Nicki's Story

56

The ninja watched in fascination as the four dragons blasted their elements into the middle circle. But instead of colliding and exploding, the elements seemed to melt into each other into a Golden Light. The harnesses on their backs glowed brightly and each of the golden parts seemed to be drawn into the central orb like metal to a large magnet. One by one the dragon's harnesses were stripped of their metallic piece and they were sucked into the central orb, which grew brighter. The ninja found themselves having to shield their eyes.

Then suddenly, it all stopped. They looked back and saw that in the middle of the circle was the Golden Harness, in its fullness. But there was no figure.

"Where's the Dragon Master?" Jay cried. Had they really gone through everything just for a fancy seat?

The Elder Dragon turned to them, amused.

Behind you.

The ninja turned to see a figure dressed in the golden armor of a Samuari.

Jay nearly leapt out of his skin. "WHOA…why'd you have to sneak up on us like that?"

The Samauri looked amused. "I've been here the whole time, Jay."

The ninja's chins dropped simultaneously.

"WU?!" Kai exclaimed, while Jay yelled "YOU were the Dragon Master the whole time?!"

"You have gotten older again." Zane noticed. He would place their master in his late teens now. "Did you know you were the Dragon Master?"

"No." Wu looked down at himself, as if taking in the armor. "But I suppose in hindsight, it does make sense."

"You mean to tell me that we travelled all over this stinking realm….looking for the Dragon Master….AND HE WAS WITH US THIS WHOLE TIME?!" Jay yelled. Wu chuckled, which did not help the blue ninja's mood.

The child has fulfilled his destined Role… The Elder Dragon said, looking smug. But he could not have done so without your own search for the harness.

"Did you know he was the Dragon Master, then?" Kai asked, irritated.

None of us could know anything for sure…but I had suspected.

"Oh great…and you didn't think it was worth sharing it with the rest of us, then?" Jay still was annoyed at everything they had to go through.

There is not time to discuss this further…the Dragon Master must fulfill his destiny. He must destroy the Oni.

"But how? He doesn't even have a dragon to ride," Kai pointed out. Suddenly, a roar split the air. They turned to look and Kai let out a laugh. "Oh…I should have known."

"The Ultra-Dragon!" Jay screamed, pointing. "I was wondering where that guy went off to!"

This Dragon is the destined mount for those possessing the Ancient Golden power of the Dragons.

"Like Lloyd…" Zane mused, making connections. Their friend's golden power had come from the Dragons, then.

The Ultra-Dragon landed, and the Elder Dragon turned to Wu.

It is time to fulfill your destiny…harness the dragon and go defeat our enemies.

"Our enemies…" Wu mused. Zane turned to him.

"The Iron Baron is still at large. He has somehow been able to harness the same power that we saw in Garmadon…"

"What?!" Jay yelled. "Now he's got powers too?!"

"…and from what I can tell, he will only be able to be defeated by you." Zane finished.

Wu nodded, lost in thought. Then he headed to the Ultra-Dragon and put on the Golden Harness. He mounted and turned to the other ninja.

"Are you with me, ninja?"

The ninja looked at each other, then back at their sensei-turned-samurai. It was Kai who answered.

"Do you really even have to ask?"

Elder

The Elder Dragon watched the five dragons fly back towards the fray. A feeling of relief and satisfaction had settled into him. It wouldn't be long now…soon the Oni would be eradicated from the realm and they would finally be free to rule their own land. He had waited many centuries for this moment, and had made many sacrifices.

Something caught the corner of his eye, and he noticed that the Guardian of Earth was turning to go in a different direction. Now, what was that about? The Elder spread its wings.

Nya

Nya landed next to Lloyd on the jungle floor.

"I've been trying to reach them on our communicators, but the signal is jammed. How are we supposed to destroy the masks when we have them out here?!"

"Not to mention that Pix and Skylor are trapped inside with no idea how to get to the armor…or get out," Lloyd mentioned.

"Yeah…that too."

Lloyd looked around the clearing, rubbing his head and trying to figure out what they should do next. It was safe to say that things had once again gone very far off-plan.

"Maybe there's another entrance…"

"Lloyd, what do you remember from your simulation? Was this even the entrance you used?"

"I…I can't even remember. Honestly, it was years ago and I wasn't exactly going through it with the intention of memorizing it for future reference. Though I feel like I might have recognized that door and I didn't, so I guess that means there has to be at least one other entrance, right?" he was trying to convince himself as much as Nya.

"But even knowing there is another entrance doesn't help us if we have no way to find it!" she replied angrily. "If only you had fallen in and Pix was out here…you could destroy the masks and she could lead us to the other entrances." She kicked a fallen Nindroid in frustration.

Lloyd came over to her. "Nya…it's gonna be ok. We aren't so helpless…and neither are Pix and Skylor. We'll figure it out." He looked down at the Nindroid she had kicked and a small idea formed.

"Maybe we can hack into one of these guys…they had to come from inside, right?"

Nya looked down, but she looked doubtful.

"I don't know…"

"C'mon, Nya! You're the best engineer I know; you can do this."

"Yeah…I'm good at building stuff…I'm not quite as good at the whole hacking, techie part of machinery…"

He gave her a smile. "I'll help. We can do this; besides, we don't have many other options."

She nodded, brow furrowing with determination. She crouched down and turned the Nindroid over. After a few minutes she and Lloyd were trying to hack into the Nindroid's mental processor, but it was slow going.

"OW!" Nya yelled, pulling back as something sparked painfully on her hands.

"You ok?" Lloyd asked, pausing his own work. She sighed and didn't look up.

"You know what's funny? It's at times like this I miss them the most."

He sat back, looking at her closely. She continued.

"I mean…Zane probably would have already had this hacked by now. Cole could have just pounded that entrance in…and when I think of all the things Jay would have to say in this situation…" her voice broke and Lloyd put a comforting hand on her arm.

"We will defeat Harumi, Nya. We will avenge our friends…"

She sniffed and finally made eye contact. "That's all I want." After a few more moments she shook herself from her sad mood; they didn't have time for this. She glowered at the Nindroid in front of them.

"But we can hardly do that when we are stuck out here! And we aren't making any progress with this!"

Lloyd looked at the Nindroid and had to agree with her.

"I guess maybe it's time we ask for help…" he finally said.

Keyda

Keyda watched the dragons fly back into the battle, breathless. She wanted the Iron Baron destroyed…but she still felt anxiety as she saw the Golden Figure at the head of the group. The Dragon Master would usher in the destruction of the Oni. At least, that is what she had heard in whispers over the years.

Cole moaned softly and she turned back to him. It was the first sound she had heard him make and she watched him closely to see if he was waking up. But other than that slight sound, he didn't appear to have changed. She grabbed his hand without thinking.

"Hang in there, Idiot…" she muttered.

