery indicator as there were no scuba tanks with it. Rather than the shape of a shark head wrapping around the top of the head, however, the shape was none other than the massive jaws of Lulloyd's mechdragon. The massive green eyes were set to either side of the top of the head, with the jaws wrapping around the head in a fearsome snarl.
"I… had these custom-molded for you," Garmadon informed him, "Do you… think you might want to… wear these for me?"
"Dad…" Lulloyd blinked, rotating his head to make sure they were real, "Are you… is this, really? Did you really make these, for me?"
"Yeah! Course I did!" Garmadon laughed, "Look. I know that, you had your reservations about being General Number Son. I know you still kinda have a lot of worries. I'm your father, I notice these things. Usually. Mostly. Enough. Either way, doesn't matter! I just, wanted to give you something so that you look like the real commander on his battlefield."
Lulloyd stepped forward, his eyes still in total shock at what he was seeing. Nervously, he reached out and took the helmet. He looked up to his father, then back down to the armor. In those moments, he felt a massive shock to his system, one that left him feeling like his pieces were about to crack.
"I… I think I'll wear these," Lulloyd looked up, "I… I'm. I'm going to do everything I can to lead the army tomorrow." He hugged the armor to his chest.
"You don't have to," Garmadon grinned, "I already know you can do it."
Lulloyd was about to take more time to admit the armor he was given when Garmadon cleared his throat, "Oh, also, some woman was looking for you, said she knew you from some mountaintop? Peak? Uhhh…"
"Mountaintop?" Lulloyd paused, "You mean, like a summit?"
"Lulloyd!" Rina called out.
Lulloyd blinked in surprise, turning to see none other than the Gravity Tribe woman herself, Rina, standing at the edge of the tents. The woman wore armor similar to the one that he had met her in, distinctively copper and plated around her body, filled with arrow-like designs that pointed out towards her hands. She didn't have her helmet with her, leaving her orange-ish hair to simply stand out in its twin tails. She leaned on a massive spear as she smiled at him.
"Yeah, she's been looking for you," Garmadon chuckled, then gently nudged him, "Go on, she must be pretty into you!" Lulloyd decided not to mention that the only reason his girlfriend wasn't here was because they hadn't been able to contact her, but he let that slide. Lulloyd walked up to her, smiling as he did.
"I heard you're leading part of the army?" Rina smiled at him, "I knew you'd do it! The moment I saw them, I thought you had to be the one in charge!"
"I-I mean…" Lulloyd blushed, "It's, my dad's army."
"But you're the one that's going to lead them, right?" Rina smiled at him.
"Yeah… I-I mean, I guess," Lulloyd chuckled gently.
"So then you're still the one that's gonna do it!" Rina grinned, "Oh! Is that your armor?"
Lulloyd looked down to the dragon-head helmet he had in his hands, quickly realizing how weird it looked, "Y-Yes. I-I mean! I mean that, I uh. Y-Yeah, I-I uhm… y-yes that's, you know…"
"You sound nervous," Rina looked him up and down, "Are you alright?"
"I'm not, nervous, I'm just…" Lulloyd gulped, "It'll be my first time doing it, that's all. And, I kinda, had to work myself up to even say I'd do this at all."
"Really?" Rina cocked her head, "You took charge of the situation really well the last time that we were together. I don't think I could have made it out of that without you."
"I don't think I could have either," Lulloyd smiled at her, "I guess, I'm just anxious, that's all. This is going to be a pretty decisive battle, and all that."
"I know, but I know that you can do it," Rina smiled at him, "I really do! I'm going to watch out for you on the battlefield. I'll make sure everyone around me knows that if something goes wrong, we can rely on General Lulloyd to help us."
"I…" Lulloyd blinked at that, feeling a rush of emotion go through him, "That sounds… I. I'm really, thank you for saying that, Rina," Lulloyd inhaled, "I'm going to make sure I do that."
"Good!" Rina nodded, "Well. I really want to talk more, but I have to get back to my unit. I'm going to find you after the battle, though. So make sure to come and find me, alright?"
"I will!" Lulloyd smiled at her.
