Nicki's Story
71
Garmadon stood with four hands behind his back as he surveyed the city. He turned to Harumi, who was standing near at hand.
"Start with the city and move forces to the outlying villages as well. I want everything and everyone on lockdown until the plan has come to fruition."
"Yes, emperor…" Harumi said, debating whether to ask her next question. The Dark Lord raised one eyebrow and she cleared her throat.
"You're sure that they aren't dead then? That they could come back?"
"They will come back…the hard part is knowing when. But I will not be thwarted by them again." he turned to leave, breezing past her as she bowed.
The door closed and Harumi winced slightly. She turned to look out the same window he had been standing in front of. The ninja couldn't come back…for them to be alive would undermine what revenge she had been able to take so far against Lloyd. Her fists tightened; she would just have to find them before he did.
Ninja
"It's hard to believe that this time tomorrow, we'll probably be back in our own realm," Kai noted. The ninja were sitting around a campfire once again, waiting for the Wu to get back with the dragons and Heavy Metal to get back with the Oni.
"Only if everything goes well tonight…" Zane pointed out, turning over a log in the fire. He had to admit he was a bit worried about how it would all play out; Keyda was about as close to an Oni ally as they had in this realm, and it hadn't taken much for her to abandon the plan. That was evidence enough that this union was going to be incredibly risky.
"I for one would like to believe that it will," Jay said, relaxing up against a warm rock. "After this last week…we all deserve a looooong vacation!"
"It's not over yet…even once we get back we still have to defeat Garmadon and Harumi and all the SOG somehow…" Cole said. His face seemed permanently frozen in an irritated expression.
"…Maybe Lloyd already defeated them all?" Jay said hopefully. Kai scoffed.
"I wouldn't bet on it, Jay. If Garmadon really is in charge then it has probably been all our friends could do to survive, let alone defeat all that evil on their own."
Jay shrugged, not wanting to let his friends' negativity ruin his mood.
"Garmadon or no, I'll still get to see Nya again, and that's enough reason for me to look forward to it."
A silence settled over the ninja as they thought about seeing their friends again. None could shake the worm of worry gnawing at them; Garmadon and Harumi had been in control for a week; who knew what they would be going back to?
Kai kicked a small stone. "I hate waiting around…I want to be doing something. Something that could ensure that everything will go the way it's supposed to tonight so we can get home…"
"Unfortunately, there is nothing for us to do." Zane interjected. "Perhaps it would be best to take this time to rest; who knows when we will get another chance, especially if we are able to get back home."
"Way ahead of you, metal man," Jay said, eyes closed as he lounged. Even Kai sighed and stopped pacing. Napping wasn't his idea of being productive, but Zane did have a point. The nindroid usually did.
Zane looked over at Cole, still glowering into the fire. He didn't seem to have any intention of getting the rest he needed. The ninja in black looked up after Zane had been staring at him for a few minutes and rolled his eyes.
"FINE…but you better wake us up the second Wu gets back…"
"Of course."
Surivivors
"Any other tricks or traps we could use to our advantage?" Nya asked P.I.X.A.L. The android knew there weren't, but she scanned the room once more just in case.
"Negative. As far as I can tell, the greatest security the armor has is the fact that no one can actually touch it and live…"
"Yeah, that is a pretty good defense…" Skylor noted. "I wonder how Borg even got it here in the first place?"
"Who knows?" Lloyd looked closely at the armor, still hovering, still glowing. He looked over at the sack full of masks in the corner. P.I.X.A.L followed his gaze and went over to the sack.
"Perhaps by putting the masks and armor in a closer proximity, I can do some better readings," she said, pulling the masks out.
"Risky…"Skylor warned, but P.I.X.A.L met her gaze.
"Perhaps it would be best if the three of you waited outside…"
"No way, Pix. No individual risks, remember?" Lloyd said. P.I.X.A.L sighed, handing the Mask of Vengeance to Nya, Mask of Deception to Skylor, and the Mask of Hatred to Lloyd.
"Do not get too close...approach slowly and I will tell you when to stop." P.I.X.A.L warned.
"Should one of us go first, or do it all together?" Skylor asked.
"Triangulate your position with the armor in the center," the android instructed. Her friends followed her directions, each a few yards from the pedestal and its floating armor.
"Hold the masks up…" P.I.X.A.L said, and soon all the masks were facing the armor. Nothing happened.
"Anything?" Nya asked, but P.I.X.A.L shook her head.
"Each of you move forward, slowly."
The three obliged.
"I'm not sure this is…." Lloyd started. Suddenly his mask began balking in his grasp. Nya and Skylor cried out as they found themselves with similar problems. The golden armor started making a buzzing sound as it pulsated more quickly.
"PIX?!" Nya called as her friend anyalzed the situation and made calculations.
"The powers of the Oni and the Dragon seem to have recognized each other…"
"Recognize?!" Skylor grunted.
"Yes...according to legend, the masks house the spirits of Oni Generals…"
"Wait." Skylor pulled back. "How do we know that by destroying the masks won't just release the generals? That sounds like a problem in and of itself…"
"That is why we are not throwing them in a volcano or crushing them or destroying them by other means." P.I.X.A.L explained. "Dragon Power is the only thing that can actually destroy both the masks and the generals…"
"How do you know so much about this, P.I.X?" Nya asked, also drawing back to stop her mask from balking.
"You forget that it was Borg who owned one of these masks. He has done extensive research on them. Once I learned that he said that Dragon power was the only thing that could destroy them, I connected the dots."