She suddenly realized that she could hear the beat of dragon's wings…approaching dragon wings. She looked up and clenched her jaw as she recognized the Idiot's dragon coming towards them. What did it want?

It landed with a thud and eyed her like she was a piece of scum. She felt a flash of fear, followed by a flash of anger. If this dragon thought that it was going to take him away, then it had another thing coming. She was sitting between the Dragon and its Elemental Master, and she put her arms out protectively.

"Don't touch him."

Do you pretend to protect him? Was it not him who needed protecting from you?

She was shocked when she heard the voice, thinking it belonged to the Guardian. But then she noticed the Dragon Elder as he came closer. She narrowed her eyes and stood her ground. The Dragon leader landed with an air of importance, and it sneered at her.

Once the Dragon Master has dealt with your leader…you will be the final problem to take care of. Once you are gone, it won't be long before this realm is finally rid of all Oni… He took one threatening step forward and her hands lit up with power.

"Stop." She tried to sound unshaken, and the Dragon scoffed in response.

So defensive…you remind me of her. She too thought that you Oni were capable of more than mindless destruction. She too claimed to have experienced love. But you are both liars…and you will soon share her fate.

"What are you talking about?" she willed her arms not to tremble. There had been another Oni like her? What had happened to her? "YOU'RE the liar!"

The Dragon snarled and seemed about to lunge, but to the surprise of everyone the Brown Dragon stepped in the way. Keeping eye contact with its leader, the Guardian laid in front of Keyda and Cole. The Elder scoffed.

You guardians have grown soft with your attachment to these Masters. You forget your place. Yet, the Elder didn't seem eager to face off with the Earth Dragon, either.

Why protect the enemy? Have you not seen how she has poisoned the Earth Master? I know you can sense it too…he has been deeply tainted by their force. Just as Antirock had. The Guardian gave no sign of leaving, and the Elder Dragon shook its head in disgust.

It is not my destiny to destroy her, anyways. It is the Dragon Master's…oh yes. When they return, he will abolish you from this and any realm. He looked into Keyda's eyes as he said his threat, then opened his wings and left. Keyda found herself trembling.

She wanted to say that the Elder was lying…all Oni knew he was a liar. But she also knew that the majority of the outsiders hated her. What could Zane and possibly this brown dragon do to protect her from the power of the Dragon Master?

She saw that the Guardian was looking at her, and there was still a skeptical gleam in its eye. She lowered her arms.

"…Thank you," she finally said, grudgingly. The Dragon huffed and laid its neck down, forming a semi-circle around her and Cole. It looked worried as it studied the Elemental Master, and that made Keyda fear all the more.

57

It didn't take long for the Dragons to track down the Baron's ancient Oni power. He didn't seem that surprised to see them as they came flying in; he calmly took in the Golden Samurai and even smiled when he saw Zane.

"Back so soon?"

"You might want to shut up, Baron…because you are about to see what happens when you mess with the ninja!" Kai called down. Jay seemed to contemplate Kai's words.

"Nah…still think you can do better."

"Ah…is this all the ninja then? Yet you seem to be missing someone…" He turned to Zane with a sardonic tone. "And Keyda is gone as well. Did you at least leave them together so they could look out for each other?" He flipped back to dodge the ice blast. Wu and the ninja descended on the Baron, but they suddenly found themselves with more targets as enslaved dragons and their riders and foot Oni charged at them.

Kai dodged a net and turned to Zane in shock. "What's he talking about?" Zane didn't answer.

"How humble you must be." the Baron called out. "You didn't even regale your friends with tales of you saving a damsel in distress…" He sent out a blast to cancel out Jay's lightening.

"You saved Keyda?! Zane, he's lying, right?" the Blue ninja called out.

Kai took one look at the nindroid's face and pulled back hard on his dragon.

"ZANE…she BETRAYED US!"

"Is that what you think?" The Baron's voice floated through the chaos, sounding as smug as ever. "How wonderfully complicated these last few days must have been for you."

"SHUT UP!" Kai dove low, trying to locate the Baron. "Everything you say is just to get in our heads!"

"Of course…but that can be accomplished just as easily through truth as it can through lies. Why do you think your words hit your friend so hard in the arena?"

Kai yelled and blasted through the Oni ranks. Suddenly, a flash of purple headed towards him. He tried to dodge but he would have been hit if it weren't for a flash of gold that countered the Baron's attack.

"Kai!" Wu's voice was stern. "Your anger is making you vulnerable!" Kai looked away with a grimace. The ninja continued to weed out the Oni, but the only sign of the Baron were the flashes of purple that came their way.

"Iron Baron! That is enough…show yourself and let us end this!" Wu's voice called out over the crowd.

"Why would I do that?"

Oni shot nets at Jay and he yelled as his dragon did a few barrel rolls to avoid it. He sat up with a groan.

"Ugh…I think I'm gonna be sick…"

"I knew this would be your destiny; can you blame me for trying to stop it?" The Baron was addressing Wu once more, but the Dragon Master still could not locate him.

"If you wanted to avoid your fate, you should have tried to be a better leader," Zane pointed out, scanning the crowd for the Baron. The amount of dark Oni magic was making it hard to pinpoint him.

"I know you all view me as a villain…and I suppose my methods are a little…malicious,"

Jay dodged a purple flash and Kai fired at where it had come from, but there was no Baron there.

"But can you really say that I'm a poor leader? You should have seen this nation before I took charge. We had lost our connection to our ancient powers and the Dragons were decimating us. What would you have done in my place…let your nation die?"

"Well maybe if you weren't all so evil…" Jay said, blasting lightening at another crowd of Oni. There were fewer Oni now, and they could finally make out the Baron in the crowd, though he didn't stop moving long enough for them to land a shot.

"Is destruction truly evil? Our magic is dark…but what is light without darkness?"

"Stop trying to confuse us with all this philosophical junk!" Kai shouted, trying to keep his attention so Zane could take a shot. The Baron sent out two blasts; one that knocked out the ice beam and another that nearly hit Kai.

"Tell me, ninja…do we Oni truly deserve life less because of the way we were created?" the Baron asked, obviously not taking Kai's advice.

"It is not how you are created, but rather what choices you make that lead to dire consequences," Zane pointed out, freezing a few more net-firers before they could ensnare the Ultra-Dragon. "And the choices you make hurt others in your insatiable thirst for power."

Wu had been quiet during this time, listening and watching while sending golden blasts to protect the ninja from the flashes of Hatred aimed at them.

"And what consequences will the Dragons suffer?" the Baron spat at them. "Perhaps I have captured many of them…but they have slaughtered many more of us.