"Good!" Rina nodded, "I'm off!" Lullyod watched her as she levitated her spear into the air with her power, holding onto it and using it to help carry her up through the air. Given how much she'd struggled with the rubble the last time, he was impressed at just how powerful she'd gotten. Garmadon walked up to him a minute later, putting his hand on Lulloyd's shoulder.
"Alright," Garmadon grinned, "Time to get back to the planning tent. We have a war to wage!"
"Are we ready to continue our discussion?" Over poised to the group.
Slowly, all of those around the table nodded their heads. Lulloyd stood with his father. Monty stood with Ronin. Mage stood with Skylar. Lloyd stood with his own father and Wu. Acronix' and Krux' both stood there are well, silently. Harumi stood alone, flanked by Over. The assembled committee went silent as Over inhaled.
"Firstly," Over leaned forward, "We have just received this transmission. I believe it is the piece of this puzzle that we have been waiting for." Over reached down to place his hand on a small button, causing a recording to play back. The voice was quiet and hushed, and came from a voice that brought them all relief, and anxiety.
"I can't speak for long," Morro's recorded voice played, "They bought it. They're going to attack tomorrow morning, wherever you are. I have the plans for the Iron Demise. When the battle starts, I'll make sure it can't move universes. I also got the Twins to tell me how they took control of this world."
Harumi's eyes hardened as she listened intently, "The Twins sent Vermillion back in time to a specific day," Morro continued, "The day that Lloyd Garmadon entered Hiroshi's Labyrinth. Somehow, that allowed them to take control of everything. The Twins didn't go back themselves for fear of becoming a paradox. I don't know what you plan to do, but that's what you have to do. Go back to when Lloyd Garmadon entered Hiroshi's Labyrinth!" There was a noise in the recording, "The Twins aren't going to let you get away this time. They're bringing all three of them along with at least an army a million strong. Whatever you're planning… do it now."
As the recording finished, Over turned to Harumi, "From this, we have discerned the reason the Twins picked this date for their takeover: This date was the one in which Harumi's parents first had her. With the two of them dead, they would have the chance to do the same to the remainder of all other Elemental Masters with ease."
"That is before you were born, Harumi," Acronix' bowed his head, "I saw your memories when I stabilized your timeline. I believe that this is the time in which you require me to send you back, yes?" He nodded his head, "If that is so…"
"It… it is," Harumi inhaled, "I'm ready to go back."
"This confirms to us that we have the ability to fight back," Over informed them, "But we must be careful with this knowledge. I will bolster our forces, but we are heading into the fire."
The room was silent as Harumi stepped forward, "Acronix, Krux," She nodded, "Are you certain that your dragon is able to remove the power of time?"
"He did it to me," Krux' sighed, "So yes. We're sure that Muto can do that."
"The Twins must be weakened for us to do that," Acronix' reminded them, "We must have them at their lowest point for this to work."
"Then our goal is decided," Over nodded, "The purpose of our army is to allow for us, this strike force, to intercept and defeat the Time Twins. If we do not succeed quickly, our troops will be overwhelmed, and we will have lost," Over nodded, "We cannot afford to lose anyone. All of us must be present there, at the apex of this battle," Over stared down Lloyd, "All of us."
"I wasn't planning on doing anything!" Lloyd protested, "Why are you looking at me?"
"Because I am you," Over frowned, "And it is all too easy for you to slip into that mindset. The purpose of this fight is not to have heroics. It is to cleanly finish what we have built up to. Between heaven and earth, we will finish this."
"Morro said those three are gonna be there," Mage pointed out, "What do we do about them?"
"The hypocrite said he wants me and only me," Monty gently tugged on the SoS, "So when he shows up, I think I've figured out this Sanctuary thing."
We have yet to truly perform it, but we are far stronger than we were the last time we fought him, The sword informed him, We will prevail.
"...Let me handle Ophiod," Mage put his hand to his chest, "I have to do this. It's time to make good on my promise."
"I will ensure that Prime is dealt with," Over muttered, "I do not know what is happening with him, but from the last encounter you had with him, he is losing himself. It would be dangerous for any of you to enter this fight. However it may be… I will finish the fight he started."
"Lulloyd will lead the Shark Army," Garmadon graveled out, "No doubts about that. He'll do it."
"The Elemental Army will lead itself," Acroinx' informed them, "All us leaders are here."
