(A/N: Work, going from one place to another, work, picking up a gift for my mother's birthday, almost made me forget)

Later that night, the Ninja, including Geoff, who was back in his gi, come up to the front doors of the palace and were amazed at the sight, except for Nya, who was still uninterested, and Blake, whom had already been inside, until they stop at the doors and see them open with Hutchins coming out. "Welcome to the Royal Palace." He said as the Ninja start heading in. "Also know as the Palace of Secrets."

This got Kai interested as he turned to Hutchins. "Why do they call it the Palace of Secrets?" He asked.

"If I were to tell you that, then it wouldn't be a secret, now would it?"

"And he would kill you." Blake said as Hutchins closes the doors.

Inside, the Ninja, except for Nya and Blake, were all gasping as they look at the interior. "Look at that." Cole whispered.

"Like the carpet." Maggie said to Geoff, who nodded.

"Interesting tapestries." He said, pointing to one. "Wish they let me do a music video here."

"I already feel royal." Gewuji said as she looked.

"It's beautiful." Zane said.

"Yeah." Cole replied. "I could really get used to living in a place like this."

"Well don't." Lloyd said. "We're only here as guests, then back to protecting Ninjago."

They keep moving along before Nya stopped and scoffed as she looked at a tapestry. "Too much gold, in my opinion." She said.

"Show some respect, Nya." Blake replied, annoyed at her rudeness.

Hutchins opens a pair of doors to show a throne room and bowed. "I present to you the exalted Emperor and Empress of Ninjago." They start heading inside where the Royal Family were by the throne. "And their daughter, the Jade Princess, Princess Harumi."

The Ninja come up to them before stopping and prepared to bow, except for Nya, who is then elbow nudged by Blake. "Show some respect!" He whispered before Nya bowed as well while glaring at him.

"We are honoured by your presence." The Emperor said as they bow to them.

"The honour is all ours." Lloyd replied as they stand up.

"We are also honoured to be graced your presence once again, Mr. Borg."

"Thank you, Emperor." Blake said, bowing once again.

"No, thank you, for showing Harumi the consequences of what would come after something terrible." The Empress replied.

He then stands up straight again. "Well, I try."

"I have read much about you." Harumi said as she came down to them. "Your heroics will surely become legend." She soon came up to Kai. "Kai, the hothead who acts without question." Kai bows to her as she came up to Geoff. "Geoff, the former artefact recovery expert and island survivor with ability to control sand anywhere he goes." Geoff bows to her as she came up to Cole. "Cole, the rock and foundation of the team." Cole bows to her as she came up to Gewuji. "Gewuji, the girl who was a former kabuki dancer that sparks up glass bright as crystal." Gewuji bows to her as she came up to Jay. "Jay, the joker whose mouth is as fast as lightning." Jay bows to her as she came up to Zane, who bows to her. "Zane, the cold and calculating android."

"Nindroid, your Highness." He replied, correcting her while changing into his titanium form before she turned to Blake, who bows to her.

"Blake, the one for a gush of air and literally the clone of his father, and better looking than him, past those glasses." She then looked at Nya. "Nya, the girl with the mastery of water and her skill that could rival any master."

Surprised by her compliment, Nya turned to the others. "I like her." She said before immediately bowing as Harumi then looked at Maggie.

"Maggie, the girl who can catch any metal with her powers." Maggie bows to her as she came up to Lloyd. "And Master Lloyd, the Green Ninja." He bows to her as Gewuji looked at them. "The most powerful protector. The chosen one. I too have lost my parents, but we are both not without family, hmm?"

As Jay and Geoff were confused, they turn to the Emperors and Empress. "We adopted Harumi and raised her as our own." The Empress told them.

"When her parents passed away." The Emperor said.

"Thank you for inviting us into your home." Lloyd said, bowing to them once again.

"It wasn't us, it was our daughter."

"And she would like you to stay with us until the threat to our throne is over." The Empress said.

"These are troubling times, and as long as we have an Oni Mask, we fear our lives are in jeopardy."

"The masks must never be reunited." Harumi said to the Ninja. "Please say yes."

The Ninja all look at their master, who looks at Harumi. "Then you have our help." He replied, bowing down to her.

"Great. Then Mr. Hutchins can show you the palace."

She backs away as they Ninja huddle a bit. "Yes." Cole said, a little confident.

Down a hallway, Hutchins guides the Ninja. "While you are in our service, you have full access to the complimentary royal buffet." He said. "Anything you want is at your disposal. Exotic fruits, assorted vegetables..." He turns around to them. "...scones..." He turns back around. "...and all you can eat cake."