"And yet your people are more afraid of you than of dragons!" Jay yelled. "You manipulate people with fear…"

"Fear is a powerful tool," the Baron was basically in the open now, and his eyes flicking between the ninja as they assembled for their next attack. "But I have always followed the belief that the end justifies the means…"

The attacks came all at once and he found himself unable to block and dodge them all. Jay's lightening hit home and he was blown backwards. The remaining Oni, seeing their leader fall back and seeing the Dragon Master approach, began to flee.

The ninja powered up for another attack, but Wu flew in front of them.

"Hold, Ninja…" he commanded, and then landed the Ultra Dragon in front of the Baron. The Oni leader smiled patronizingly, but his eyes burned with loathing.

"Come to finish me off, great Dragon Master? Now that your friends have done your dirty work for you…"

"Yield, Iron Baron. Surrender or we will be forced to destroy you."

The Baron laughed, standing. The ninja had all landed next to Wu.

"You have me outnumbered, I will give you that. I will not yield…but you will not destroy me."

"Wanna bet on that?" Jay challenged. The Baron gave them his familiar smirk.

"I am the only one who can save your friend Cole…would you doom him by ending me?"

The group hesitated while that news sank in.

"You're bluffing." Kai finally snapped. "Sure, Cole might have been in bad shape, but…"

"You don't need to take my word for it…ask your metal friend. Cole's condition was far worse than mere physical wounds,"

Instinctively everyone turned to Zane. He frowned as he tried to recall Cole's state. He had assumed he had passed out during a fight with the Baron…but he had not thought to scan him fully.

"If you do not know…inquire of your dragon. I'm sure he could sense it." The Baron's fists were glowing purple now, and the ninja fired up as well. Zane looked down at his dragon and felt it stiffen beneath him. His frown deepened.

You must destroy the Baron. You must not let anything get in the way of that… Zane's heart fell as he processed the meaning behind the Dragon's words.

The ninja saw the look on Zane's face and turned back to the Baron.

"Ok...let's say we believe you, even though we don't because you're a liar… what did you do to Cole and how do we undo it?" Jay said uneasily. The Baron merely laughed.

"Your friend here," he gestured to Zane, "interrupted a very particular process. You see…Cole was about to be my newest recruit…"

"He never would have agreed to that!" Kai spat. The Baron shook his head, as if amazed by their stupidity.

"No…perhaps not of his own will, but I have ways of convincing people to see my way. Surely no one knows about that as much as you do…"

The ninja felt sick. Zane suddenly recalled the purple cloud that had been around Cole when he had landed to save them.

"But the process was never completed…"

"So what did that do to Cole?" Jay yelled. He hated how no matter how close they got to beating this guy, something always came up. Why couldn't anything ever work out smoothly?!

"His soul is in a limbo-like state." the Baron seemed pleased at the anxiety he was picking up from the ninja's expressions. "If something does not pull him back in one direction or another than his body will slowly waste away and his soul will be lost to limbo forever. He won't even make it to the departed realm."

"So it sounds like we are going to have to make you fix that before we finally get rid of you." Kai growled. The Baron eyed him coldly before turning to the Dragon Master. Wu had been studying the Baron carefully during the conversation.

"I will not do anything until I have the Promise of the Dragon Master that he will join the side of the Oni."

"What?! He can't do that…he's the DRAGON Master!" Jay yelled.

"The prophecy was clear that whichever side the Dragon Master fought on would prevail. But it never specified that the side had to be the dragon's." His eyes flashed.

Wu contemplated the Oni Leader. "And what is it, exactly, that you are promising to do?"

"Just as I said…pull your dear friend from limbo and the brink of being lost forever."

"You could merely corrupt him and still say that you kept your promise…"

The Baron's eyes flashed again and Wu knew he had been right about the Baron's intentions. He shook his head slowly.

"I have already been forced to watch that change in my own brother. I will not allow it in my student. I will make you no promise."

The Baron's expression darkened. "Then you will lose all your students…" with a sudden force Oni power exploded from his hands, heading straight for the ninja. Wu was barely able to counter with his own force as the ninja's dragons balked. Wu struggled to push back against the overwhelming tide of Hatred.

"Face it Dragon Master… you are nothing more than a child assuming an unfamiliar role. You will not be able to defeat me. You will fail…and you will lose everything. You should have chosen to side with me while you had the chance…"

"I am not as young as you might think." Wu pushed back with more determination. "And I am afraid to say that it is you who have doomed yourself…"

The ninja watched in both horror and fascination.

"Should we do something?!" Jay yelled over, but Kai and Zane were just as unsure as he was. Zane noticed a few brave stragglers on the Oni side who were aiming nets at Wu, and blasted them with ice.

"We must protect Wu!" he shouted, and the three ninja took off into the air once more to protect their master.

The Iron Baron yelled in frustration and loathing; it was the first time Wu had seen him anything but calm and apathetic.

"There is NOTHING more powerful than PURE HATRED!"

Wu looked at the Oni in front of him, and found that he truly pitied him.

"There are a few things." The golden light shot forward, seeming to evaporate the ancient Oni Magic as it went. The Baron met Wu's eyes as, for the first time in the Oni's life, he felt deep down what Pure Hatred felt like. And then the Golden power enveloped him.

The effect was blinding and the ninja looked away. After a few moments, the light faded and they risked taking a peek. The Baron was gone, the only thing left in his place were two black gloves.

"Is he…" Jay asked cautiously. Wu looked up at him, his expression exhausted.

"The Iron Baron has been destroyed." he confirmed. "But we must not let those gloves fall into the wrong hands."

"What…are they not one-size-fits-all?" Jay joked, and his friends rolled their eyes. Some things never changed.

As Jay went to gather the gloves under Wu's direction, Kai turned to Zane.

"The Baron was bluffing…right? I mean…Cole's not really…"

"I do not know." Zane looked down at his dragon, who remained silent.

"And he was lying about you helping Keyda…right?" here Kai's voice took on an edge. Zane turned and looked him in the eye.

"I know you do not trust her, Kai…"

"Of course I don't! She betrayed us!"

"I do not believe that she did." Zane corrected, as Kai looked at him in disbelief. "But even if she had…it doesn't mean that she couldn't have had a change of heart. Like another woman we know…" he raised his eyebrow and Kai flushed.

"Oh, she is nothing like Skylor…Skylor doesn't wield dark evil Oni Magic!"

"I meant what I said to the Baron, Kai. We don't judge people for what they are…but what they do."

"Ok…you obviously missed a few hours ago when she almost KILLED ME!" Kai yelled back.

Zane shook his head, knowing that nothing he said would be able to convince Kai of what he had already come to terms with.

"I know I can't make you see things my way, Kai…but I trust her, and I would just ask that you…"

"Zane!" it was Wu who interrupted him. "You must take us to Cole immediately. I must see for myself how much truth there was to the Baron's threat."