"And I will handle my forces," Over leaned back, "Come tomorrow, we are fighting for our lives. This is no longer a battle we can afford to lose. We must come out on top. No matter what we must sacrifice to do so."
"We're going to take down the Twins," Lloyd nodded, "No matter what happens."
"I will be there to support him," Wu informed them, "As will my brother."
"Hmmph," Emperor Garmadon rolled his eyes, "I am here because you have forced my hand, and that is all."
"Oh, so that's why you're here," Garmadon grumbled out, "I get it."
"Dad…" Lulloyd muttered, "Please, not now…"
"I was beginning to wonder when he would speak," Emperor Garmadon inhaled, "And he reveals himself to be the clown, does he?"
"Okay, I'm not even okay with the fact he is still stealing my image!" Garmadon pointed at Over, "Don't make me mad at you too!"
"If I had my Colossus, you would be too terrified to even let anger come to your mind," Emperor Garmadon groaned out.
"And if I had my shark, I would-! Wait," Garmadon blinked, "What's a Colossus?"
"It was my symbol of power, a giant to tower above the people of Ninjago City," Emperor Garmadon nodded his head, "Something that would make all those who saw it-"
"Wish they had vowed their allegiance to you sooner?" Garmadon grinned, "Realize how futile their resistance is and give in to your absolute rule?"
"Indeed… perhaps you are not entirely useless after all," Emperor Garmadon responded.
"I need to know more about this Colossus later," Garmadon grinned back at him, "If it's as impressive as it sounds, I'll be glad to have you as an ally." Lloyd decided not to mention anything about the fact the Colossus was not what Garmadon seemed to think it was. The fact these two weren't fighting was more than enough of a boon for him.
"Anyways… I'm here to help him out," Skylar put her hand on Mage's shoulder, "And you can count on me for that."
"I'll stick with the kid," Ronin chuckled, "Even got to bring REX. We'll keep in the air until this guy he wants to stab gets here."
"We're all here to help each other," Lloyd nodded, "No matter what happens, we'll be together. And that's all that will matter in the end."
"Then our plan is settled," Over planted his hand down on the table, "We must all make our preparations. Come tomorrow… this battle will be more than any of us can imagine."
With a startled jolt, Mage opened his eyes.
Slowly, the boy raised his head up, looking around the camp. Beside him, Lulloyd and Lloyd were fast asleep, with Harumi nearby. Monty was gone, as was usual for him, but Over was on watch. Outside of the tent, the massive scores of Shark Army, Elemental Alliance and other groups all were asleep, hoping to gain whatever rest they could before the battle in the morning.
Mage, however, didn't rest like the rest of them. Instead, he slowly stood up, his eyes glowing a small red, slightly swirling as he did. He slowly held his hands up, calling upon the element of smoke and causing his body to vanish into wisps of the gray strands. His sword was left behind, tucked into his bedroll. He shot out from the back of the tent and up into the air, flying over the assembled camp and over the rocks that marked the entrance to the Corridor of Elders. When he stood atop the massive canyon, his body reformed, then his eyes flashed silver as he shot forward in speed.
The boy ran across the landscape, far away from the camp. He ran and ran, across the sands and soon he was even into rock itself. By the time that he stopped moved, his powers felt drained, his body was almost weak. But he seemed to not care in the slightest, moving as though he was almost asleep. Soon enough, he was standing in front of of a small patch of trees, in a part of this world he didn't quite know.
"On your knees," A voice commanded him. Mage's eyes swirled before he slowly got down onto his knees. A moment later, someone walked out from the treeline, holding a beautifully curved golden blade to his throat.
"Tie your arms together," Skales tossed a piece of rope into Mage's lap. The boy nodded dutifully, slowly tying his wrists together. Skales nodded at him as he did.
"Did anyone see you as you left?" Skales demanded.
"No," Mage shook his head, speaking dully.
"Good," Skales planted his blade down in front of him, "Then you are under my control now. And you will do as I say. You will listen to everything I say, and-"
"Actually…" Mage smiled, "I'm not."
Skales' eyes widened, drawing his blade and leaping backwards. Mage stood up, slowly twisting his wrists and gently snapping the rope with a small burst of Earth. Skales tensed in fear, holding his blade forward as he watched Mage calmly cross his arms, the red swirl in his eyes fading.
