Nicki's Story

WE HAVE REACHED THE HUNDREDTH CHAPTER! We just want to thank everyone who has read this far and enjoyed! It has been a pleasure to read all the wonderful reviews and we just can't thank you guys enough! We have around 20 to 30 chapters left so we are almost there!

Enjoy!


96

"Everybody….quiet!" Nya yelled suddenly. Everyone in REX hushed and looked at the water ninja, unsure if she was getting the command to move in via her com-link. She shook her head, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Something's wrong with Lloyd…I've…I've never heard him sound like this before…"

"Does he want us to come in?" Kai asked, just as Jay said "Is he ok? Did Harumi hurt him?"

"No…it's not that…" she looked up, concerned. "Guys, he sounds…like his Dad. I think he's going to kill Harumi!"

"What?" Misako asked, immediately concerned. "That doesn't sound like Lloyd at all…"

"Well…didn't you give him gloves full of dark power? What'd you expect?" Ronin asked from the pilot's seat. There was a touch of concern under his gruff tone.

"We wore the Oni masks…" Skylor pointed out. "They didn't have that kind of effect on us…"

"It is possible that the gloves have tapped into Lloyd's Oni side, making him act in ways that he would not otherwise as they tap into his potential for True Hatred…" Zane noted, concerned.

"We need to get in there." Nya said suddenly.

"I thought we were supposed to…" Ronin started, but Kai cut him off.

"Look, if Lloyd is going AWOL, we need to get in there to pull him back out of it. The way Nya's describing him, he may just as soon attack his father as he would try to save him."

"The ninja are right...my son has already been through so much. You cannot let him become like his father…" Misako argued.

"Time to get back to the action!" Jay agreed, sounding both nervous and excited. "Also…time to see if we really can connect with our energy dragons…"

"You sure you don't want me to just land? A lot less life threatening to try to make a dragon from the ground than from jumping out of a ship…" Ronin pointed out.

Zane shook his head. "The S.O.G are tracking us; though they aren't close enough to have eyes on us, if they found out we landed they will realize that not all of us are on the ship…"

"So you want REX to be the red herring while the rest of you storm the temple," Ronin translated.

"You got it." Kai said, heading for REX's side door. "Anyone mind if I go first?"

"Perhaps it would be best to at least wear a parachute, Kai, just in case…" Zane pointed out. The red ninja rolled his eyes.

"Fiiine, mom, I'll put on a parachute." Ed handed him one and he slung it over both shoulders. He turned back to the open door. After closing his eyes and letting out a breath, he leapt out of it.

"Woooo! C'MON!" he yelled as he fell. He summoned his elemental dragon, and a few moments went by with nothing. He felt a thread of panic. "C'mon…."

Suddenly flames erupted beneath him and he landed on the back of a red dragon. He punched his fists into the air.

"OH YEAH!"

Jay leapt out of the aircraft next, followed by Zane and then Nya. Soon each of their dragons were gliding through the air alongside REX

"I can't believe it!" Nya cried. She had forgotten how much she missed riding on her elemental dragon.

"Looks like they have our backs after all!" Jay yelled.

Kai flew his dragon up close to REX, and Skylor jumped off onto the back of it. He looked up at Ronin.

"We'll keep in touch via com-link…just try to keep those S.O.G as far away from the temple as you can, Ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, how about you go do your job and I'll do mine, firebrand?" Ronin called back.

The Walker's waved from the window.

"Be safe Jay! After this is all over…you really need to bring all your friends around for dinner!" Enda called. Jay rolled his eyes a little.

"OK mom!"

Lou limped his way over to the door as well. He swallowed as he watched the teens start to fly away over the desert.

"Find my son." he said softly.

Harumi

Harumi's eyes flicked between Lloyd's face to his glowing hand as she tried not to react to the pain in her wrist.

"Now…this is a surprise…" she murmured, a slight tremor in her voice. "Picked up a few new tricks, have we?"

"What's wrong, Harumi? Was this not part of your plan?" his voice was low, taunting. She swallowed; he hadn't ever talked to her like this. She tried to pull off a blithe smile.

"Are you going to kill me, Lloyd?" She managed a teasing tone.

"You don't think I can?"

She glanced back at his hand, which was glowing brighter. Her mouth was dry as she continued. "I suppose I just never thought you would….despite everything, I know you still have feelings for me."

She gasped as the pressure on her wrist grew tighter, but then it relaxed slightly as the look of hatred flickered on his face; he was fighting himself again. "How do you figure that?"

She shrugged slightly. "It's like your little Oni friend said…you can't have hate without affection, right? I KNOW you still care…"

The blast threw her backwards and she hit the wall hard.

"Not anymore."

She pushed herself up on her hands and knees and looked at him. She took in his profile…the glowing hands which illuminated the look of loathing. She laughed to hide the fact that she was trembling.

He approached slowly, the purple light causing shadows that danced on the walls. For the first time, Harumi actually saw a resemblance to his father.

"Something funny?" he asked, purple eyes flashing. She had managed to make it back to her feet as he drew closer.

"You asked me what I've been waiting for…" she gestured to him. "THIS, Lloyd….this is what I've been waiting for." He had nearly reached her, and she resisted the urge to take a step backwards. "You swore you'd never become a monster like me…or your father…but just look at you now. I knew that it would only be a matter of time before I finally broke through your 'infallible green ninja' façade and got to the real you."