58

The sound of the explosion woke Keyda, and she mentally kicked herself for falling asleep. She was exhausted though…she couldn't remember the last time she had gotten a good rest. There was a fading golden light in the battlefield. She felt like her heart was in her mouth. That was the end of the Baron…she didn't know how she knew, but she had no doubts that the Dragon Master had succeeded in destroying him. Her whole figure sagged with relief, realizing that the Oni who had tormented her for nearly her entire life was gone. The relief was short lived however; she knew that now the Dragon Master would fulfill the rest of his destiny.

She suddenly remembered Cole and looked over at him, not sure if she should even dare to hope that there would be a change in him. There wasn't. She continued to watch him, hoping that there would be…that he would wake up now because the Baron was vanquished. But the longer she watched, the more her hope faded until she was just left with fear and despair.

"Wake up…" she pleaded, shaking his shoulders gently. She felt the dragon move behind her and she looked up to see it staring into the distance. She tried to see what it was looking at, but for all she could tell there was nothing. After a few minutes, however, she saw the forms of 4 dragons taking to the sky and began to shake.

The Elder had been right…the Dragon Master would come here now to destroy her. She thought about running away…climbing down the rock formation and hiding in some crevice or losing herself in the continuing battle. But she knew that he would find her, just as he found the Baron. Besides, she couldn't leave the Idiot.

The four dragons had nearly reached the rock formation, led by Zane.

"You just left him here, passed out?" Kai yelled.

"It's not like he's alone…look, his dragon is with him!" Jay pointed out.

"…And Keyda…" Kai muttered darkly as they came closer. The Dragons landed and they all dismounted. Wu looked at the Ultra Dragon.

"You must go back to the battle and try to convince the Dragon's to stop this war. There is no need to have unnecessary violence; I am sure the Oni will surrender soon." As the Ultra Dragon took off, Wu turned and walked briskly towards Cole.

Keyda trembled harder as she watched the Golden Dragon Master come closer. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the end. At least the Baron was gone now…at least…"

"I need you to move over." Her eyes popped open at the gentle voice and she looked up at the Golden Samauri. Despite being the living embodiment of Oni nightmare, he looked kind… and familiar. All at once she recognized him.

"You're…the kid…" relief made her limbs weak as he nodded and smiled.

"Yes, Keyda, but I need you to move over. I have to examine him." She shook herself back to the present and moved aside so that Wu could sit next to her. The other outsiders had come closer as well, though the blue one eyed her skeptically and the red one was glaring daggers.

Wu closed his eyes, giving off a golden light as he meditated. Finally he opened his eyes, examining Cole with a worried frown.

"Sensei?" Zane pressed. Wu looked up at the ninja, expression grim.

"It seems that the Baron was telling the truth. He is fading."

"But…but you can fix him, right?" Jay asked. Surely Wu could do anything…a second ago he was literally radiating light. Wu looked down.

"Perhaps…but I am not sure."

"What's wrong with him?" Keyda's question came out in a whisper. She was afraid to hear the answer…but she had to know.

"I'm sure you really care!" Kai yelled, moving to storm over to her. Zane grabbed his shoulder and Wu gave him a chastising look before turning to answer Keyda's question.

"It seems that the Baron was working to corrupt him…but as the process was never complete, his soul is lost in limbo."

She seemed to shrink into herself. "So he'll never wake up?"

Wu put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We will do our best…"

You have done it!

Everyone looked up to see the Elder Dragon approaching.

"Ah, not this guy again." Jay muttered. He wasn't sure he really liked this cryptic dragon all that much. The ninja watched warily as he landed.

The Baron has been destroyed. Now there is just one obstacle in the way of destroying the Oni once and for all…

Wu's face was hard as he studied the Elder Dragon.

"We are dealing with things of more importance than your own misguided agenda." The Elder stepped back as if Wu had struck him. He snarled.

Fool…this is not my agenda…it is prophecy. You MUST destroy the source of Oni Magic!

Keyda's mouth went dry as she witnessed the Elder's rage, but she took comfort in the fact that the Dragon Master didn't appear to take orders from him. The Elder looked anything but comforted as he realized the same thing. He seemed to be glowing that eerie ancient-parchment color and the elemental Guardians seemed to all tense up.

"Woah now, no need to make a big scene…" Jay said, putting up both hands. "It's just that we need to save our friend…"

You think you can save him now?! It is too late; his fate is sealed and it is because of that Oni witch! Would you choose to let her live and have others suffer the same fate?! We must rid the realm of their scourge!

"He's going to be fine because Wu's gonna fix him!" Jay shouted back. He was tired of this guy trying to push them around!

Zane looked out over the battlefield at the battling nations. "The Baron is defeated…and the Oni do seem to be afraid of the Dragon Master. If they were given the choice, I'm sure that they would surrender…"

Those monsters do not deserve mercy…the prophecy will not be completed until every Oni is destroyed, starting with her! The Elder lunged towards Keyda and nearly trampled the ninja in the process. Wu blasted the Elder back with golden force, but the Elder dragon just roared in response.

You would attack a Dragon Lord with our own ancient force?! His tail whipped around and Wu's power was unable to stop it. The Golden Samauri went flying and the ninja gasped.

"Hey! You can't do that!" Jay went to run at the Elder Dragon but his own dragon blocked his charge with its tail.

The Elder is right…the Oni must be destroyed.

Jay looked over and saw that Zane and Kai were being similarly blocked by the Guardians.

Wu went to sit up, but the Elder's tail came down and pinned him to the rock. Now the only thing that stood in the way of the Elder and his prey was the Earth Guardian.

This realm will not be safe until all traces of the Oni magic are gone! The Elder spat, Now get out of my way!

Keyda tried not to panic as she assessed her options. Things weren't looking good…it seemed that no one would be able to protect her from her fate after all.

"There is no need to do this!" Zane called, struggling against his own dragon. "The true enemy has been defeated!"

You have no idea what you speak of, outsider! Now be silent or I shall destroy you as well for being an Oni sympathizer.

The ninja looked at each other in disbelief; this dragon was crazy!

The Elder dragon began firing up a charge but the Earth Dragon stood its ground.

This is your last chance! Move!

The Earth Dragon narrowed its eyes. It was unable to fire on its leader, but it was also sworn to protect its master. The blast from the Elder Dragon threw it backwards, and it tumbled across the ground. As it went to stand back up another blast sent it careening off the formation.

"NO!" Keyda watched as Cole's dragon disappeared off of the ledge. She stood, facing the Elder as Hatred swirled around her.

"How could you?! He was one of your own!" she screamed. The Elder sneered at her.

He betrayed his own by siding with you, witch. I have waited a long time for this day and will not have my victory thwarted by a manipulating Oni. If the Dragon Master will not destroy you, I will destroy you myself…just as I destroyed Echo.

"You said that the Oni destroyed Echo…" Wu had continued to struggle against the grip of the Elder's tail, but it seemed like his golden powers were doing no good. The pressure increased as the Elder turned to glare at him.