"But, I hypnotized you…" Skales snarled, "I made you into a sleeper. Back at the Oasis!"
"Yeah, that doesn't work on someone with training against mental attacks," Mage tapped his head, "I felt you calling me and just went along with it."
"...Then…" Skales lowered his weapon, "Then me being here is pointless."
"Why is that?" Mage asked him curiously.
"Because," Skales frowned, "I have heard from the Twins what you are planning to do. I was hoping that I would be able to sway at least one of you before it began."
"Sway me to do what?" Mage asked.
"To not hurt Ophiod," Skales told him dryly, "Of all of you, you and the brick one are the only ones that I could ask."
Mage was silent as Skales slowly turned around, gripping his weapon tightly. Then, with a small exhale, Skales turned to look back at Mage. The two locked eyes for a long while before Skales was able to speak again.
"Please," Skales stepped forward, "You must be able to tell. He is not a bad person. He is only doing this because he believes that he must. It disgusts me to admit it… but I cannot help him," Skales shuddered, "And I fear that if I don't do anything, he won't walk away from this battle."
"What do you need me to do?" Mage asked. Skales blinked in shock.
"You would… you would do that?" Skales asked with a twinge of fear in his tone.
"I've known from the start that he isn't a bad person," Mage nodded, "...I know what it's like to fight someone who's doing horrible things for the right reason. I was able to get through to her," Mage hit his chest, "I can get through to him."
"Then… I beg you," Skales shook his head, "I don't care about what you do to me. Or to Prime. Or to anyone else. But please. Let him leave this battle. Show him there is another way."
"I swore to his mother I wouldn't hurt him," Mage reminded him, "I won't let anything happen to him. I promise you that."
"Then…" Skales inhaled, "I will have your word on that, boy. Prove to me that this kindness of yours is not a weakness."
"I will," Mage nodded, "I need to get back to the others."
"Very well," Skales turned around, "I must go before Ophiod and the others realize that I am gone… Mage," Skales used his name, "Thank you."
Mage nodded his head. Slowly, the two of them parted away. Skales slid back into the treeline, as smoothly as he'd emerged, while Mage turned to race back towards the camp, only praying that he would make it back before the dawn of the battle. Each of them had their part to play, and Mage had just been given a new one.
By the time that Mage got back to the camp, everyone else was already up. Thinking quickly, Mage applied a thin layer of water to his chest, making him look as though he'd been sweating from training. He snuck into his tent to take hold of Aevum, placing it on his hip as he did. He took a few moments to get his breath about him before he opened the flaps to his tent.
"Son," None other than Mage's father, Master Garmadon, stood in front of him.
"D-Dad!" Mage yelped out, taken by complete surprise as he saw him, "What… what are you, doing here? I thought you were with the rest of the Elemental Army!"
"It appears as though you were sneaking out for some reason, perhaps I was here to see that?" Master Garmadon asked. Mage, not able to tell him, slowly went red in the face and lowered his head. As he did, however, his father slowly sighed and then shook his head.
"No, son, that is not why I am here," Master Garmadon reached behind him, "I have come to give you something. It is not much, but it is something I believe that you will have use for."
Mage blinked, turning around just in time to see his father slowly open up a small cloth. As he did, Mage looked at it in shock and awe, gasping out as he revealed a beautiful, glistening set of golden armor. The entire thing was stylized to appear like that of a dragon, shaped to look akin to scales and claws. As Mage put his eyes on them, Master Garmadon smiled at him.
"This is the armor that I wore in my youth, when I was a far more foolish man," Master Garmadon smiled at him, "It is an armor that I believe will serve you well, my son. I know that you have seen war before, but this will ease my mind. Wear it for me, if you would."
"I promise I will," Mage nodded, "I will!"
"Then let me help you put it on, and we will meet with your friends," Master Garmadon smiled happily at him.
The process of putting on the armor took the two a good few minutes, with Mage having to adjust to the feeling of it instead of his normal breezy robes. His father helped him strap it on in several places, and replace Aevum on his hip again once they were on. Mage, however, opted not to have the helmet on, letting his hair shine out as he looked down at his father.