Lloyd yelled out and charged her. She spun out of the way, darting down one of the tunnels. He ran after her, catching glimpses of her pale hair in the light of his glowing fists. He tried to blast her, but he missed again and again. His eyes flashed in frustration, and he finally chose to blast the ceiling further down the hall. Harumi screamed as the tunnel roof collapsed; she was forced to jump backwards to avoid the tumbling debris that now blocked her escape route. She turned, desperate to find another exit, but a blast finally hit home and she screamed again as she smashed into another wall. She panted, looking up slowly. Lloyd loomed above her, aiming one hand for a point-blank hit. His hand shook…he was still fighting it. She glared defiantly as she trembled.

"Go ahead Lloyd…" she said quietly. "Prove me right."

His face contorted, his hand shaking harder. She shook her head, the fear fading as she realized that he didn't have it in him after all.

"Aren't you tired of fighting? Fighting me, your father, your destiny..." She began inching away from his hand. "Stop fighting, Lloyd. Just give into it; the Oni side is in you, just as it is in your father…this is who you are."

"No." His eyes closed as the battle within himself became harder to contain.

Harumi had stood, and the purple light glinted off of the knife she had regained during her escape run. She had also recovered her composed demeanor.

"That's your problem, Lloyd…you just wont accept who you are…what you are. And so you will forever remain a lost little boy, stuck in the in-between."

He gasped as his eyes flashed again and again. He looked at her and caught sight of the knife.

"Then…why haven't you just killed me Harumi? You've had…multiple…opportunities."

"I just wanted the moment to be right…I've waited a long time, you know." She ran a finger along the blunt side of her knife, still watching to see how his internal battle would turn out.

"So say this time you actually do it…what next?" He forced himself to lower his arm a little.

She raised an eyebrow.

"After you kill me, Harumi…what do you have left?"

She looked away from him, staring at her reflection in her knife. "Hunting down your friends…I suppose…"

"And then what?" The purple flashes were less frequent now. "What do you have besides revenge, Harumi? What will happen to you once you don't have any more scores to settle?"

Her eyes hardened as her grip on her knife became more determined. His face began to relax, the purple power at his fists dimming.

"That's why you hesitate, isn't it? Every time you have me, you wait…it's because the second you lose me…you lose your purpose…"

"You always did overestimate your importance…." her eyes glinted dangerously. "To your father…to the world…to me…" She launched towards him but he dodged each of her attempts to stab him.

"I know you hate me Harumi…you hate me because to you, I'm the reason behind your unhappiness. Behind your loss…"

"YOU ARE!"

"I was a ten year old kid, Harumi….my friends and I did all we could…"

She screamed out as the knife blade cut the air again and again, never quite striking her target. Memories came unbidden to her mind, fueling her hatred.

"...we couldn't beat the great devourer. That's true. But we didn't kill your parents."

Sparks flew out as the knife connected with the stone wall.

"You hate me now….but I suppose you must have cared about me then. Trusted in me; that's why you blame me so much. After all…" he dodged another swipe as Harumi shrieked in annoyance. "….true hate can only be accomplished with affection, right?"

"You're the reason they're gone! And I won't have avenged them till you are dead!"

"Is this the life they would have wanted for you? Would your parents be proud if they could see you now?"

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT MY PARENTS!"

Lloyd sidestepped, the light from his gloves nearly gone. Soon it was impossible for Harumi to even see where he was, and she spun in near-hysteria, trying in vain to hit him. He couldn't escape…not again. All that mattered was her revenge; it didn't matter what came after it. The knife collided with walls and pillars, shooting more sparks. She tripped on a boulder; part of the crumbled tunnel roof. As she hit the ground, she lost her grip on her knife and she listened to it skid down the hallway. She panted in the sudden silence, realizing that Lloyd probably wasn't even in the pitch-dark hallway anymore. Tears were coursing down her cheeks. She couldn't remember the last time she had cried.

"You can't escape Lloyd! At the end of all of this, either you or I will be dead…you cannot escape that!"

"No."

Purple light flickered nearby, and she turned to see Lloyd looking at her. All traces of Hatred in his expression were gone now…replaced by pity. She glowered through her tears, still on the ground.

"I'm not going to kill you, Rumi. But that doesn't mean that you'll be victorious. It's time to let go of the Hatred…you're destroying yourself."

She launched at him with nothing but her bare hands. He dodged the punch, grabbing her arm and whipping it behind her. In seconds he had bound her wrists behind her with the rope he had left to find.

"Noooo…" she wailed, fighting him as he bound her.

"I can't do anything with you right now…I have to go find Cole and make sure he's alright. But maybe while you wait here, you can think about what we talked about." He finished the knot, and then attached her to a pillar. "These sure are handy for locking people up, aren't they?" he said, dryly. Then he stood. She glared at him in disgust and hatred.

"Goodbye, Rumi." The light winked out, and he was gone.

97

"At this point…I should just build a summer home here or something." Cole muttered as he stared—once again—at the grey expanse. Was he really here? Or was it another vision? Or…nightmare? But something was missing…

"Garmadon?" he called, but his voice echoed in the nothingness, and there was no sign of Lloyd's father. He tried to move, but walking was a hard feat to accomplish when one is floating in limbo. He finally gave up any semblance of normal movement and moved his arms and legs in a swim-like manner.

"Garmadon?!" He felt a stab of panic. Had he faded already? He looked around, trying to catch any glimpse of Lloyd's father. He stopped flailing; it really was getting him nowhere.

"You can't be gone…we need you…if you're gone there's no stopping your evil self!" He looked around again, and this time he saw a glimmer of something in the distance. He hurried to get to it, his swimming motions finally bringing him close enough. He sighed in relief as he saw that it was, indeed, Sensei Garmadon. He appeared to have fallen asleep, and he looked almost blurry around the edges. Cole tried to grab him to shake him awake, but his hands went right through him.