They never would have given her the punishment that she deserved. She had infected Antirock with her destruction and her poisonous lies…my own brother. Just as this Oni has infected your student. He turned back to Keyda just as she launched Oni Power at him. He blasted more ancient power of his own to stop her attack. It looked like Wu's Golden power…but older, almost like it was tarnished.

"Are you also the one who encouraged the purge?" Wu challenged. The Dragon laughed in its throat.

The Oni think that they came up with that idea on their own…but I wasn't going to have any Dragon suffer what my brother had. I would strip them of their power by taking away those Oni who claimed to be like that sentimental witch…

Jay turned to his friends. "Um…I'm not the only one who is totally lost right now, right?"

Zane struggled with his dragon. "This is not right…you know this is not right!"

The Ice Dragon did not release its grip. You are not the only one who must make hard choices sometimes…

Kai didn't say anything; he seemed to be deep in thought as he took in the Elder Dragon, Wu, and Keyda.

The Earth Dragon had managed to fly back up over the ledge, but instead of becoming more embroiled in the Dragon-Oni attack, it positioned itself over Cole to protect the unconscious Elemental Master.

Keyda shot more Hatred and dove sideways to avoid the counterattack.

"We Oni know that you have been the biggest instigator for this war!" she yelled. "You are no better than the Baron!" A shot hit her hard and she went flying backwards. She bounced once on the rock and gasped in pain.

This realm has always been meant for the Dragons. We cannot continue to create if you merely get in the way and destroy. Your kind is a mistake…one that I have been working to correct for centuries. The Elder Dragon was walking towards her now, dragging Wu along behind him. The Golden armor scraped against the rock as Wu continued to fight. The Dragon blasted at Keyda again and she wasn't able to get out of the way. She skidded to a stop a yard or so from the edge of the rock formation. The ninja yelled at the Dragon to stop, but the Elder was close to his reward. Wu thrashed under the spiny tail, but with his arms pinned down he couldn't reach any weapons.

Out of the commotion, there was one phrase that caused the Elder to pause.

"That isn't for you to do!" Kai yelled, and the ancient dragon turned to face the red ninja. Kai glowered at Keyda. "Allow me."

"Kai, what are you doing?!" Jay said as Zane cried "Don't do this!" The Elder Dragon smiled a little, sensing the outsider's own hatred for the Oni.

By all means. The red guardian hesitated, but as the Elder Dragon stared at him he released Kai.

Keyda glared at Kai as he approached. She should have known that this is how it would all end. She thought about begging for mercy but couldn't bring herself to; if she was going to die she would at least have her dignity. His hands were flaming…part of her wanted to close her eyes and wait for it to be over, but she continued to stare at him.

Kai reached Keyda and stood over her. He sighed inwardly. He must be crazy.

He turned abruptly and fired a large flame blast at the Elder, who instinctively whipped through it with his tail. Wu took advantage of the moment and leapt up from the rock, dodging the Elder's attempts to ensnare him once again. The Elder sent a blast towards Kai and roared in anger.

Kai grabbed a very bewildered Keyda by the arm and yanked her along as he ran out of the way, avoiding the Elder's attack.

FOOLISH BOY! This girl attacked you and your friends…and you would save her?

"Yeah…seems pretty stupid," Kai responded. "But if I've learned anything from this entire journey it's that some victories don't need to be achieved by fighting and violence." He turned to his Guardian when he said it, and the dragon looked away.

Then you have chosen death as well. The Elder powered up for another attack, but Kai suddenly found himself joined by one Golden Samurai and one red dragon. The Elder narrowed its eyes.

"Speaking of, do you wanna know my favorite cryptic riddle?" Jay yelled from the side. The Elder turned, looking like he was ready to incinerate the talkative ninja. Jay continued despite the death glare he was receiving. "What is the best way to defeat your enemy?"

The Elder roared and Jay's dragon released him as they both dodged out of the way of the coming blast. Jay pushed himself up to his feet and walked over to join the others. "You make them your friend," he said, looking at Keyda. He was joined by his Guardain as well.

Zane looked at his dragon, who seemed to know where this was all going. It dropped its tail and Zane headed to join his friends.

"Even doing what we feel is right can have unexpected consequences." Zane said, addressing the fuming Elder. "You may feel that the Oni are a mistake, but to do away with destruction is to disrupt the balance of nature. The penalties for doing so would be severe."

The Elder glared at the Samurai, three ninja, and three Dragons in his way. He knew that there was too much to blast through.

I will not have this Oni force in my realm…

"YOUR realm?!" Jay asked, baffled. Zane put a hand on his arm to silence him.

"Perhaps there is a different solution to your problem." he tried. The Elder merely narrowed its eyes. Zane continued. "Now that we have defeated the Baron, we must take the Dragon Master back with us to our own realm to save our friends there. We could take Keyda with us…thus taking her out of your realm. That way your problem will be solved the second we go home."

"Yeah, there's already one crazy, purple-throwing villain tormenting Ninjago," Kai said off-handedly. "What's one more to the party?"

The Elder dragon began to laugh, and the switch in mood caused the ninja to look at each other uncertainly.

You thought you would get to go home at the end of all of this?

His words caused their blood to run cold.

"Of course we're going home! That's the only reason we went through all the trouble to find the dragon master!" Kai yelled.

Zane eyes widened as he made the connection.

"The price…" he stammered.

That's right…and each of you already agreed to pay it.

59

Ronin flipped through his magazine as he lounged in REX. Now, this was what the doctor ordered; blissful alone time. No Dareth, no Lou, no immediate danger. He couldn't help but feel like he should have ran off long ago…

"Ronin…you there?" Lloyd's voice came in over REX's speakers.

Ronin sighed dramatically. Seemed like his bliss was going to be fleeting.

"Yeah, kid. What's up now? The cat fights finally getting to ya?" he smirked and turned another page.

"Uh…not exactly. It's just we were wondering if there was any way you could help us find the entrance to the stronghold…"

"Thought that's what the robotic chick was doing," he said nonchalantly. He turned another page. Wait, was that an ad for discounted scrap?

"That's the problem; we found one and half of us are inside, but Nya and I are stuck outside and the entrance sealed itself off. We are pretty sure that there are other entrances but we have no idea where to look."

"I'm beginning to think that all you guys are good at is getting yourselves into pickles," the thief grumbled, grudgingly putting down the magazine. He sat up and started typing.

"You still got that device I gave you?"

"Yeah…I still have it."

"Good. Ok, I'll have REX do a Sonar scan and see if it comes up with anything…"

"This is Borg's stronghold!" Nya's shrill voice cut in through the communicator. "I find it hard to believe that it would be able to be found with something as simple as sonar…"

"Oh, there you are, Nya. Have you been playing nice with the other kids?" Ronin asked, trying not to chuckle as he imagined her face as irate noises came through over the speaker. "Now, you forget who you're talking to. Maybe Borg is protected against normal sonar scanning…but I equip REX with only the best."