"You look like the true Dragon Lord, my son," Master Garmdon nodded at him, "Promise me that you will remember that."
"I will, dad," Mage nodded at him.
"You will have Skylar at your side, but I will be with the rest of the army," Master Garmadon informed him, "I know you have Acronix's sword as well. But you must remember, son... the reason that you are where you are now is not because of them, or anyone else," He put his hand to Mage's shoulder, "You are you, and that is the only one that you can be."
"I'll remember that, dad," Mage promised him, "I will. Let's… let's go see the others."
Master Garmadon nodded. Mage had him escort his son all the way through the massive camp, finding their way back to the main planning tent. As they did, they saw men getting ready for battle. Shark Army troops adjusted their helmets and rapidly dragged their vehicles out into formation. Each tribe rose up and ate their meals in silence, the cold mist of the air not yet warmed by the sun looming over them in a deep navy. Everyone was ready to see what would happen next, whatever it would be.
Eventually, the two saw the tent, and in front of it, Harumi standing with everyone else around her. In her hand, she held a rock that pulsed with a heavy green. Acronix' stood in front of her, facing her. The others all were around her, looking at her with concern and worry and a mix of other expressions.
"Mage," Harumi smiled, "We were just, about to send me back." In Harumi's hand, she clutched one of their wristbands, with the coordinates set for her home.
"Wait, isn't that the dragon arm-" Lloyd, seeing Mage in his new armor, stopped before he commented on it, nor its resemblance to a certain set of armor that his master had worn recently.
"Once we send you, you cannot be pulled back until you fix your time," Acronix' informed her, "I would give you more time, but I fear we have run out. Do you trust me to send you where you must go, Harumi?"
"I… I do," Harumi nodded, "I trust that you can do it. You saved my life, after all."
"We believe in you, Harumi," Lloyd gripped his chest, "No matter what, I know you'll fix your world and your home."
"We'll be here," Lulloyd smiled, "We're supporting you all the way."
"She's got too much to lose to fail," Monty sighed, "So clearly, she won't."
"You're strong, Harumi!" Mage nodded, "You'll do it!"
"Are you ready?" Over nodded. As the two shared gazes, Harumi didn't need to hear anything more from him. She knew what he wanted to tell her. He'd lost his chance to save his own world. He wouldn't let her miss the chance for her own. Harumi gave a grunt of affirmation.
Acronix', sensing that everyone was ready for him, reached forward and summoned his Time Matrix on his right hand. Slowly, the clock hands began to rapidly shift about the dial, spinning faster and faster until they glowed a powerful orange. As he did, the wristband that Harumi had on activated, opening a portal up under her feet. Harumi remained atop it as the orange glow surrounded her body, keeping her suspended there in its glow.
Harumi looked around just in time to see everyone's faces on her. Then, with a flash of power, Acronix' gripped his fist. At once, the wristband's portal glowed orange in turn, causing Harumi to rapidly be drawn inside of it. She vanished into its depths, the orange glow of the portal crackling and spitting out power. Acronix' grunted hard, his body shuddering as he focused on keeping his power purely focused on the deed at hand. His forehead lit up with sweat as he did, and as his trembling grew, the group worried that he would lose control.
With one last twist of effort, Acronix' opened his palm and lowered it down. Slowly, the portal turned back to its normal deep blue, and then rapidly shut off. The wristband fell to the ground, sparking several times before it came to a dull rest on the ground.
"There…" Acronix' panted, leaning forward slightly as he took his deep breaths, "I… I was unable to send the device with her. It… was needed to hold open the portal. She will have to find a way back, on her own…."
"Thank you, Acronix," Mage reached up to take his hand, "She'll succeed. I know she will."
There was a long moment of calm that washed over the group, seeing it happen. They had no way of helping her right now, no way of giving her anything that she could use in order to get by. But they could hope for her, and know that they would survive this battle.
"Come," Over turned to Lloyd, "The dawn of battle will approach soon, and the Universe Bounty will take time to fly," Over picked up the wristband with a nod, "It is time."
Lloyd slowly stepped off the Universe Bounty onto the shores of the Dark Island. The island itself was not one that he wanted to ever see again. It wasn't one that he thought he could even stand to set foot on. Yet the Universe Bounty lay behind him, parked against the shore and stretching quite a ways beyond it. In front of him, Over slowly stepped forward.