I cannot be saved through physical means…

"Wake up, Garmadon…WAKE UP!" Cole shouted. His heart was pounding, but he felt a flash of hope as the older man's face stirred.

"GET UP! You can't fade...you have to hang in there!"

He threw his hands through him, annoyed that he couldn't actually touch him in any way to wake him up. If Garmadon faded before Lloyd and Wu could get to him, then it was game over.

"C'MON! LLOYD NEEDS YOU!"

Garmadon's eyes flew open, meeting Cole's for an instant before the earth ninja was once again ripped back to reality.

Lloyd

Lloyd crept down the hallway. Was this the way his father had gone? It was hard to tell in the dark, but he didn't dare light up his gloves too brightly for fear that somebody would see him. Or worse, the gloves would try to take him over again.

It was strange…the power that rushed through him had felt both freeing and binding at the same time. He had faced many villains, and he'd even go so far to say he despised some of them. But that feeling of total Hatred? He couldn't remember ever feeling like that in his life.

He tried to think of what he would do if he ran into his father. Though he had beat Harumi, the battle had taken a lot out of him; especially since he had to fight himself the entire time.

Maybe these gloves weren't the best idea…

He stopped walking. It was pointless for him to wander around in the tunnels; he could get stuck down here forever. How was he ever going to find his friend?

"….Cole?" he whispered, hoping he was close enough for the ninja to hear him. "Are you here?"

There was no answer. Lloyd's mouth was dry; what if his father had actually killed him?

"Cole?" He gave up whispering, talking out loud as he forced his gloves to emit more power so he could see. He caught something glint in the distance. Could it be the small gold flecked links of vengestone chain?

He ran towards the gleam, and he sighed in relief when he saw that it was indeed his friend, chained up to a metal railing.

"Cole…Cole…" Lloyd shook him gently, trying to wake him up. The Earth Ninja woke suddenly with a gasp, as if coming up for air. He blinked in the darkness, probably trying to get a grasp on where he was.

"Are you alright?" Lloyd asked, and Cole looked over at him, eyes finally focusing. "Did my father hurt you?"

"Your father? No, he's…" Cole trailed off as he realized that Lloyd was talking about his run in with the dark Garmadon. "Oh…well, it wasn't a pleasant conversation, but believe it or not it was probably the least-painful thrashing I've had all week." He talked as Lloyd used his powers to break through the lock on the chain. "But Lloyd…we have to work fast."

"What do you mean?"

"I just saw your dad again…I mean, your real dad…the good one…"

"Again? How?"

"I don't know…but the fact is, your dad's fading, Lloyd."

Nausea lurched in the green ninja's stomach. "What?"

"People can't last in that limbo place…I had only been in there for less than a day when I started to fade. Your Dad's been in there for two weeks and I don't think he's going to be able to hang on much longer."

Lloyd swallowed and nodded. He looked down at the gloves. Cole seemed to realize for the first time that there was purple light emanating from them.

"You figured them out!" he said, sounding relieved. "We're one step closer, then."

"I guess…" Lloyd said, still looking at the gloves. Cole looked at him, concerned.

"Lloyd…are you ok?"

Lloyd opened his mouth, wanting to tell his friend that this was a bad idea. That the gloves did something to him when he tried to use them against others. That they unlocked feelings within him that frightened him because he didn't know where they came from. But then he thought of his real father, fading away in some limbo world, and shut his mouth.

Lloyd clenched his fists and turned towards the ninja in black. "I'm fine. Let's do this."

P.I.X.A.L

P.I.X.A.L's com-link buzzed, and she turned from Borg's hospital bed to take the call.

"P.I.X.A.L…is Borg alright? Did you find a hospital?"

"Zane," P.I.X.A.L smiled. "Yes…he is situated now. The doctors said that he is going to be alright…he did a good job cauterizing the wound. He will probably be here for a few weeks…as long as everything goes alright…battle wise." She explained.

"I am relieved to hear that. P.I.X.A.L, we are headed to the Temple of Resurrection. We could use your help, if you can spare it."

P.I.X.A.L turned and looked at Borg. He caught her glance and assumed its meaning.

"By all means, P.I.X.A.L, get out there and help your friends! Don't worry about me…you can always come back and visit once you get rid of the Garmadon threat once and for all."

"I'll meet you there, Zane…" she said, turning off her com-link. She turned to face her creator.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes…shoo! Go save the world!" He replied, waving his hands. She shook her head, smiling. She turned to leave as Borg cleared his throat, and P.I.X.A.L turned back, quizzical.

"It's not true…what that red nindroid said back in the tower. If you were truly a static program, you'd still be giving tours for Borg Industry. I may have created you to be a personal assistant…but you have evolved on your own and truly become your own person." He glanced away then, seeming embarrassed. "I…I just wanted you to know that…."

She looked at him tenderly. "Thank you." She went to leave again, but once again turned. This time she went over to his bedside and gave the inventor a hug. He blinked in surprise; he couldn't remember the last time someone had hugged him. He sighed and hugged her back. She let go and gave him a smile before actually leaving. He cleared his throat, adjusting glasses over misty eyes.

"Good luck." he whispered.

Keyda

The vortex was more than just a smoky mass now; it had form and depth. It was leading somewhere. Keyda was struggling to continue her fight; as the aura continued to leave her, she became weaker. There was part of her that was tired of fighting. Why not just give in? Just let this horrible man use her to bring the Oni here…then she would never have to go back home. The dragons could have their realm, and the Oni would have a new one. Then she could leave this ghastly temple and find the Idiot…make sure he was ok.