"But now we have a new problem…" Lloyd said, moving towards the armor again so that his mask jumped. "How are we gonna counter that?"
Skylor chucked her mask at the armor without warning, but the masks' path skewed itself and it embedded itself in a nearby wall instead. The others looked at the redhead in surprise and she shrugged.
"Just wanted to see if that would work…"
"The two forces are opposing in more ways than one…" P.I.X.A.L noted. "They are almost acting like positive and negative magnetic fields; the closer you get them together, the stronger the resistance…"
"Oh, Perfect!" Nya huffed, blowing hair out of her face. How are we going to destroy them then?"
Lloyd looked at his friends and then down at his mask.
"I think I might have an idea…" he said, and they looked up at him. He smiled sheepishly in Nya's direction.
"But I don't think you're going to like it…"
72
Keyda turned around three different times on her way back to the outsiders. It wasn't so much that she was rethinking her decision as she had no idea what she was going to say when she got there. What was worse was she didn't know what they were going to say. She figured it would only take a few snarky comments from the red one to make her reconsider her resolution. But as much as she wanted to run away and leave everything behind, she had finally admitted to herself that doing so wouldn't solve anything. She was done hiding…and she was also done taking orders. She may be helping the outsiders again, but if they thought they could tell her what to do than they had another thing coming.
As she got closer to the place where she had left them the night before, she wondered for the hundredth time what the Oni had decided; it was their decision that would ultimately control everything from here on out. Did the outsiders have a plan if the Oni didn't agree to the union? What if they decided against them? What if they had become hostile?
Somewhere up ahead she heard a yell and her heartrate jumped up. She began running. Were the Oni attacking then? Another yell…it sounded like it was at the base of the formation. Why would the outsiders give up the high ground? What were they thinking? She rounded the formation hands blazing, and tripped over Jay.
Jay yelled out in pain as she went flying forward. Had Zane not caught her she would have landed face-first into the fire. With Zane's help she quickly straightened up, face burning in embarrassment. She turned to face the three ninja on the ground, all of whom were glaring as she glanced between them. Where were the attackers? What had the yelling been about? The purple aura faded as her adrenaline was replaced with confusion.
"What are you doing here?" Cole's voice sounded distant as he looked at her with distrust. It made her uncomfortable; it had been a long time since he had looked at her like that.
"Besides trying to kill me?!" Jay yelled, dusting himself off with disgust. "Seriously, what did I ever do to you?"
She blinked and her stance became more sheepish.
"I…uh…I heard yelling. It sounded like someone was getting hurt…"
"Yeah…me!" Jay said bitterly. She glared at him.
"No one was yelling…" Cole said, but Zane cleared his throat. Everyone glanced over at him.
"We weren't in any danger," he explained. She frowned.
"I definitely heard something…"
"We were sleeping…" Jay complained. "Until your little ambush failed…"
"If I wanted to ambush you, you would already be dead…" her voice regained its edge. "What was the yelling about?" She noticed that everyone was subtly glancing in Cole's direction. Zane sighed.
"I told you, we weren't in danger…but Cole was…talking in his sleep."
The black ninja flushed and he looked daggers at his metal friend. Keyda blinked; it was nightmares, then.
"Oh."
"Really, what are you doing back here?" Cole's voice had taken on an edge of his own.
"Have you rethought your position on helping us?" Zane asked, sounding more hopeful. Even Kai and Jay looked intrigued; if Keyda had decided to come back than it would make it a lot easier to get home.
She stood with her arms folded.
"Look…I'm just here to make sure that the Dragon Master keeps his promise. This realm will fall apart if he doesn't and I'm not about to take that chance," here she swallowed, though she tried to make her voice sound even and determined. "Even if that means I have to follow you lot to your realm…"
The ninja all blinked in surprise.
"What made you change your mind?" Kai sounded skeptical and Keyda blew a strand of hair out of her face in disgust. And they said she had trust issues.
"Don't get me wrong…I'm still mad about the Dragon Master's concealment of his true motives…"
"He didn't…" Jay tried to cut in, but she talked over him.
"BUT it's probably not a good enough reason to give up and run away…not when there's something I could do to ensure that the realm doesn't fall to pieces." She glanced over at Cole, but his back was to her as he faced the fire.
"What about having to lead all the Oni? Is that a good enough reason to give up?" he asked, back still turned. Jay winced and his three friends threw Cole warning looks that he purposefully ignored.
"What are you talking about?" She really didn't like the way he was talking to her.
"Cole…" Zane cautioned, but the Master of Earth kept talking.
"What? She's the one who seems to hate learning things after the fact. Might as well fill her in now."
Keyda walked around the campfire so she could face him. She looked down at him and waited, arms still crossed. He continued to look into the fire as he explained.
"The Oni came this morning and said that they were all for the deal…but they don't want to follow Wu. They want to follow you."
Her arms dropped in shock. "What?!"
"I don't know what you said to them…" Jay piped up. "But it sure convinced them!"
"And by that, he means scared the living daylights out of them," Kai added. "Which apparently, is something they like. Or at least, respect." here he shrugged. "I don't really get it to be honest."
She sat heavily, trying to process the news. She had just barely gotten her mind around going with the outsiders to their realm …but this?? She had never in her wildest nightmares expected to actually have to lead anybody.
"You've misunderstood…" Keyda tried. It was the only explanation; the Oni would never willingly follow her!
"It is true…I could show it to you if you would like," Zane offered. She shook her head. She would just have to take their word for it; Zane's strange ability to show things that have passed actually creeped her out.
