Announcer voice: Today, on Way of the Dragon: A fearsome stone army attacks Ninjago City! What will become of the citizens?
Jinlong voice: Chapter 21: The Invincible Army
"Happy Birthday, Sensei!"
The ensuing celebration was, to say the least, very unfamiliar to Jin. Birthdays were celebrated on Huan, but not with such extravagance as a party. But that was the way things had to be, she supposed, when you lived on an island with limited resources. Ninjago was way more fun, though.
They lined up in opposite rows facing each other, and played Breaking The City Gates, at the dragon-girl's request. They'd eaten the meal that Nya and Jin cooked, to Wu's delight. Zane had beaten all of them in chess- even Wu- at least 3 times by the time they all went to bed.
Well, almost everyone went to bed. Jinlong stayed up to clean, since it was her job, and Lloyd and Wu stayed, too.
"How old are you, Uncle?" The blond boy asked, resting his head on the table.
"Old."
"But how old?" He pestered, and Jin was, once more, reminded that Lloyd was only 8 years old.
"Very, very old."
Jin snickered at Lloyd's childish whine, and she thought she even saw Wu crack a smile under his beard.
After a while of silence, save for the washing of dishes, Jinlong spoke up. "Sensei, who all knows you're half dragon?"
Her back was turned to the old man, but she could hear the subtle surprise in his voice. "No one besides Garmadon and Misako, or so I had believed. It was foolish of me to assume you would not find out."
"You're a dragon?" Lloyd yawned, then stopped halfway through. "Wait, does that mean my dad is, too?"
Wu sighed. "Yes, but only half. We are also both half oni, just as our father was."
"Does that mean I'm part dragon and oni?"
"It does."
"Whoa…" The pseudo-teenager frowned a bit in thought. "Actually, that sorta makes sense, with the fangs and red eyes and stuff."
He frowned deeper. "Well, used-to-be-red eyes, I guess."
"Sensei, why don't you have fangs?" Jin asked.
"Do you assume I don't?"
"That's a good point, I rarely see your mouth under your moustache."
A moment of silence, and then Lloyd asked, "What's an oni?"
Jin blinked. Was Ninjago really that oblivious to the most evil creatures in the universe? But then that thought just sparked another: was Kigana technically the same universe as Ninjago? Was 'universe' even the right word, since there were 16 realms?
"They are the opposite of dragons," Wu answered, dragging Jinlong from her thoughts. "While dragons create, oni destroy. They are shape-shifters, masters of disguise and trickery. But they are not evil, as my father would say. They had an overwhelming urge to destroy, but it was only natural. It was not evil."
This, for some reason, sparked a deep rage in Jinlong.
"Not evil?" She repeated. "Oni are evil incarnate! They-they…"
What had they done? They'd done something, something to her personally. But when, and what?
"As a dragon, it is only natural that you would think that," The old man said. Jin scrunched up her face.
"Aren't you a dragon, too? Can't you see what- what they've done?"
"What have they done?"
Words failed her, and the dragon-girl stood, facing her seated Sensei, mouth hanging open stupidly. They had done something awful, and she knew it! But she couldn't remember what…
"I'm not sure. Something. A very bad something, too," She ended up saying. Not quite as articulate as she'd have liked.
"Hey, if I'm part dragon, does that mean I'll be able to turn into one, like Jin?" Lloyd cut in.
"Likely not," Wu replied. "Jin is a Changing Dragon, while you are part Elemental Dragon."
"Dang," He pouted. "No fair."
"Hey, how'd you know I'm a Changing Dragon?"
"My father created Changing Dragons," Sensei said. "They were his first creation. He told me that they were the only creatures, other than oni, who could change their form."
"Did you know I was a dragon before I told you?"
"Yes," He said. "It makes sense you have done the same."
oOo
Jinlong was awoken far too early the next morning, no later than 5. She hadn't gone to bed until well after midnight, so when Nya hauled her upright, yelling something, her brain honestly could not comprehend what was happening.
It was only once she was on deck, somehow dressed in her normal clothes and not her pajamas, that she could make sense of words.
"There's an earthquake! Misako said it has to do with the coming of the Final Battle," Cole said. "We have to make sure everyone is safe. There've been reports of a Stone Army that's entirely invincible, so be careful."
"Right!" The ninja cried, and were off. Nya called her suit to her, and, with a thrill of joy, Jin realized that she had been invited to go on the mission with them, even if indirectly. She shifted into a dragon and launched into the dawn sky, roaring to call the Ultra Dragon to help, too.
The two flew around the city, pulling people from rubble whenever they saw them, avoiding the strange Stone Warriors, until Samurai X came up next to them.
"The ninja are being overrun by Stone Warriors! We can't defeat them. We have to get everyone out of the city! Bring them to the top of the NGTV tower, it's the tallest one in the city!"
Jin barked in acknowledgment, and dove down to grab some civilians. She hoped they wouldn't be too scared, being snatched by two massive dragons and all. Oh well. Better afraid than dead.
The next half hour was, at that point in time, the most hectic of Jinlong's life. She and Flwirosh zipped all across the city, grabbing any and everyone, occasionally running into the ninja, Nya, Wu, and Misako, who were doing the same. Eventually, Zane called out, in an inhumanly loud voice that reached all across the city, that they had gotten everyone, and that they needed to be loaded onto the Bounty.
Which turned out to be an issue. There was no way that everyone was going to fit on the ship, no matter what they tried. Thankfully, Nya accounted for this, and along with her suit, had brought several tank-like trucks to use.
"Flwirosh and I can carry people," Jin offered, having momentarily shifted back into a human. Most of the little kids, and some of the older ones, opted to ride on the dragons.
And just like that, before 8 o'clock, Ninjago City was deserted, and Jinlong hadn't even gotten a chance to try fighting the reason why.
Announcer voice: Next time, on Way of the Dragon: The ninja and co. set sail for the Dark Island! But what will they find on the way there? Find out tomorrow!