But if the Oni came here she knew that this beautiful realm wouldn't stay beautiful. They were easily led right now…they'd follow whoever they feared the most; and this Garmadon character was terrifying. She knew that the Oni would want to come here. They would come to be free…but she knew that they wouldn't find liberty here. This monster would tap into their potential for hatred and destruction…they would become his army of beasts and would lay waste to everything. The people of this realm…including the friends she had just made…they would be enslaved or destroyed.

Nearby Wu had fallen to his knees. He grimaced as more of his aura was lost, the vortex flashing with brief images of a desert world.

"It's…almost complete…" he called out.

"Indeed it is, brother…"

Keyda and Wu turned to see Garmadon watching the vortex with a satisfied expression.

"And when it is, I will no longer have need for any of you." he said, looking down at his younger brother. Wu's expression was hard.

"I may not be as easy to get rid of as you believe, Garmadon."

Garmadon's gaze slid over to where Keyda continued her vain struggles.

"You I can still use, however. I can only assume that the other Oni know you…you will convince them to join me."

She shook her head. "I'll be no help…I'm just a nobody. And besides, I would never help you."

Garmadon smiled. "You already are helping me…"

She glared as additional hate aura floated off of her, only to get sucked into the vortex as well.

"Careful Keyda!" Wu warned. She looked away from the four-armed freak as she tried to calm herself. Garmadon laughed.

"It amazes me that you continue to listen to my brother, when his plan has failed. For all his hopes and dreams and speeches, at the end of the day, he's not going to be able to deliver on what he promised you."

She shook her head. "He didn't…promise me…anything…" she pulled harder on the aura chain, but the realm in the vortex was growing more physical. Garmadon continued looking at her condescendingly.

"The Oni side is, above all else, selfish. The fact of the matter is you wouldn't be here if you weren't hoping to gain something."

"At this point, seeing you dead would be payment enough." she snapped. He looked surprised to be spoken to in that way, but she didn't care.

"I know what it is you want, girl. What I don't understand is why you would think to gain it by joining with my brother." He was near her now, and for the first time she could see him up close. She noticed his ribs were exposed, one weeping some strange liquid. She looked away in disgust as he talked. "If you want something…you have to take it. That's how the Oni world works."

"Some things can't be taken." she said coldly, still not looking at him. He smelled like decay.

"Everything can be taken. Loyalty…respect…love…"

Keyda stiffened as he continued.

"You say affection gives me power? I say it weakens you. As long as you care about something, you open yourself up to pain and allow others to manipulate you. They say that fear is the great motivator…but I would argue that people do more for those they love."

She forced her breathing to be even, but her hands were trembling.

"You've guessed it by now…" he said darkly. "When this portal is done, you're going to convince the Oni to join us in this realm. And for your help…he'll get to live."

"I don't know what…"

"Or, I'll go get the Oni myself." he said, cutting her off. "It will be harder…but I'm sure I'll manage in the end. And when I get back, you can watch me rip him apart. They say that earth was made to be broken…but he'll reach his limit at some point, I'm sure."

She hugged herself, trying to get the trembling to stop. It…it couldn't be true.

"How…how do I know you aren't…"

"Lying?" He smirked, tossing something on the ground. After catching sight of the scrap of black fabric, she shut her eyes. He hadn't escaped.

"My brother has lost…the ninja have lost. But unlike them, who will pay heavy consequences, you get to decide how much you lose. So, little Oni-girl…what do you choose?"

98

"That's a lot of bikers…" Jay pointed out. They had landed their dragons on a building so they could make observations before swooping in, Dragon's blazing.

"Are there even any following REX?" Kai asked.

"From what I can tell, they have divided their forces. There are at least two-thirds here at the temple…"

"They're protecting something…the question is, what?" Nya said. They could see some kind of dark swirling form, but from their hidden angle it was impossible to really see what was going on.

"What we need is a closer look…" Skylor said.

"I agree…I cannot get a good scan on the dark disturbance from here…" Zane said. Suddenly, something landed next to them on the roof and they all turned in surprise.

"Whatever it is, my Dragon/Oni power scanners are picking up large amounts of both." P.I.X.A.L said from the large mech she was in.

"The Samauri X suit! You got it back!" Nya said excitedly.

"Borg told me they had been keeping it in the tower ever since I had to leave it behind, that night we escaped on the canals." P.I.X.A.L explained. "I decided with all the S.O.G here, I had the perfect opportunity to take back what was mine."

"Well it will certainly come in handy." Skylor noted.

"You said that there was a lot of Dragon and Oni power in that mass?" Kai said, pulling the conversation back. "Anyone else get the feeling that could be…"

"Wu and Keyda!" Jay said, making the connection. "Garmadon's using them to make…that."

"Knowing Garmadon, it's nothing good." Nya said, peering through an eyeglass. "I'm glad that Lloyd got control of himself, and from what I can pick up in the com-link, he found Cole. But even with those glove things they're not going to be able to defeat Garmadon and all those thugs on their own. We need to get in there."

"We need a plan…" Kai started, but his sister shook her head.

"We don't have time to make one! We don't have time to sneak in like we did last time. I think our only option is to hit and hit hard." She slammed the telescope closed.

"I'm with Nya on this one." Jay said, putting his arm around her. "We don't know what shape Cole's in….and I doubt he's going to take this opportunity to escape on his own. We need to get down there before he actually gets himself killed."

Everyone unconsciously turned to look at Zane, as if waiting for him to compute the odds. He frowned, thinking.

"It is risky…but with the six of us, the Samauri X suit, and the Dragons…I think we stand a pretty good chance. It helps that the S.O.G don't have any air support; they don't know we've regained our elemental dragons. We will at least have the advantage of the high ground."

Kai formed his elemental dragon, jumping on. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go save the world already!"