"And the illegal." Nya snapped. Ronin whistled low.

"Yeah…maybe, but hey, if it works it works. Don't bite the hand that feeds you, princess."

"Do NOT Call me…"

"And done!" the thief interrupted. "Doesn't look like a whole lot to go off of honestly, but there does seem to be a few anomalies. I'll send you the scan…"

"Got it." Lloyd's voice came in after a few moments. "Thanks, Ronin."

"Yeah, yeah." Ronin resumed his lounging position and picked up his magazine. "I just hope that when everything is said and done…I get some kind of recognition for all of my hard work keeping you lot alive. Monetary recognition would be best…"

Lloyd didn't answer; the green ninja had already hung up. Ronin shook his head in disbelief.

"Kids these days…"

Ninja

Everyone had to wait a few minutes for Jay to get the screaming out of his system before any of them could get a word in edgewise. Though to be fair, none of the other ninja were in much better mood. They yelled at the Elder as Jay continued his tirade.

"You can't keep us here! We are going home!" Kai yelled as the Elder smirked at their reactions.

"Why on earth would you want to keep us here? Why pin the fate of the dragon nation on us staying here forever?" Zane questioned angrily. He had been stewing over what the price would be since Jay had mentioned it almost a week ago…but this?! It didn't even make logical sense.

"THIS IS EXACTLY WHY I HAVE TRUST ISSUES!" Jay added. "THIS IS EXACTLY WHY I DIDN'T WANT TO SAY YES TO THAT CRYPTIC DRAGON IN THAT CRYPTIC CAVE WITH THAT CRYPTIC MESSAGE!"

But you all did agree…and now all of you are tied to that agreement.

"Oh yeah?" Kai fired back. "What if we just break our promise?! You can have the dumb saddle back; we already know Wu is the Dragon Master. He doesn't need a fancy seat in order to defeat Garmadon…"

You are all fools. Your promise is binding and cannot be undone... the ties of the prophecy will keep you here.

"HOW?!" Jay yelled. "How can a DUMB PROPHECY keep us from going home?! It's just WORDS!"

The prophecy was created with ancient binding magic, sealed with Antirock's death.

"Would someone please explain this prophecy to me?! Because I have no idea what anyone is talking about!" Kai said, unsatisfied by the Elder's answer.

Wu remembered back to when he talked with the Elder in Dragon Haven.

"Antirock promised that the child and the stolen elements would be returned to the Dragons…"

Yes. Returned to us…forever. I was very upset when I discovered his connection with the Oni…but I was even more irate to learn that they had helped the child escape. With him we could have eradicated the Oni long ago, but Antirock betrayed me a second time by helping him escape. And then he pretended to send those dragons to get him back but he was only trying to aid the child further.

So…I did what I had to do to ensure our Nation would succeed in the end.

"You forced Antirock to make that prophecy...you forced him to seal it with his life…" Wu said softly. The ninja looked at each other, not sure if anyone was actually going to explain who the heck Antirock was but also feeling like they shouldn't interrupt Wu's conversation.

It was not easy to convince him…the witch's poison had tainted him deeply and she had filled his head with all kinds of nonsense. But I was able to use her against him.

"You really are as manipulative as the Baron!" Zane accused. He wasn't totally following what was being said, but he could fill in the blanks. The Dragon turned to Zane and scowled.

It was a necessary sacrifice. I was able to ensure we would once again have the child which had been smuggled from my grasp…as well as the elemental powers that the child had stolen from us. Combined, these would reveal the Dragon Master, who would usher in the reign of whichever side he was compelled to join.

"But…we're people!" Kai argued. "WE aren't the elemental powers…are you going to take them from us?!"

No, idiot boy. Haven't you figured it out? Each of you is the embodiment of the element you possess. As a final part of the prophecy, it was said that the elements would reveal the pieces of the dragon harness. You agreed to pay the price, which was accepting your role as a member of the prophecy. By doing so you revealed the harness and tied yourself to all the consequences connected to it.

"Consequences…" Zane murmured.

He remembered his conversation with his dragon in the ice cave; We are bound by an ancient promise. It had been the Elder the whole time; twisting the rules of prophecy and sacrificing his own brother in order to ensure that all that he viewed as lost would be returned…forever. Indeed…even the right decisions made with correct assumptions will have unexpected consequences. Had that been a warning of what was to come? To prepare Zane for the fact that all they were doing to be able to return to their realm was exactly what would block them from ever being able to do so?

"Well…then Wu won't fight on your side!" Kai tried. "What if he joins the Oni?! Whichever side he joins will win, that was the deal, right?"

DO NOT THREATEN ME! I have made too many sacrifices to get to this point and I will not be mocked. Moreover, the point in the prophecy about you staying here forever is not reliant on which side wins the war. And you would never be able to destroy the Dragon Nation without also destroying your Elemental Guardians…which in turn would cause you to lose a part of yourselves. No…it will be the Oni who lose this war.

"This isn't fair!" Jay wasn't done complaining. "We should have been told what the price was!"

If you had known you would have never gone through with it.

"EXACTLY!"

Zane turned to Wu. "Master…what do we do now?" But Wu had been as blindsided as all of them, and wasn't sure how they were going to get out of this.

You will obey me and destroy the rest of the Oni… and you will allow me to destroy the one who continues to cower behind you.

Keyda had listened to the entire dialogue in a daze. She was shocked to hear that the outsiders were stuck in her realm, though it didn't surprise her that the Elder had plotted all of it. She didn't know who Antirock or Echo were and yet their names somehow sounded familiar. She must have heard them in the same whisperings that she had learned of the Golden Samurai. She was so involved in listening she had almost forgotten that the deranged ancient reptile wanted her dead. His last sentence brought her right back to the situation at hand, however.

"We will not allow you to destroy her…" Zane glared at the Dragon. "If anyone deserves punishment, it is you…"

The Elder Dragon fired on the nindroid, but the ninjas' combined attacks countered the blast.

"You cannot defeat us all…your power has grown weak and tainted from your treachery." Wu pointed out. "You have lost your connection to the true power of the dragons; the true creative power."

"I'm gonna guess that power is Love….considering that it's the opposite of Hate…" Jay mused. "But I'm also going to point out that saying it out loud feels incredibly cheesy."

"You felt love once, Elder…but now you are tainted revenge and greed; the very things you look down on in the Oni." Wu challenged while the Elder Dragon roared in rage. "You wield powerful ancient magic, but it is not pure. There is no way you can force us to do your bidding and you know it."

I HAVE AN ARMY! If I must destroy every Oni myself while you are forced to watch, I WILL rid this realm of every trace of them and their power!