"Ah, thank you, but I gave up sweets." Cole replied as they all stop. "My body is a temple."

"And I'm trying to watch mine as well." Blake said.

"Ever since Master Wu went missing, Cole has been a real party popper." Jay explained.

"Party pooper?" Zane asked, confused about the phrase.

"I'll explain later." He whispered to him before they continue on.

As the Ninja and Hutchins move along the hallway as a couple of guards pass by, one of them bumping into Lloyd as they move along, causing him to stop. "What's with those two?" He asked as the others stop as well.

"They have been around since the Great Devourer's rampage." Hutchins replied. "I apologise for their rudeness." They resume walking along. "The palace is equipped with secret passages to get anywhere fast."

"Ah, is that why they call it, the 'Palace of Secrets.'" Kai said as he looks at a nearby bookshelf and the others stop as well

"Yes, but as to the locations of these secret passages, only the Royal Family knows."

"Sure. You mean like right..." He grabs a nearby book. "...here?" He waits for something to happen.

"Nope."

He throws the book aside to pull out a row of books. "Or here?"

"Not there."

He starts grabbing whatever book he could grab. "Or right here."

"No."

"How about here?" He throws another book away before grabbing another one.

"Kai, you're making a mess." Maggie said before a book hits her left foot. "Argh, argh!" Maggie bounces back as she tries to tend to her foot and Geoff follows her while Kai threw another book out.

"Here?"

"No." Hutchins said.

"Or here?"

"No."

"Or here?"

"No."

"Or this one?"

"Nope."

"Here?"

"Wrong."

"This has got to be it."

"Wrong again."

Kai then jumped up to another row to pull out another shelf full of books. "This is the big one." Hutchins was starting to get infuriated by Kai's bragging and the mess he was making just as Geoff and Maggie come back. "Here."

"No."

Cole nervously chuckled. "We'll clean up after ourselves." He said before Hutchins continued onward with the others following him, leaving Kai to trashing the bookshelf, looking for the elusive secret passageway.

"Anyone else think there's something a little off about this guy?" Gewuji asked.

"He's holding something back." Lloyd replied.

They soon came up to where there was a giant display of swords. "Interesting sword collection." Geoff said, stopping to look at one row as Hutchins did as well.

"Yes, one of the few personal items of the Emperor." He replied. "Claymores, Falchions, Rapiers, Gladius', Butterflys, Wachowskis, Dadaos, Kukris, Sabres, Machetes, Scimitars, Hook Swords, Seaxes, Katanas and Broadswords." He soon grabbed a sword with three points at the end and swung it a little. "Personally, I like the Wachowski." He swings it about a little more. "It reminds me of a weapon I saw in a movie once." (A/N: I could not find the official name for the three pointed sword, so I decided to name it after Lana and Lilly Wachowski, the writers and directors of the Matrix trilogy) He soon placed it back on the wall before continuing on just as Kai caught up to them, unable to find the passageway. "And finally, the reason for your protection... The Mask of Deception." He points to an orange mask in a display case, which Kai walked close to look at and made a sound of disgust.

"A face only a mother could love." He said.

"Why would anyone want that?" Geoff asked.

"That's up to us to figure out." Lloyd replied as they all came up to it before Jay grabbed Lloyd's arm. "Just being in the same room with it gives me the heebie-jeebies."

"If this is the Mask of Deception, what was stolen from Borg Industries?" Nya asked.

"The Mask of Vengeance." Hutchins replied.

"And who has the third one?" Gewuji asked.

"No one knows the location of the Mask of Hatred, but my sensors tell me it won't be lost for long." Zane replied.

"Zane is correct." Hutchins said. "Though no one had found the third mask, it has given the Royal Family little resolve-" As he spoke, Lloyd notices a nearby room with an open door, and heads over to it.

Through the design of the door, Lloyd sees that it is Harumi's bedroom, where she was looking at her mirror, removing the face paint before moving to the open door, amazed at her looks, as well as noticing a scar on her left cheek. As she removed her makeup, Harumi notices the snooping Lloyd and was surprised before moving her head away until Gewuji then came up behind Lloyd and placed a hand by his ear. "Don't get any ideas." She quietly said before dragging her boyfriend away by his ear, causing him to hiss in pain.

"-for we know dark forces are looking to acquire it..." Hutchins turns to see Lloyd and Gewuji coming back to the group before turning back to the others. "...and that's why we need eyes on it at all times."

"Don't worry, we're Ninja." Gewuji lets go of her boyfriend's ear, leaving him to rub it a little.

"Yeah, we're experts at this kind of thing." Kai said as Hutchins looks a little reluctant.