Wu felt sick. He had to remind himself that the ninja were still out there…hope was not lost. But even if he and Keyda were able to make it out of this predicament, there was no way to bring his real brother back. He had been sure that their plan would work…it had to work. There was always a way. But it hadn't, and worse, he had played right into Garmadon's hands. He glanced at the nearly completed portal before looking back at where his brother stood over Keyda.

The Oni had stopped struggling. She sat unmoving, staring off into the distance without any expression at all as her hair whipped around her in the vortex's winds.

"Keyda!" Wu called out, but she didn't react. "He will not keep that promise…you cannot trust him."

Garmadon looked over at the man in the golden armor.

"On the contrary, Wu…when have I ever not made good on a threat? Those are promises I always keep…"

Wu pulled at the aura link; it was becoming thinner as the portal was nearing completion. Garmadon took a few steps closer to his brother, hands powering up. Wu swallowed as he neared; he wasn't sure if he would have the strength to stand up to his brother alone.

"Speaking of…I do believe I said I'd get rid of you the second you didn't become necessary…"

"How do I know he isn't already dead?"

Both brothers looked over in surprise at the sound of Keyda's dull voice. She wasn't looking at either of them; in fact she still hadn't appeared to have moved.

"He isn't." Garmadon said.

"And I just have to take your word on that?"

"He's weak, but he's still alive. And he's worth more living right now...but only if you are going to help me."

She seemed to sag as she let out a sigh.

"Ok."

"Keyda, you don't have to do this…." Wu called out as Garmadon looked at his brother with an expression of triumph.

She finally turned to him, expression grey.

"I'm sorry Wu. I really am…I wanted to help you save this world. But we failed…I couldn't do it. We lost."

"We haven't lost…not yet." Wu struggled to stand as he pulled against the waning aura. "You can't give up hope…"

"Don't you get it?!" She screamed at him, cutting him off. "He is my hope!"

Wu didn't know what to say, and there were a few moments of silence as the wind continued to whip around them and Garmadon looked on smugly.

Keyda began talking softly, and Wu strained to pick out her words amongst the wind and the vortex.

"You weren't there…but I was already forced to watch as they tortured him. I already had to watch him die." She shrank into herself. "It was because of me…everything that's happened to him is because of me. It almost destroyed me the first time…I can't do it again. If there's a chance that he could get out of this without suffering any more…" she looked up and met his eyes. "I'm going to take that chance."

Wu looked away. Of course he didn't want Cole to get hurt…but if Keyda went with Garmadon the Oni would be easily convinced to come to this realm. They would run out of time to save it…

"Like I said…I'm sorry. But saving your realm was never why I came, and you knew that. I only came to keep him safe."

Wu opened his mouth to say more when the aura chains suddenly disintegrated completely. The portal had been completed.

Perhaps we have already run out of time.

Lloyd

"Ok…I've definitely seen that pillar before." Cole said, stopping short.

Lloyd stopped as well, frustrated. "There are pillars every few feet…how would you even know if it's the same one?"

"Because it's got a hole in it that's shaped like a cake." Cole pointed out. Lloyd raised an eyebrow and Cole folded his arms defensively.

"I notice those sorts of things, ok? Point is, we're going around in circles."

Lloyd sighed, irritated. "I could have sworn it was two lefts, then a right, and then up some stairs…"

"Maybe it would help if we had a little more light." Cole said, looking pointedly at the weak spheres around Lloyd's hands. Lloyd clenched his jaw…he didn't want to use any more of this power than he needed to. Part of him still wanted to rip the gloves off altogether.

"I'm doing the best I can!" he snapped at the earth ninja. "Sorry if it isn't good enough for…"

"You know what? Forget it." Cole cut him off. He closed his eyes and powered up his earth punch, bathing the hallway in orange light. He looked up at Lloyd, a bead of sweat going down one side of his face.

"Anything look familiar?" he asked, arms trembling.

Lloyd looked around the now-illuminated tunnel. The two ninja walked forward, Lloyd checking down the shoot-off hallways. At one he finally stopped.

"It's this one. I remember those stone masks on the wall." Lloyd said, turning to Cole. The light went out as the earth punch faded. Cole fell sideways into a wall, steadying himself on it.

Lloyd frowned. "I know where to go from here, Cole. You need to hang back; you're too weak to be…"

"Keyda and Wu are out there with Garmadon...I'm not staying behind."

"The others are on their way…."

"Lloyd!" Cole said, and the green ninja trailed off as he saw the determined expression on his friend's face. "I'm not staying behind. So lead the way already."

99

Keyda watched as the aura link faded away, freeing her. Yet she continued to sit in the same place. She looked over to where Garmadon stood over a drained Wu, all four arms powered up for the kill.

"I've waited a long time for this…" he said. Wu glared in return.

"You'll have to wait a little longer."

Garmadon yelled and fired as Wu rolled out of the way. The purple blasts followed the man in the golden armor as he dodged and finally regained his feet.

Garmadon ran towards him, and Wu managed to block three of the swings. However, the fourth arm landed an uppercut that sent him flying backwards. Wu landed on his feet, putting one hand to the ground to steady himself as his feet slid back a few inches in the dirt. He looked up, face serious, as Garmadon was once again upon him. Wu was smaller than Garmadon—and lighter—and he used both to his advantage in order dart around him. He landed a kick from behind and Garmadon grunted.

"You have failed, Wu…there is no way to recover who I once was. This is who I am now…who I was always meant to be!"

"I chose to never give up hope…but if in the end I cannot save you, then I will defeat you!"

Garmadon swung again, fists flaming, but Wu jumped out of the way. He powered up his own golden orb and sent it flying into his four-armed foe, but even as Garmadon flew backwards Wu dropped to a knee as a dizzy spell hit. He didn't have the energy for aural attacks.