As Lloyd took in the sights, his eyes widened beyond belief. What used to be the main camp that his father had used to command the Stone Army was now nothing more than a massive pit. Digging equipment lay all about, broken and scattered. The hole that stretched in front of them was bigger than anything Lloyd could have ever imagined being done in such a short amount of time. Over stepped over towards it and nodded.
"This… what?" Lloyd blinked, "Why are you?"
"I have had this island mined for all the Dark Matter I could obtain in this time," Over informed him, "I have extracted approximately half of it and had it planted inside of the area in front of the Corridor of Elders. You will see why soon."
"But… what about the other half?" Lloyd asked.
Over slowly gave him a smile, one that looked almost devious. Over slowly inhaled, holding his staff up into the air and planting it down in front of him. Slowly, he held his arms forward, overlooking the pit in front of him.
"I will show you," Over looked forward, "I will show you the power of the one that your grandfather fought so hard to stop. I will show you the power that will allow us to take on an army that dwarfs our own!"
Over's eyes widened, its power seeping out of his palm. He turned his body to the side, holding one hand forward. As he did, his body became surrounded in an aura that was filled with pure darkness. Purple burned up his body as he overlooked the hole, causing it to begin to slowly burn up with power that flickered up into the air like the wisps of a dark flame. Lloyd found himself pushed backwards by the sheer amount of aura that seeped out of Over's body.
"The First Master could not overcome the power of the Overlord," Over began, his body thrumming with his raw unbridled might, "As the legend goes, it was the might of an army that the Overlord forced his hand to split the land that he had created! To tip the scales of harmony… to overturn a balance of destiny, a force was needed that was unrelenting, unstoppable, powerful beyond all compare! It was this army born from the darkness itself, and from the darkness it will return!"
There was a massive crackle. Lloyd was thrown backwards as he suddenly felt a massive rush around him. Slowly, liquid began to rise up from the hole. First, it was a few drops, then a steady stream. As more and more rose, more and more pillars rose up, each one being drawn through the air into a massive ball. Lloyd's eyes were widened as he saw a beautiful, glistening orb of pure Dark Matter hover in the predawn sky, a powerful purple rippling through the air as Over took one more breath.
"I will defeat the Twins, Prime, and all those who stand in my way, with this force," Over held his hand to his chest, "Rise! Rise my Stone Army! Mold from the Dark Matter, and become my warriors that will fall to neither rest nor snake, dawn nor dusk! You are the Emperor's right hand! Come forth and obey my will!"
Over's four hands charged up with pure crackling beams he shot out into the massive orb. All at once, the orb seemed to writhe and burn, heated up with it. Slowly, the particles that lay suspended in the liquid were brought together, forming shapes and clusters with it. The orb expanded outward as Over let loose one more massive, primal cry as his face slowly morphed to that of dragon jaws, to open up and let out a terrifying roar.
Suddenly, the orb was split apart. Lloyd watched in awe as it hovered over the ground, then split itself up into small rows in the air. Slowly, those rows lowered towards the ground, stretching out across the massive stretch of open rocky terrain. Over took off into the air on wings and landed in front of Lloyd, holding his hand out and giving one last breath.
With a twist of his hand, Over sent one last blast of power out. This power surrounded each of the roughly two hundred or so balls of split Dark Matter. The power that surrounded them seemed to shape and mold them until they took the shape and form of the Stone Swordsmen and Stone Warriors of the army. Each slowly reached into their body, animated by his power, and drew a chunk of themselves that shaped into their weapons. Finally, the power around them burned away, shrinking to give each warrior their shape, color and distinctive insignia on their chests. As the power faded away, Lloyd was looking at none other than the reborn Stone Army.
"My liege," General Kozu stepped forward from their ranks, the last of his new body forming as he dropped to his knees, butterfly swords out to his sides, "We are given form to serve your command," As Kozu looked up, each warrior, in perfect sync, turned to face Over, "Give us your order!"
Over slowly turned to face Lloyd. The Green Ninja starred in fear and awe as Over gave him one long look, then drew his staff out from the ground. He held it forward, causing all of the army to shout and thrust their own weapons forward. With a long nod, Over let his staff dissolve, his pupiless eyes glowing and framed by the red and black army that now stood at his command.