The ninja took fighting positions as he raged, but at the last moment he looked away from them towards the brown dragon still positioned on the other side of the formation.

And if I cannot start with the Oni witch…I will start with your student and the lingering evil within him! The Elder took off towards the Guardian of Earth, who immediately stood and prepared for the impact.

"NO!" the ninja yelled and started chasing, but they were no match for the dragon. Not even Keyda could catch up as she streaked across the rock, firing at the Elder.

"STOP!" she screamed, willing him to turn around and fight her. But the Elder knew he had found the perfect victim to punish them all and was adamant on vanquishing it.

It had only been moments, though it felt like hours as they watched the Elder draw closer to the Guardian, which was still bracing itself for impact. Suddenly something rocketed from the sky and tumbled with the Elder across the dirt.

"The Ultra-Dragon!" Jay cried, and Wu closed his eyes in relief.

The Elder Dragon clawed at the four-headed beast, but the Ultra-Dragon did not have to conform to the same Leader-protecting laws that the Guardians were bound by. The Rocky head was especially vicious as they wrestled in the dirt.

The Elder Dragon took to the skies with the Ultra-Dragon following suit, continuing their battle.

Keyda paused for only a moment to watch before she was once again running towards the brown dragon. The ninja arrived shortly after her and the Earth Guardian moved aside so they could see their friend. He was unharmed from the Elder's charge, but his face had taken on a gaunter look.

"I think he's getting worse…" Keyda murmured.

"This is just GREAT!" Jay yelled again. "Not only are we trapped here, FOREVER, but Cole is slowly fading away into a FATE WORSE THAN DEATH!" He breathed heavily as he looked at his friends. "Did I miss anything?!"

"Yeah…the old reptile above us trying to kill everyone!" Kai added hotly.

"We cannot lose ourselves to panic, Ninja." Wu chided. It felt like that was all he had been telling his students lately.

"Do you have a plan, sensei?" Zane asked, and Wu looked up to see everyone looking at him with hope.

"There may be a way…" he trailed off, and then looked at Keyda. She was still examining Cole for more signs of worsening, but turned as Wu touched her shoulder. "But I will need your help."

"Wait…her help?" Kai sounded skeptical. "With saving Cole or getting us home?"

Wu stood up and faced his students. "Both."

Keyda was shaking her head as she looked back at their unconscious friend.

"I…I can't do anything to save him…" she looked down at one hand as it lit up with violet aura. "If I even were to try…it could corrupt him." She looked up, dread reflecting in her eyes as her voice became haunted. "If he were to wake up like that…"

"I know it is frightening…but you must believe in your abilities. I'm afraid that on my own I will not be able to reverse the affects…and none of the ninja's elemental powers can be of any use here. You must be willing to risk it if we are to save him."

Keyda clenched her jaw and didn't say anything. For a minute or so the only sound that could be heard was the battling dragons in the sky above. When she looked up again, the dread in her expression had been replaced by an anxious yet determined look.

"What's the plan?"

60

"Now you need to move 18.38 degrees to the left…" P.I.X.A.L instructed. Skylor's eyebrows knit in concentration.

"Um…how exact do I need to be on that?" she asked, voice strained. She was on one hand, legs balanced above her as she carefully maneuvered around unseen laser trip wires. P.I.X.A.L was a few feet away, at a slight advantage given that she could actually scan for the lasers they were avoiding.

"As exact as possible…" the droid replied, and Skylor bit her lip as she slowly moved her legs towards the left.

"STOP!" P.I.X.A.L said suddenly. Skylor froze, sweat running down one side of her face.

"You were about to surpass 18.38 degrees…" the droid explained. Skylor closed her eyes, making sure to speak evenly.

"Ok…now what?"

P.I.X.A.L scanned the lasers again, calculating.

"Now bend slowly down until your feet touch the ground again, making sure not to sway left or right in the process. The lasers do not give you a very forgiving window…"

After a few more agonizing minutes, Skylor finally touched the ground and with P.I.X.A.L's help she was able to get her top half through the laser gate

"Well…that felt unnecessarily complicated." the redhead commented, wiping sweat from her face as she and P.I.X.A.L moved down the tunnel. "Wonder what the next trap will be? Snakes? Blow darts from the walls? Is it just me or does it feel like we're in some action movie?"

"I doubt Borg would have used snakes." P.I.X.A.L replied putting out a hand to signal Skylor to pause as she scanned the next stretch. "Snake traps are a bit cliché."

"Yeah…especially given the ninja's track record," Skylor joked. P.I.X.A.L didn't laugh and Skylor cleared her throat in the awkward silence. She looked around, groping for something they could talk about. She glanced at the symbol on P.I.X.A.L's suit.

"So…Samurai X, huh? Last I heard Nya's suit was taken by someone. Was it you the whole time?"

P.I.X.A.L turned down a sudden hallway. "Yes."

Skylor hurried to keep up with the android's pace. "What brought that about?"

P.I.X.A.L stopped suddenly and Skylor nearly ran into her.

"Something is not right…" P.I.X.A.L said, furiously analyzing the data that was coming in. Skylor froze, not wanting to trip whatever trap her friend had picked up on. She slowly pulled out her crossbow. Just in case.

"Back up…slowly," P.I.X.A.L ordered. According the Borg Security algorithms she was running, there was definitely some kind of trap in this hall. But despite all her scanning she couldn't figure out what it was…

The floor beneath Skylor suddenly gave out and she cried out as she tumbled downward. She landed on her feet and heard a rattling sound. She breathed shallowly, trying to see what was around her in the dim light.

"I guess even Borg isn't above snake traps…" she muttered as her eyes adjusted.

"Hold. Very. Still," P.I.X.A.L commanded from above. She pulled a rope off her back and analyzed the situation. The snakes were poisonous, but they hadn't struck yet. They seemed to be studying the intruder, rattling their tails in warning. Had the snakes not been a problem, Skylor could just climb up the rope to safety. However, the situation was a delicate one; she feared any sudden movements would cause the snakes to strike. She frowned to herself as she thought. A snake trap? Personally she still felt like it was cliché, but then again she knew that Borg did enjoy a good adventure movie.

"Pix…." Skylor said, her voice wavering. The snakes had all raised their heads and the rattling got louder.

P.I.X.A.L searched through her internal files. She analyzed those that she had been downloaded while she had been in Zane's processor. What was this one?

"I'm lowering a rope, Skylor. I'm going to play this file to distract the snakes, and I need you to calmly climb the rope to safety."

"OK…" Skylor said, slowly grasping the end of the rope as it came down to her. "What's on the file?"

"I am…not sure."

"What?" Skylor hissed. The snakes hissed in reply and she tried to calm down her racing heart.

"It was labeled 'snake charm' so I believe it should do the trick…"

Seconds later a haunting flute tune was echoing down the hallway. The snakes seemed to immediately relax, and many swayed with the music. Skylor sighed in relief and began to slowly make her way up the rope. When she reached the top P.I.X.A.L pulled her up over the edge. The two friends took a second to look down into the snake pit.