Keyda watched as Wu dropped to one knee. She bit her lip, willing him to get back up. Garmadon had already regained his feet and was coming in for an enraged attack.

Wu dodged one of the blasts. But another one hit dead on, throwing him back against a piece of rubble; part of the destroyed altar. His helmet flew off in the impact, and he struggled to get out of the way. Garmadon threw a long slab of rock—part of the top of the altar—and pinned his brother down. Wu struggled as Garmadon approached once again.

Keyda was standing now; he was going to kill him. She needed to do something…but she couldn't do anything…not without risking the tentative deal that had just been made.

"Don't!" she yelled out to Garmadon, but he ignored her as four hands powered up, all aimed at the unarmored head. Wu looked over, however, and Keyda saw the plea in his eyes. He was exhausted…and he wasn't going to be able to escape on his own. She closed her eyes and looked away.

"Garmadon…we're family…" Wu panted. "We were the best of friends…you don't have to do this…"

"Oh, little brother….I want to do this…"

Garmadon yelled out as he went to fire, but a large purple blast hit him in the side. He hit the ground and skidded along the dirt before sitting up and turning his crimson glare to see who had fired on him.

A terrified and exhausted Keyda was breathing hard a few yards away; the blast had taken most of what was left of her energy. She swallowed as Garmadon's gaze fell on her.

"I…I couldn't let you…" she panted, trying to get the words out. The dark emperor had regained his feet and was crossing the space separating them at an alarming rate.

"What made you think that you have a say in any of this?" He asked darkly. Keyda swallowed hard and tried to stand. He fired on her, knocking her back to the ground.

"That I would allow you to get in my way?" He fired up all four arms and Keyda gasped as four beams of power came shooting at her. She yelled as they hit home.

"You've spent too much time around the ninja, it seems…" The hate intensified and she screamed in anger and pain, fingers digging into the dirt.

"Don't you get it? You are not the hero in this story!" He said, voice getting louder as the beams became even larger. "You're the monster!"

"No."

Garmadon turned just in time to see Cole's arms power up.

"She's not." The earth punch hit Garmadon in the ribs and sent him flying across the temple grounds. He hit a pillar and the stone column exploded.

Cole ran over to Keyda, his path serpentineing a bit as his vision blurred. He shook off the dizziness and landed at the Oni's side. Meanwhile, Lloyd had run to Wu and was helping his uncle out of the debris.

"Wu….are you ok?" he asked. Lloyd's uncle looked at him, intrigued.

"Lloyd! Where's Harumi? How did you manage to escape?"

"Uh…" Lloyd looked down at the gloves he was wearing, and Wu's gaze followed. His eyebrows rose in surprise.

"The Baron's gloves…" he murmured before looking back at Lloyd with an intense gaze.

"You must be very careful, Lloyd…those gloves are full of a dark power…it will try to overtake you."

Lloyd's jaw clenched as he pushed against the stone slab pinning Wu down.

Cole touched Keyda's shoulder; she was still on her hands and knees, breathing hard and staring at the ground. At his touch she whirled at him; her face was contorted with hatred and her eyes flaming purple. He put his hands up.

"Keyds, it's me…it's just me…" he said, and her face began to relax, the purple fading.

"…Cole?"

He smiled in relief and was about to say more when they were both hit with a blast that knocked them across the arena. Cole bounced a few times before skidding to a stop. He barely had time to gasp in pain when another attack hit home, throwing him farther. He let out a whimper as he rolled to a stop; his ribs were on fire, and pain was exploding up from a point in his lower back.

"You fool." Garmadon rasped. Another rib appeared to be broken, and more purple oozed from the open wounds. He threw another blast and Cole cried out as he skidded into a pillar.

From across the arena, an exhausted and drained Keyda was trying to push herself up. Lloyd's hands began buzzing furiously, and he cried out as the power in the gloves once again shot throughout his body, trying to take over. Wu grabbed his shoulder, trying to calm him.

"You can control it, Lloyd….it doesn't control you!"

Garmadon yanked Cole off of the ground, slamming him into the pillar. The Master of Earth shouted in pain and fear, but Garmadon just leered.

"I suppose you're the hero in the story, then?" he mocked, slamming him a second time. "Does that make me the monster?" By the third slam, Cole's head started drooping; he was on the verge of passing out from the agony in his back. Garmadon shook him awake.

"You don't get to sleep your way out of this, boy. I could sense your pain from the first time I saw you…even if you try to hide it from everyone else, I know how damaged you are."

Keyda caught sight of what was going on and shook with horror and nausea.

"No…." she murmured as she lit both fists with hatred, but after a second they winked out and she fell back onto her knees. She was desperate to stop what was happening, but she didn't have the energy.

Garmadon leaned in close, and Cole closed his eyes to shut out the grotesque face as the villain sneered.

"But I made a promise…and when I'm done with you, there will be nothing left to break." Cole swallowed painfully as the villain continued. "…And then you will know the true definition of pain."

The ninja shook with fear and adrenaline. Suddenly a voice called out from behind.

"Drop him, Garmadon…if you want to fight, why not make it worth your time?"

The Emperor turned slowly to see Lloyd standing behind him. He had his childhood smirk, and his eyes glowed purple.

"I think it's time we had a talk, Dad." He continued, and his fists lit up with power.

Keyda

Garmadon stared at Lloyd for a few moments, not comprehending.

"How is this possible?" He finally rasped.

Lloyd looked down at his glowing fists with an amused expression. "Hereditary?"

Garmadon shook his head in response.