"But…"
"Congratulations," Cole said sarcastically, standing up with a wince. "You wanted to make changes among the Oni? Now's your chance. And even better, you never have to see the rest of us again. Must be your lucky day." He walked off and was lost among the rocks and scraggly foliage as everyone watched.
"Seriously…what is his problem?" Keyda asked angrily. She had come back…that's what he had said he had wanted!
"He's been like that ever since he got back from talking to you," Jay explained. He gave her a sideways look. "Don't suppose that you wanna tell us what you guys talked about…he clams up the second we bring it up…"
She flushed. She didn't really remember what they had talked about. She had been angry, he had been pushy… was it because she wouldn't tell him what her plans were? He already knew that she didn't have any, so why would it make him so upset? Or was it whatever she had said at the end of the argument?
"Now, don't worry…I'm an expert at making Cole mad," Jay continued. "Aaaand it just so happens that I recently discovered that a little apology goes a long way…"
"What?!"
"Yeah…I thought it sounded dumb the first time too…but I'm telling you, it really does work…"
"I'm not apologizing…I didn't even do anything!" she yelled. Jay took a step backwards, hands up.
"That's how I always feel too! But Zane's the one who suggested it, and nindroids generally know what they're talking about…"
She just shook her head. Why on earth did she come back? They were all out of their minds! He was the one who started all of this by making stupid decisions that got him hurt and never listening to her. He was the one who wouldn't even let her leave without tracking her down and trying to manipulate her.
Kai came up and grabbed Jay's shoulder as they watched Keyda get angrier.
"I think now would be a good time to shut up, Jay…" Kai muttered. Keyda stormed off after Cole.
"Don't hurt him!" Jay called after her. "Hurting usually does not help one's apology!..."
It didn't take long for her to catch up with Cole; he still couldn't walk very fast. He turned around and eyed her with an expression she couldn't quite place. He looked almost guarded.
She glared with her hands on her hips.
"You're the one who said you wanted me to come back…so why are you acting like this?!"
He shrugged. She huffed.
"Nice of you to just spring that news on me back there…why on earth would the Oni want me?"
"It's like Kai said. They're afraid of you."
"Are you afraid of me too? Is that why you're acting so weird?"
He scoffed with a small shake of his head.
"I'm not afraid of you, Keyda."
She rolled her eyes. "Of course…with your track record of running headfirst into danger, I should have known you aren't afraid of anything…"
His fists tightened. "I never said I wasn't afraid of anything…"
"Just not dying, apparently,"
"I already did that once," he snapped back. "And there are worse things."
"Like what?!"
"Why did you come back?" he yelled, changing the subject. "Was it really only to make sure Wu keeps his end of the deal?"
"I CAME BACK!" she yelled back. "Why does it matter why?!"
"I need to know!"
"WHY?!"
They were face to face now, glaring at each other. Cole was the first to look away.
"Fine…whatever. Just forget it. We should head back before Wu gets here…"
She grabbed his arm as he went to turn away.
"And you call me confusing…"
"That's because you are." he pulled his arm away.
"Why does it matter why I came back? Why won't you just tell me what's going on with you?!"
He stopped but didn't turn around right away. He finally did and made eye contact.
"If you're really only back because you want to keep Wu in line and you're still planning on forgetting the rest of us, then I'd rather know now. If I'm gonna be forgotten again by someone I care about, I'd at least like to be prepared for it this time."
She stared at him. That was what this was about? She was angry for a moment, since she wasn't even the one who had forgotten him—his friends had! But then she finally remembered what she had said to him when he had come after her…what had made him leave. She sighed, the anger finally melting away.
"I need to know that the Dragon Master is going to keep his promises…" she started carefully. "But I also need to know that you aren't going to do anything stupid and get yourself killed."
He wasn't really sure what to think about her answer.
"Alright." he turned and headed back to his friends. She watched him go, her insides in turmoil once again. She hated that feeling. It wasn't until he was out of sight that something he said clicked into place.
Did he just say he cared about her?
73
"You're right…I don't like this…" Nya grumbled. They had retaken their triangulation position around the armor, still holding their masks.
"I do not feel comfortable with it either, Nya…but based on my readings, it may be the only way we are going to be able to destroy these masks." P.I.X.A.L pointed out from a few yards away.
"But are we really sure that it's worth the risk?" the Water Ninja asked.
Skylor laughed a little. "You're the one who's been bent on destroying them…"
"I know, I know…" Nya pouted. "But not like this…"
"Ok," Lloyd interrupted. "Now or never." He looked at his companions. Skylor nodded once while Nya gave one last disgruntled sigh.
"Fine."
The three simultaneously put on the masks. P.I.X.A.L took a step back as the masks convulsed on her friend's faces and felt a stab of fear as horns sprouted out of each one. She readied her arrow, pointing at the wall. If this went south she was to shoot the gas pipe through the wall, fill the room with the now dormant sleeping gas, and then remove the masks off her friends while they slept. She just really hoped things wouldn't go south.
Her friends looked down at themselves.
"Wow…I don't see why Garmadon went out of his way for this…." Nya said, slightly disgusted by her two extra arms. "Who'd have ever thought I'd be in a position to actually fit into that four-armed wedding dress?"
"What?!" Skylor asked. "What wedding dress?"
"Err…nothing…"
"Focus, guys…" the two girls jumped at Lloyd's sudden demonic voice. They glanced over at him; As Nya saw his Purple armored body, she couldn't help but think it was weird to see him in a color other than green.
"Sooo….anybody feeling evil or anything?" Skylor asked. They shook their heads in response. "Ah…well, that's good then."