"My forces have been assembled," Over growled, "It is time to march! To Ninjago!"
At the Corridor of Elders, a single guardsman stood at the ready. He was a young man from the Speed Tribe, wearing their distinctive deep white robes. They had stood guard through the night, and were ready to end their shift.
Suddenly, the world in front of them, framed by the rising sun, the man blinked as he saw something crackle in the sky. Something slowly began to open up, as though a wound was gashed into the world itself. It was both on the sky, and part of it at the same time. And as it began to open up, he felt the bottoms of his robe begin to shudder and flap behind him.
Then, the gash opened wider, becoming a massive, swirling vortex of darkness .The winds suddenly cracked like whips, launching out and nearly throwing the man off of his post. As he watched the massive vortex take shape in front of him, he was left with a startled gasp as the winds only grew more violent, ripping plants from their roots and rocks from their perches.
The man turned, leaping backwards and off the rocks. As he did, a massive blast of pure light crashed out behind him, illuminating the rocks around him and causing him to fade from sight as it consumed all around it. The swirling vortex only made the light seem that much more hash, and he threw his hands over his head in a terrified cry as he felt the wind try to rip him away from his very life itself.
"They've arrived!" The man shouted as he stumbled down the rocks, too dazed to use his power, "The Raiders have arrived!"
All throughout the camp, the sounds of their enemies arriving caused them all to rapidly begin to flee throughout the area, grabbing their weapons and lining up into formation as their commanders quickly turned to create order in the chaos. The Shark Army rapidly moved to leap into their vehicles, readying for takeoff. The leaders of each tribe quickly ran to address their men, hoping to catch them before they were gone.
From the command tent, Lulloyd, Mage and Monty stepped out. They looked up towards the gap of light that shone through the Corridor of Elders, seeing the whiteness beginning to fade but the wind still whipping through. All three had felt this power before, and knew exactly what it meant for them.
"It's time," Lulloyd said, his voice devoid of fear as he turned and yanked his new armor out of the tent, "I'll go to my dad!"
"I need to find Firstbourne," Mage nodded, "Stay in contact!" Lulloyd nodded, feeling the new earpieces they now had in thanks to their proximity in universes now, and lack of wristbands.
"Let's do this," Monty drew his guns, "It's time for this. Where are Over and Lloyd?"
"We're here," Over's voice sounded in Monty's earpiece, "We had arrived with reinforcements."
"I'll get Master Wu and everyone else onto the Universe Bounty!" Lloyd called back through his comm.
Monty, Lulloyd and Mage all gave each other one more look, then nodded as they split up in different directions. They joined the massive fury of people racing to get into position, Lulloyd grabbing his Mechdragon and sword on the way. Mage raced towards the south part of the camp, towards where everyone else would be waiting for him. And Monty was quick to hop onto REX as it took off, an eager Ronin at the helm. In the distance, the Universe Bounty landed, opening its doors to reveal Over standing in front of an army of stone eyes.
"It begins…" Over slowly snarled, raising his staff up, "Ready your troops and get into formation!" Over inhaled, then snarled again, "The time to face our destiny has come."
Author's Note:
So! A little update on the naming scheme here. Some may ask why I don't refer to the characters by names like Chi!Kai or Element!Acronix, and that's because I find that naming scheme incredibly stilted and unnatural. So, I'm using the following naming scheme for the following duplicate characters:
Master Wu and Emperor Garmadon are the Wu and Garmadon from the show.
Garmadon and Coco are the two from Lulloyd's world.
Wu is Monty's Wu.
Skylar refers to Mage's Skylar. Skylor refers to the show. Master Garmadon refers to Mage's father as well.
Anyone with the name Sir or Lady hails from Mage's tribes.
Lulloyd's team is referred to by the (Secret) Ninja Force. The ninja from the show are just referred to by their names. Monty's ninja are known as the Chi ninja.
I did my best to logically name each of the characters here with names either from canon or in their worlds in a way that makes sense. Hopefully it isn't too confusing to keep track of them all. I rewrote the next three chapters a lot to make sure I don't blend too many characters together all at once!