"Wow, P.I.X.A.L…you are incredible!" Skylor said, smiling at the android. "Where did you even get that song?"

"I must have picked it up from Zane," P.I.X.A.L admitted. "Where he got it from I guess we'll never know…"

"Well, I'm sure glad you had it. If I had to be stuck in a crazy, trap-ridden security stronghold, I'm glad it's with a reliable android," the redhead said, giving P.I.X.A.L a friendly punch on the shoulder before passing her to head down the hallway.

"Just…doing my job…" P.I.X.A.L said nonchalantly, but a small smile crept on her face. Suddenly she realized that her friend was headed down a hallway with no way to discover the dangers that were still ahead. She hurried to catch up.

"Skylor….perhaps it is best if I lead…"

Wu

The battle had seemed to slow since last they saw it; it appeared that whatever the Ultra Dragon had said to the dragon warriors had worked somewhat.

"Where do you want us to land?" Kai asked, addressing the Golden Samauri seated behind him. Wu scanned the area and pointed out a formation that seemed as central a place as any to address the warring factions. The four elemental dragons touched down and the ninja dismounted. Keyda slid off the earth dragon, muttering thanks before helping Jay pull Cole off its back.

The lingering fights between Dragon and Oni petered out they watched the Dragons land. There was no mistaking the Golden Figure. Wu approached the front of the formation, taking in the conflicting looks of hope and fear.

"Not gonna lie…this plan seems like a long shot." Kai muttered to his friends, who had come to stand beside him.

"It may be the only shot we get," Zane pointed out.

Wu was pleased to find that he could amplify his voice with his power as well as the Baron had been able to. He addressed the hoards below him.

"Oni…your leader has been destroyed." This was met with fearful murmurs…such had been the rumor spreading through the battlefield. Wu continued. "Dragons, your leader is a traitor who must face the consequences of his actions." This was met with a louder and more shocked reaction and the Dragons were seen looking around, trying to locate the Elder. He was nowhere to be seen; he was still engaged in battle with the Ultra Dragon a league or so away. Wu waited for the murmurs to die down.

"You all know who I am. And you know what I was destined to do." The Dragons roared in appreciation, while the Oni searched for an escape route. Wu held his hand up for silence. "But whatever you think that you know about me is wrong.

"Dragon and Oni have been together for as long as either side has existed. Yet you have spent that entire time in endless war. My coming was prophesied to end this conflict, and that is exactly what I plan to do. It was said that whichever side I chose to be a part of would prevail." Here he paused. Each individual within the sound of his amplified voice was watching, waiting. Fear and hope mingled in the tense atmosphere.

"I have made my choice. I will support neither side."

Cries rose from the crowd, coming from Dragon and Oni alike. Even the ninja's elemental dragons seemed confused and angry.

"Man…they really didn't like that…" Jay noted. Wu watched the crowd with his hands behind his back as he waited for silence. It took a few minutes before the crowd was willing to listen once again.

"Let me explain myself. The truth of the matter is that no matter which side I chose to save, the destruction of the opposite side would have disastrous consequences. You have gone so long viewing the other side as the enemy, just because they are different than you. The truth is your two sides do not compete with each other…they complete each other; you cannot have creation without destruction, and you cannot destroy if there is nothing that creates. Look around you…look at this realm. There is such potential here that is wasted because all your powers and efforts go into the destruction of the opposite side."

The ninja watched the throngs of natives closely. They still seemed aggravated, but it also appeared that they were listening.

Wu held out his arms. "Each side…Oni and Dragon…have viewed their world in terms of black and white. But reality isn't that simple. Yes, hatred is as powerful a destructive force as love is a creative one…but that is not to say those emotions are the only ones that make up either side. I have seen proof of this myself in only the last few days. I have met a Dragon warped with feelings of rage and hatred and revenge. I have met an Oni more than capable of selflessness and love."

Keyda's eyes dropped at this as the other ninja inadvertently glanced at her, still sitting next to Cole.

"What I would propose is simple…but it will not be easy. But if you truly want this conflict to be over than you must listen to me," Wu's voice grew more firm now. "The side I will support in this war is the only side which can free you of both bloodshed and consequence alike. I have chosen to support a united Nation of both Dragon and Oni."

The crowd erupted once again; what the Dragon Master proposed was as blasphemous a suggestion as could ever be presented. The ninja shared a look.

"I don't think it's gonna work…" Kai said, looking back out to the incensed crowd. Jay gulped.

"Is it just me, or do they look like they are going to destroy us now?"

Wu raised his voice. "What I am intending isn't that you overlook your differences and ages of unrest overnight. I know that is not possible or realistic. But if both sides are not willing to surrender your insatiable desire to conquer the other, than it will not be long before you destroy each other. This has never been a war that only one side could ever win or lose, no matter what your leaders have led you to believe."

As much as they hated hearing it, the expressions that could be seen on the dragons and Oni showed that the truth of Wu's words were hitting home.

"Long ago, there was a union between a Dragon and an Oni. As unheard of as it was, it lead to the creation of a child who blended the opposing powers. That child left and grew up. He was my father. And now I have returned to do what he had been created to achieve; join the two warring nations as one. Creation and Destruction do not cancel each other out. To mix these two powers does not create a void…rather; it introduces a new force into the world. The force of change.

"Change occurs when something is destroyed as something new is created. If you join together as one…it will change the face of this entire realm as you know it. Isn't that what you have been truly fighting for this entire time? To change your circumstances, so that you wouldn't have to live in constant fear and anger? Isn't that what you hoped to achieve by conquering each other?"

The throngs below bellowed in anger in response. What the Dragon Master proposed did make sense…but the thought of giving up everything they had spent centuries fighting for deeply angered both sides.

"It'll never work!" the Oni shouted, while the Dragons roared and looked like they would have flown up to take care of Wu themselves, had the Elemental Guardians not been there.

"The conflict is too deeply rooted in them," Zane mused. "They will not choose the path of peace."

"Perhaps…or perhaps it is because they cannot believe it can be done." Wu answered, addressing those around him with an unamplified voice. "This is why we must show them."

The Dragon Master and his students turned to Keyda, who clenched her jaw.

"Are you ready?" Wu asked. She didn't meet his eyes but nodded once. The ninja helped to carry Cole over closer to where the warring factions could see him. He knelt next to his student, positioning himself beside Keyda. He looked over at her and held out one hand. She met his eyes and he gave her a small, reassuring smile. She swallowed and took his hand. Wu's placed his other one on Cole as he closed his eyes. After a few moments he began emitting golden aura. Keyda took one last look at the Idiot.

"Don't you dare wake up evil…" she muttered before closing her eyes as well.

30