"Ok. Let's put this plan into motion." Lloyd said, his voice still deep and creepy.
"Wow...it sounds like you went through puberty six more times…" Nya joked and he sighed.
"The Plan…PLEASE?!"
"Ok…ok, are we ready?" Skylor asked. Lloyd nodded and moved towards the armor. After he got to a certain distance the mask began repelling itself, and his feet began sliding backwards as he tried to get closer.
"Skylor!" he yelled, and she immediately began using her mask's powers to drag him closer to the armor. Or at least that was the plan.
"OOF" Lloyd gasped as his body rammed into the ceiling.
"SORRY!" she called out. "This is harder to control that it looks…"
She brought him back down towards the armor. She grunted in effort as she forced him closer. He reached out his arms, fighting the resistance.
"A little more…" Lloyd said, and Skylor gave a last yell and forced him down the last few inches. He grabbed the armor. It flashed, as if trying to overwhelm him, but thanks to his temporary invincibility, all he felt was a slight buzzing.
"NYA, you're on!"
Nya walked over to Skylor and grabbed her hand with one of her four arms. She stretched out another arm to Lloyd, and Skylor strained to bring him closer.
"Just be sure neither of you touch the armor…" P.I.X.A.L warned.
Lloyd was able to grab Nya's hand, making sure that he kept the armor in his other hand.
"The timing needs to be just right…" P.I.X.A.L reminded.
"Ok…"Nya muttered under her breath. She nodded at Lloyd. He threw the armor onto the floor and Skylor used her telekenisis to pull his now-free hand to hers. They all strained to keep their grip on each other while the armor began levitating in the middle of the three of them, as if it were floating in an electromagnetic field.
"Ok Nya, NOW!" P.I.X.A.L called.
With her two extra arms, Nya reached up and ripped the masks off of her friends and yelled as she forced them into the Armor's pulsating glow. Suddenly, lightening-like bolts shot out of the armor, connecting to the masks. Nya shrieked and released the masks, but despite their efforts to escape, the armor seemed to have bound them to it and the pulsating became more frequent. More little lightening-like bolts began shooting off of the armor, as if searching for the last mask.
"The armor has made the connection….Nya, you must remove your mask and we need to get out of here!" P.I.X.A.L warned. Nya nodded; this part would be tricky. It was her hold on her two friends that was allowing her to remain this close to the armor, but once she removed the mask she would lose the arms that were busy clinging to Skylor and Lloyd. She closed her eyes and took a calming breath.
She ripped off her own mask with both hands and threw them towards the armor just as her lower arms disappeared. One of the armor's searching bolts made the connection with the mask and a strong spherical energy pulse burst out from the armor, blowing the three friends apart. They each hit an outside wall and groaned.
"Hurry! The pulses are only going to get quicker and stronger!" P.I.X.A.L's voice came from above them; she had already climbed the rope and exited the armor room. The dazed friends made a beeline for the rope and began climbing rapidly. Lloyd was the last on the rope and he gave one last glance backwards at the armor and the masks before pulling himself through the bars.
"By my calculations, we have less than 5 minutes to escape…" P.I.X.A.L warned.
"The way we got in is blocked off…and would take us at least 40 minutes to get to it anyways…" Skylor pointed out.
"But the way we came in should still be open." Lloyd said, taking off down the hall. He yelled out as the flamethrower once again made its appearance, having forgotten about it in all the chaos. He was saved a few nasty burns by Nya's quick water shooting.
"We still have to avoid the traps, Lloyd!" she chastised. Another pulse went off in the armor room, shaking the floor and causing them all to stumble. Without another word they began their race to the exit.
Cole
Cole could hear the echo of dragon roars as he made it back to camp; Wu must be on his way back with the Dragon Nation, then. His friends looked at him curiously as he made his way back over to his seat by the fire.
"So…" Jay started.
"Everything's fine," Cole interrupted in a tone that suggested otherwise.
"But where's…" Kai tried.
"How am I supposed to know?!"
Jay and Kai made eye contact and Zane threw another log on the fire.
"Wu will be here soon…is there anything we need to do to further prepare?"
Cole tuned out his friends as they discussed the next step. He really wasn't feeling too good…his head was swimmy and he still hurt all over. But he wasn't about to go to sleep again…his dreams had been whirlpools of painful memories ever since he had woken up from limbo. Sometimes he was in the arena and all his friends were against him. Sometimes he was in the dungeon with the Baron…and his staff. Sometimes he was back in limbo with Garmadon trying to tell him something, but he could never hear him as his body would grow so cold and slowly lose all feeling. He shuddered.
He wished Zane hadn't ousted him about the whole nightmare thing to Keyda. Just another thing to make her think he was weak. He tightened his fist. In all the roles he had played in his life and in all the ways he had failed…he had never been weak before. He was supposed to be the strong one; but ever since he had jumped off the dragon and did whatever it was that let his friends get to Dragon Haven, he could barely even walk. It was incredibly frustrating…he had always had a way of messing up words but when all else failed he had always been able to at least punch things. But now he couldn't even handle doing that…he had been feeling pretty helpless lately and it was driving him insane.
He glanced up as Keyda joined the camp again. Or rather, stood leaning against a rock clear on the outskirts of camp, staring at him with that same unreadable expression. He looked back into the fire with a sigh. She was really quick to say when she didn't like something…but what he couldn't figure out was what she did want. Maybe she didn't even know the answer to that herself. He thought about their conversation. She said she had come back to keep Wu in line…and keep him from doing stupid things. What did that even mean? What was he even supposed to get from that?