"You have no power….this is nothing more than a dirty trick…"

Lloyd's eyes flashed. "One way to find out." The beams of power hit both Garmadon and Cole. The dark emperor cried out and dropped the ninja.

"You would hurt your friend to get to me?" Garmadon snarled, surprised. His own fists were glowing now.

"I'm not the same person I was last you saw me…" Lloyd replied, and he launched another attack. Garmadon blocked it with a few blasts of his own and charged his son, yelling.

From across the courtyard, Keyda sagged in relief as she caught sight of Cole dragging himself behind the pillar. He was alive. She dodged a few stray blasts as she ran across the temple grounds. At one point she threw herself behind some rubble to escape the aftermath of a large explosion of Hatred, but she finally made it to where Cole had been left behind.

He was leaning up against the pillar, breathing heavily. His head was tilted back and he had one arm wrapped protectively around his middle. He looked over and caught her expression.

"I know…I know. I'm an Idiot." he muttered, trying to pull off a small smile. She didn't say anything as she knelt next to him, checking him over for injuries. The only sounds for a few minutes were the blasting sounds of battle as Lloyd and Garmadon continued their fight.

"How did you get caught?" She finally asked, her voice soft as she began unraveling the cloth binding around one of her arms.

"Who said I got caught?"

She gave him a withering look as she used her teeth to rip the long strip of cloth.

"I had everything under control…" he joked, wincing as she pulled him forward to wrap the bandage around his middle.

"You were supposed to be MILES away from here…" she tightened the bandage angrily and he clenched his jaw at the sudden tension around his ribs. "So if you didn't get caught…what are you doing here?"

He looked down at her bandaging job, which—though painful—was effective.

"Just wanted to even out the score…"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know, I'm pretty sure you saved me last time, so it was only fair I took my turn…"

She shook her head. "Don't do that."

"Don't do what?"

She grabbed his shoulder from the front and back.

"Joke around about this." She glanced up at his face. "This is going to hurt…" She warned before popping his shoulder back into socket. He grunted, fists clenching.

"….Thanks for the warning…" he murmured through gritted teeth.

Keyda turned and peered around the corner. Garmadon and the kid in green had made their way to the other side of the area, so now they were battling closer to the dragon. It hissed and snapped at them as a few stray blasts struck one of the heads.

"We need to move now…" She ordered, looking back to make sure the way was clear to the entrance of the temple.

"Keyda…"

"No use arguing…you weren't even supposed to be here in the first place." she said, situating herself next to him. She pulled his arm around her shoulders, getting ready to run.

"Keyda."

"On three, you're going to stand and we're…"

"Keyds, it's no use…I can't." He said, trying to remove his arm. Her grip was firm, however, and her jaw clenched.

"You have to. One…Two…Three."

She stood. Cole closed his eyes and tried to rise, but he didn't make it far.

"C'mon…" she urged, but he just shook his head, face betraying agony. She glared at him a few moments more before allowing him to sink back down into sitting position.

He breathed slowly for a minute. Somewhere Garmadon was yelling.

"I'm sorry," he said finally, eyes still closed. When she didn't answer he opened his eyes and saw her sitting a few feet away, arms wrapped around her knees. She seemed to just be staring out into the distance.

"It's my fault," she said dully, and he frowned. She swallowed and continued.

"He said if I helped him…he wouldn't hurt you. But I went against him and now we're never going to make it out of here."

"I'm glad you didn't."

She turned to glare at him. He smiled a bit.

"No good comes from siding with the bad guys…if you had, then you would have been the Idiot."

"But there's no way out of this! Don't you see that portal? As soon as he goes and gets the Oni, they're never going to leave. Imagine what's going to happen here if hundreds of beings with this kind of power…" she briefly lit her hands for emphasis "…decide to make this their new home!"

"A Portal?" He turned his head, trying to see around the pillar in the vortex. He had seen the dark mass earlier, of course…but he had had more pressing things to deal with and hadn't given it a close look. "That does sound like a problem…"

"You think?"

He frowned, listening to the fight going on behind them.

"Is he winning?"

"What?"

"Is Lloyd winning? The fight with his father?"

She looked around the pillar to get a closer look.

"I don't know…just lots of blasting and dodging and yelling…"

"Where's Wu?"

She looked around and realized she didn't see the armored guy anywhere. She scanned the area and finally spotted him near the Ultra-Dragon.

"I think that he's going to free his dragon…"

Cole closed his eyes, thinking.

"Wu and Lloyd need to link up with Garmadon…and our friends are on their way as well. They can destroy the portal..."

"And what are we supposed to do in the meantime, genius?"

He smiled sheepishly.

"You know…I was kinda thinking of sitting this one out…"

100

The dragons took the S.O.G by surprise. Kai smirked as he watched the bikers scurry around.

"Guess they weren't expecting this…" he chuckled. His Dragon roared and dodged a few crossbow bolts that came their way.

Zane froze a line of them and then looked over towards the temple grounds, frowning.

"The vortex…."

"Did you finally figure out what it is?" Jay asked, pulling up beside him.

"If my readings are correct, it's a portal."

Jay's dragon dove suddenly, dodging a flurry of bolts.

"A portal?!" Nya called a few yards away. "A portal to where?"

"Does it matter? If Garmadon made it, then we need to destroy it. Let's get in there!" Kai answered.

The bikers below heard the conversation and began sealing off the temple entrances. Jay rolled his eyes.

"They know we can just fly over the walls, right?"

"They will soon enough." Nya said, smirking. "Let's go destroy that portal!"

Garmadon

Another pillar exploded as Garmadon roared in frustration. Lloyd jumped out of the way again, still smirking.