Well, what did you want her to say?!
Cole frowned. Why was it his conscious always sounded like Jay? He didn't really know what he wanted Keyda to say. Maybe it would just be nice to know she actually cared!? But why did he care if she cared? He rested his head in his hands. Emotions were a mess…this is why he just stuck with punching stuff.
The truth was he did care. He had wanted her to come back to Ninjago with them…he had figured that was the plan anyways, considering how everyone in this realm treated her. But instead she just acted like she wished she had never been part of any of this anyways. After everything she had just left. It was when he went after her that it finally clicked; she was a survivor. She cared about herself, and maybe even to a certain extent, about her realm. But she had never said anything that would insinuate that she cared about them…that she cared about him. Zane had said she had…but after what she had said, he had no doubt that Zane had been wrong. After all, he doubted that she would be so eager to forget about him if she actually cared. Not that she had to; if she wanted to just go off and forget about them all, then fine. It was her life. She had made it clear that she made her own decisions and liked fighting her own battles.
But now she had come back, but he didn't know why. She was so confusing! But he meant what he said; if at the end of this she was just going to be happy forgetting them all then he would do what he did best; distance himself. It was his go-to for when situations became more than he could handle…like when he lost people.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts; he wasn't going down that road. He needed something else to think about. The problem was that he had just been through one of the worst weeks of his life and he seemed to be fresh out of happy thoughts.
The Dragon roars got closer and he looked up to see the Ultra Dragon coming down for a landing. Wu hopped off, noticing Keyda in the sidelines. His face betrayed both relief and wariness.
She came forward before the Dragon Master had a chance to formulate a question.
"I'm just here to make sure you keep your end of your promise, Dragon Master. If you are all going to run back to your realm, then I'm going to make sure you come back."
Wu blinked. "I assure you, I was always planning on coming back."
She rolled her eyes. Wu patted the Ultra-Dragon and looked over at her again.
"The Dragon nation will be here soon…as well as the Oni. But before they get here it's important to tell you about what the Oni…"
"I already know." Keyda said dryly. Wu raised an eyebrow and she pointed a thumb over her shoulder.
"Your friends were kind enough to fill me in."
"And…you are ok with it?"
She looked away, as if thinking. She finally shrugged again.
"I'm not sure how long it will last, to be fair. But sure; if it keeps the world from falling apart. Here's the thing, though," she fixed Wu with her classic glare. "I've spent enough of my life under somebody's thumb; if I do this I'm not going to answer to you."
He nodded, as if her point made sense. "Trust me, I'd never dream of it, Keyda. But you realize under this arrangement we would be working close together to keep the realm working…"
She wasn't looking at him. "So?"
"So…it's gonna require a lot of cooperation…and trust…"
She sighed and her next words were almost too soft to hear.
"I guess at some point I'm gonna have to trust someone…"
74
The dragons arrived first, and the ninja sat and watched the reptiles entertain themselves by napping or sparring.
"So…you got a back-up plan if this all goes south?" Keyda asked, leaning up against a wall. She really couldn't see this union taking off…even after all the work Wu had put into it. And even if it did…then what? They all just leave right away, throwing the realm into chaos? She rubbed her temple and tried to think about what would happen when the Oni arrived. How did Golden-boy know that this whole set-up wouldn't trigger a new war? She looked around at her companions and frowned at their lack of response.
"I'm going to hope you're being silent because of your penchant for not sharing your plans…not because you don't actually have a back-up plan…"
"Like most journeys…this one must be taken one step at a time…" Wu commented. Jay scoffed.
"Oh, now we get the unexpected wisdom…"
"Yes…because it is now that you are not expecting it."
Keyda rolled her eyes. She swore this team was held together by prayers and sarcasm. Something in the distance caught her eye.
"Looks like the Oni are on their way…"
As the Oni forces drew closer all the ninja but Cole stood and dusted themselves off.
"So…what exactly is the protocol for these types of situations?" Kai asked. "Are we all gonna sign something or just have everyone shout 'aye' really loudly? I mean, how is the prophecy going to know that this is final and all that?"
"For the moment, I am more worried about how to make these two nations understand that it is final." Wu murmured.
"Both sides have agreed to the union…more or less. All that really needs to be done is make it official and set the boundaries," Zane mused.
Kai huffed and folded his arms. "Once again, how do we do that?"
Wu only frowned as the Oni came to a stop. Only Heavy Metal continued walking, approaching the six figures. He eyed Keyda with curiosity.
"So, you decided to come back, eh?"
She shrugged and he chuckled.
"Promise of power too good to pass up?" he asked, and she glared at him.
"Peace…actually."
"Ah," he turned and looked behind him at the two nations. Though they were many yards apart, the tension between the two sides could be felt from where the ninja stood. "And you really think that this is the way it's gonna happen?"
She didn't answer right away as she also stared at the two groups.
"I think this is the way it could happen. But it'll take a lot of work. And a lot of…trust." she said quietly. Heavy Metal sighed and gave a little half-shrug.
"Hope you're right, lass." he turned to Wu. "We came, Dragon Master, like you asked. Now what do you propose we do?"
Everyone looked at Wu expectantly.
"The Dragons have already pledged their loyalty to me…I am their leader at this point. The next step is to make sure the Oni are also united under a leader. The Dragons have traditions and codes they are bound to follow…but how is it that Oni are united?"
Heavy Metal shrugged again.
"Sure, we've got customs. But our following of our customs is very much on a when-it-suits-us-basis. There's no guarantee that the Oni nation would follow any leader indefinitely. There's really only one thing that keeps everyone in line…something the Baron had down pat."
"Fear." Zane guessed, and the Oni nodded.
"Right, metallic man. And right now the two people they fear the most are you," he pointed at Wu, "and you," he pointed at Keyda. "But only one of you is even full Oni. So they'll follow ya Keyda…but perhaps only as long as you can keep them afraid of you."
Keyda looked away. Sounded like she was signing up for a fragile job…part of her still wanted to run away and hide from all of this. But she had come this far…heck, if everything was going to fall apart now she might as well be on the front lines. She pushed herself off from the rock and started walking towards the Oni crowd.
"Where are you going?!" Jay asked as the rest of the team watched her go with mixed looks of disbelief and wariness.
"Figure it's time to see what they really want." she replied. Heavy Metal looked over at the ninja and then started walking after her as she approached the Oni. She stopped and put her hands on her hips.
"LOOK." she shouted, eyeing as many individual Oni as she could. "You all know what's happening right now…and I know that all of you aren't happy about it. But the truth is the Dragons outnumber us and outpower us. So you've all got two options. You follow that guy," she pointed back at Wu, "Who I understand you don't trust…or you follow me, who really doesn't have any leading ability at all. But if you chose to follow me, there's no guarantee that things will all work out. But I do think things can get better. And if you chose to follow me, then going back on that isn't an option." she lit her hands up for emphasis. "Is that clear?!"
The Oni looked at her, many with skeptical looks, but all with a hint of awe and—yes—even fear. She saw Oni from all walks of life in the crowd…she saw those who were from poor villages like the one she was born to and those who held high positions in fortresses. How could anyone lead such a various and caustic people? Could it really only be done by someone as heinous as the Baron? Can destruction truly only be controlled by an Iron fist?
"Today, the Oni and Dragon nations are going to unite, ending the century-long war that so many have died in. It's going to be a chance at peace. But each of our own actions are going to determine how long that peace lasts. But just because we will be united to them and him," she gestured to the dragons and then to Wu, "doesn't mean that we will be subject to them. Unified or not, we are a people who will be triumphant, not subjected. But it also means that we will give up our attempts at subjecting the Dragons. There is no going back."
The Oni had been murmuring to each other during her whole talk, some even going so far as to boo and hiss. But to Keyda's surprise she found that the majority of the Oni were actually listening to her with a cautious curiosity. In fact, she could have sworn that in some of their eyes, she even saw glimmers of hope. She blinked; perhaps she wasn't the only Oni longing for change and a better world. And there was no way she had been the only one who had doubted that such a world was possible.
"So, what's your decision then?!" she yelled out to the crowd. There ensued an awkward silence and Keyda frowned. She threw a fist in the air. "Are you with me or not?!"
The yell of hundreds of combined Oni suddenly echoed across the terrain as nearly every one threw a fist in the air. The ninja watched from their position yards away.
"Wow…I think she's really getting good at that whole public speaking thing…" Jay noted. Kai raised an eyebrow and looked at Wu.
"Yeah…if we put you and her on opposite debate teams, I think she'd give you a run for your money!"
"The point of today is that we are not on opposite teams." Wu replied, pursing his lips.
"The Dragons have a leader…and now so do the Oni. Are we ready for the last phase of this union?" Zane asked. Wu looked out at the wary Dragons and the chanting Oni.
"Well…here goes nothing."
Survivors
The Oni-Dragon-power-struggle quakes were getting stronger; some were strong enough to knock the four teens off their feet. Considering that they needed their balance to avoid deadly traps, this was posing a problem.
"LOOK OUT!" Nya yelled as a quake caused Skylor to trip and slide towards a swinging Ax. She used her water to blast the redhead, causing her slide to quicken so that the swaying blade just missed her. Skylor wiped water-logged hair out of her face.
"Thanks," she said, regaining her feet.
"We only have a few more minutes…" P.I.X.A.L urged, and the group continued their race. They rounded the last corner and all were relieved to see sunlight coming in through the "rabbit-hole" entrance.
"Go, go, go!" Lloyd said, pulling up short of the exit and ushering the girls through first. They ran past and up and out of the stronghold. There wasn't any time for arguing. Another quake shook the stronghold, this one strong enough to cause the lights in the tunnel to go out and chunks of the ceiling to fall. Lloyd dodged a few chunks, reaching the hole. The three girls grabbed his arms and pulled him out of the hole.
"We need to keep moving…even I cannot tell how large the blast is going to be." P.I.X.A.L warned, and the four continued their race through the forest.
"So…you think it will all explode, then?" Nya panted.
"Or perhaps it will implode…but that result would be just as dangerous. The best bet is to get out of here."
"In that case, it's probably time to make a phone call…" Lloyd pulled out Ronin's device.
Wu
Keyda and Wu stood side by side, facing their new followers. Her palms were sweaty as she tried to continue looking confident. How had she gotten to this point? So much had happened in the last week that she couldn't even comprehend it all. And yet it was all she could think about as she looked across the crowds of people...
"Are you ready?" Wu asked, looking over at her with an encouraging smile. But as she met his eyes, she could see that he was just as worried as she was. She didn't answer right away and he sighed a little.
"You…don't have to do this…"
"I don't want to do this…but I do have to do this." she said dully.
"But…"
Her glare cut him off. "We're done talking about it. So…do whatever it is that needs to be done."
He nodded, looking away. He couldn't help feeling like he had trapped her in an impossible position that she would never forgive him for. But surely this was fate…wasn't it?
He began to address the crowd.
"I understand that this is a change that has not easily been accepted. I understand that it will not be something that will be appreciated for a long time to come. But the time has come to unite the Dragon and Oni nations as one. From this moment forward I, the Leader of the Dragons, and Keyda, the Leader of the Oni, will be the joint leadership for this new nation."
The ninja stood a few feet back from Wu and Keyda, watching the proceedings.
"Is it just me, or are there not a lot of happy faces out there?" Jay commented, noticing all the glares in the crowd.
"Ok, Wu said they're a joined nation now…is that it? Is that all that was required?" Kai asked.
Wu turned to Keyda once again. He stretched out his hand for a handshake, and as he did so his body began to emanate Golden light. She looked at it for a second, and then looked down at her own hand as she summoned a purple aura around her fist. She reached out and grasped Wu's outstretched hand for their formal handshake.
As the two auras combined, Keyda's hand started to buzz, as if it was falling asleep. She looked up and shot Wu a worried look. Was he feeling that too? He opened his mouth to say something when some force blasted out from their handshake, knocking them both backwards. The ninja cried out and ran towards them, but as they reached them they found them both unconscious.
75
"RONIN!"
The thief snorted awake, bolting upright as his hat went flying off his face.
"WE NEED PICK UP! NOW!"
"Sheesh...would it kill you to say please?" Ronin grumbled, still trying to wake up.
"HURRY!"
"That didn't really sound like please…" he did start furiously typing into R.E.X's monitor to pin-point the location of the teens. "Alright…I'll be there in a few minutes…"
He started R.E.X's engines as one monitor started beeping an alarm.
"What…" he glanced over at it.
"Hey, guys? I'm picking up some seismic activity here…what exactly did you do?"
"NO TIME….NEED PICK UP….GONNA BLOW…"
"Oh, perfect." Ronin followed the pinpoint on the map. After a minute or so he could see the four figures running. Or rather, trying to run; the shaking ground made it quite difficult. He lowered R.E.X and put her in autopilot so he could open the door and throw down the rope ladder. No way was he gonna risk a landing.
"Grab on!"
P.I.X.A.L grabbed onto the ladder and the three other followed suit it wasn't long before the four were on board, breathing heavily.
Ronin went back over to R.E.X to pilot her out of the labyrinth.
"So... how big of a problem should I be expecting…"
"You should raise your altitude." P.I.X.A.L's tone was no-nonsense, and Ronin raised an eyebrow as he brought REX above the tree line.
Lloyd couldn't help but watch out REX's back window, waiting for the explosion.
"How will we know they were destroyed? Like, really destroyed?" Nya was mainly just putting the question out there; she figured that none of them would ever really know.
"Do you think when they do, that you'll get your powers back?" Skylor asked. Lloyd just sighed.
"I don't know."
They saw the explosion before they heard it. Huge chunks of earth and even whole trees launched into the air as a giant energy wave rolled out across the labyrinth. Everyone yelled out as it hit R.E.X, causing the craft to spin out of control for a few moments before Ronin's expert flying was able to get it steady again.
They were all silent for a while. It was Ronin who decided to play devil's advocate, per the norm.
"Is destroying these things really gonna change anything at all? I mean, the masks were technically in existence for a long time, right? Way before all your problems started…so why would destroying them make any difference?"
"Shut up, Ronin." Nya bristled. P.I.X.A.L looked at the thief.
"We are working to disrupt the disbalance between the Oni and Dragon forces in Ninjago. With the masks now gone, we should see a lower amount of Oni power."
"And…do you?"
P.I.X.A.L was silent for a moment as everyone turned to her, their faces a mix of intrigue, worry, and hope.
"Give me some time to process."
Keyda
Keyda looked around at the bare landscape. It seemed like she was still in the realm…but the area was void of people for as far as she could see. The black sun beat down on her but she hugged herself feeling cold; hadn't it been nearly dawn a few seconds ago? What had happened? Where was she? Where was everybody else?
"Keyda?" She turned around and there was Golden-Boy.
"What happened? Did you kill us?!" She couldn't help but blame him; this was all his stupid plan anyways.
"Uh…" he sounded like he wanted to say something reassuring, but he seemed to be just as lost as she was.
"Do not worry…you will be returned to your friends shortly." A voice rumbled around them. It was deep…and almost golden in sound. Keyda blinked as a dragon materialized in front of them and panicked as she recognized the Elder. She dropped into a defensive stance while the Elder chuckled.
Wait…no…not the Elder. This dragon did look similar to him, but his voice was definitely different…and he looked a lot younger than the Elder as well.
"Are you…Antirock?" Wu asked. She glanced over at him; he sure was quick to make connections. The Dragon chuckled again.
"Indeed."
"But…I thought you were dead," Keyda blurted out.
"I am…but having my prophecy broken has permitted certain…allowances."
"It's broken then? The prophecy?" Wu asked. The Dragon lay down, crossing two massive clawed forearms.
"Indeed."
"You have no idea what it means to us that you have finally unified the realm." A new voice entered the conversation, and a figure appeared next to Antirock. Keyda gulped; it was an Oni woman with long braided hair and two curving horns.
"Why do you have horns?!" Keyda asked, incredulous. The Oni laughed lightly, which took Keyda by surprise as well. She had never known an Oni to laugh lightheartedly.
"There is much that was present in Oni of the past that has since been lost to today's Oni…"
"Echo, I presume," Wu said, and the horned Oni nodded. The Dragon Master continued.
"Why bring us here? To let us know the prophecy has been fulfilled? Or rather…broken?"
"Yes…but also to warn you that the path ahead is only going to get more difficult." Echo explained. "You have united the realms politically, maybe, but it will take a very long time for the change to make it to the hearts of those in this realm. There is a lot of work to be done and there will be dangers as well. You will have to be strong. There will never be peace if loathing continues in the hearts of Dragon and Oni alike."
"We didn't exactly expect an easy path when we signed up for it…" Keyda muttered under her breath, but she couldn't stop staring at the Oni Woman. Mainly her horns.
Echo stood and walked down to her, putting her hands on Keyda's shoulders as she looked into her eyes.
"No…of course not. But we wanted to tell you that you are on the right track…and through sacrifice and perseverance you will be able to accomplish your goals."
Keyda swallowed. "I have so many questions…" she whispered. Her questions weren't really about the Union, or even the strange world she currently found herself in. This was the Oni that the Elder had mentioned…the one who he said was like her. The one who had felt love before and had died for it.
"I know…but I'm afraid we don't have the time." The horned Oni studied Keyda's face a few more seconds and then unexpectedly drew her into a hug. Keyda stiffened. Echo laughed again as she embraced her rigid body.
"It's called a hug, Keyda. You can relax…"
Keyda closed her eyes; she was pretty sure she had never been hugged before. At least, not that she had remembered. But after a few moments she relaxed and even wrapped her arms around the ancient Oni. It was strange…this Oni was only a stranger, yet this single embrace gave her heart a feeling of home.
Echo drew back and looked down at Keyda with a maternal look.
"You are strong. And you have discovered more about yourself and about the world than any Oni currently out there. Be true to yourself, Keyda. You've had to do a lot of trusting in those around you…but it's time that you trust yourself as well. That power inside of you…"
"Hatred." Keyda said, and Echo smiled in a way that implied that it was more than just that.
"Yes…Hatred is the strongest force behind destruction, and it's what caused you to unlock your powers in the first place…but there is more to what is inside of you than just Hatred. You've undoubtedly realized how your strongest emotions interact with it—our power flows easily when we are angry, or hateful…but through practice it can be summoned in other times of need as well. Like when you used it to save that boy…"
"You know about that?" Keyda asked, surprised. Now she had more questions than ever, but Echo smiled sadly.
"Yes…and I wish we had more time to talk, but perhaps we have kept you too long already…"
While Echo and Keyda talked, Antirock had been speaking to Wu.
"I understand that it will be a long time before the change makes it to their hearts and all of that…but…" Wu began. Antirock cut him off, guessing his question.
"Yes, the union has disbanded all the restraints set forth by the prophecy; you will be able to return to your home realm with your friends. But you must not stay there; it is imperative that you return as soon as you possibly can…"
"Of course." Wu said. "I will not abandon this realm…but I made a promise to protect the old one, along with my brother. Now with him the way he is, it falls on me…"
"You will not defeat him alone. But it is also true that those you left behind will require you and your friends to do it." Antirock said simply. The world around them started to blur and Wu and Keyda realized that their time with their ancient forerunners was coming to an end.
"Please…I need your help…I need you to help me…" Keyda pleaded as Echo started to fade. The other Oni smiled sadly.
"You will have help, dear girl. But remember, you must trust yourself."
Antirock looked at Wu and smiled. "Your father is very proud of you." Wu's eyes grew misty at the mention of his father. And then like that, the world faded to black.
Ninja
"Look, you better all calm down before I give you something to worry about!" Kai yelled at the Dragon and Oni. Both sides had started getting extremely agitated after seeing Wu and Keyda pass out; many were taking it as a sign.
"Oh yeah, that's really gonna help them calm down, Kai. Good job." Jay called to him. The red ninja turned, irritated.
"Well, then you better get Wu to wake up so he can shower them with all his pretty talk. As it is, if they don't wake up soon we're gonna have a riot on our hands!"
Jay sat with Zane, who was analyzing Wu.
"All his vitals and other signs indicate that he is in a shallow level of sleep…so it is strange that we are unable to wake him…"
"Hmm, sleeping you don't wake up from….that's what being unconscious means!" Jay yelled. A few yards away Cole sat holding Keyda, looking for signs that she was waking up. It really did just seem like she was sleeping, but the whole power-surge worried him. He thought of his mind void; could they have gone to a similar place? He felt a flash of panic. Could they have gone to limbo?...
"HE'S WAKING UP!" Jay's yells caused Cole to look over at him and Zane. Sure enough, it seemed like Wu was stirring. He felt Keyda move and he looked back down at her.
The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was the Idiot glaring at her. She blinked a few times.
"Still mad, then?" she muttered. He scoffed.
"Is this what you're gonna do every time we fight? Pass out and make a huge scene for attention?"
"Well, it seemed to work so well for you…."
He rolled his eyes, not amused. She smirked a little.
"Are you alright, then? What happened?"
She strained to get upright and he helped her to sit up.
"The union is completed…the prophecy is broken…"
Wu told the other ninja as much a few yards away.
"Of course there had to be a lot of magical fanfare; couldn't just have a nice hand-shake wrap everything up…" Jay grumbled.
"Well, there really is nothing like sealing off a magical deal with a vision of those who invented it…" Wu mused.
"You saw Antirock?" Zane asked, incredulous.
"But…isn't that guy dead?" Kai pointed out. Wu looked past his students and the restless crowd.
"I promise I will fill you all in…but it appears that at the moment we have a more pressing matter to smooth over…"
25