"Getting tired, old man?" he mocked, shooting a blast that knocked his father backwards. Garmadon grimaced, glaring daggers.

"I don't understand…this isn't you…" he snarled.

"Maybe I'm more like you than you realize."

Wu

Wu had reached the Ultra-Dragon. The four heads lifted in anticipation as he tried to break through the chains. Another stray blast flew by, and Wu turned in alarm. His brother and nephew were still embroiled in battle, and Wu's brow furrowed as he saw the expression on Lloyd's face. His fears about the gloves were proving correct…and he still couldn't figure out how Lloyd had gotten ahold of them in the first place.

The chain finally broke as he mustered up enough energy for a small blast. Lloyd had Garmadon distracted, and he had seen Keyda rush to help Cole. That would have to be good enough for now; he needed to get the portal closed.

The Ultra-Dragon roared as it stretched its wings in freedom. Wu grabbed the harness and hauled himself up as the dragon took to the sky.

Garmadon turned at the roar and yelled in frustration. Suddenly the entrances opened and S.O.G began running into the temple grounds.

"Fools! You're supposed to be guarding the entrance from the ninja!"

"The ninja are here! And they have dragons!" one biker yelled.

Sure enough, dragons began pouring over the temple walls. As Garmadon aimed a blast, one of Lloyd's knocked him off his feet.

"I think this means you lost…" Lloyd said coolly, coming in closer.

Wu aimed four dragon blasts towards the portal, and the impact caused the temple grounds to shudder. The portal remained open, however.

Wu turned the dragon and flew over to where the ninja had gathered in the air above the temple.

"Can you figure out how to close it?" He yelled at Zane. The nindroid looked over.

"I'm running analysis…but so far, nothing."

"Why not just keep blasting it? It has to fall apart eventually if it has enough hitting it, right?" Kai asked, pulling up alongside them. Skylor was still seated behind him.

"Wu just tried that," she pointed out. "But it sent off those seismic waves. If we keep blasting it…"

"…It will could create a highly unstable implosion." P.I.X.A.L finished, flying up on her mech. "Just like what happened when we combined the masks with the armor."

"That kind of destruction would be devastating. I'm not sure we would be able to make it out…and all these S.O.G running around really won't." Nya said, looking down at the figures scurrying around and trying to fire at them.

"I know we have this huge portal problem…but has anyone else noticed that Lloyd is going in for the kill?" Jay cried out, looking down at where the green ninja was approaching Garmadon.

"It's the gloves…" Wu muttered, and Jay groaned.

"I told Cole this was a bad idea….he never listens to me!"

Wu faced his team with a determined look.

"Kai, Skylor, Nya, and Jay…I need you to keep those S.O.G off our backs. Zane and P.I.X.A.L, I need you to figure out how to close that portal. I'm going to try and get Lloyd back before it's too late." Wu ordered. The ninja nodded their understanding and their dragons broke off.

The Ultra Dragon dove low and Wu jumped off, landing in between Lloyd and Garmadon.

"Lloyd, we came here to save your father, not destroy him." he said. The blonde sneered in response.

"How can we claim to save the world when we never seem to actually wipe out the threats? Garmadon has threatened Ninjago for the last time…"

"But there is another way!" Wu cried, refusing to move even as Lloyd's fists powered up.

"Your way failed…" Lloyd's voice was unwavering, but Wu caught a brief break in his composure. Lloyd's eyes flashed, and his composure hardened once again. "Now get out of my way…I'll go through you if I have to."

Wu clenched his jaw, refusing to move. Lloyd rolled his eyes and seconds later Wu was blasted out of the way. Garmadon stood, expression hard.

"Do you really think you can defeat me, son?"

"I thought you had no son."

Nya

Nya poured water on a bunch of S.O.G, but it didn't really seem to do a whole lot of damage. Mainly they just looked annoyed at being wet. She turned to the crackling dragon flying behind her.

"All yours, Jay!" she called. He sent a bolt of electricity at the water and all the thugs in the puddle soon found themselves shocked.

Jay whooped as he pulled up, but Nya had caught sight of Lloyd's battle. She looked in disbelief as Lloyd blasted Wu out of his way.

"Umm…I don't think negotiations are going well…" Jay said panicked, having witnessed the same thing. Nya turned to him.

"Keep it up over here, Jay…" and then she dove low and jumped off her dragon as it evaporated into a cloud of vapor.

"Nya…be careful!" Jay warned as she marched over to the green ninja.

"Lloyd Stop!" She yelled, and Lloyd sighed in annoyance.

"Stay back Nya…I wouldn't want you getting hurt…"

"I know that you're angry, Lloyd…but you can't let those gloves control you!"

"They aren't controlling me…" Lloyd said, still facing his father. Garmadon had regained standing position, his four arms glowing as well.

"They're tapping into your anger…your capacity for Hatred!"

"You're the one who wanted revenge, Nya, and I promised you we would avenge our friends." Lloyd said, still not looking at her. Garmadon fired and Lloyd flipped backwards to dodge.

"I know…I was angry too." Nya said, slowly approaching her friend. "But our friends are ok…and we have a way to save your father!"

"My father is dead!" Lloyd yelled, finally turning to look at her. She swallowed at the sight of his glowing eyes. "This monster isn't him…and I'm going to make sure he can't hurt anyone else."

Garmadon took advantage of Lloyd's distraction to mount another attack. Nya blasted him back with water and the purple orbs went awry. Lloyd yelled out and the orbs around his own fists grew larger as he was about to fire.

"Please, Lloyd…" Nya said again. Her hair was whipping around in the wind caused by the continuous portal. "If you do this, you'll never get your dad back. And I don't know what you'd become afterwards…you're hurting your friends!" She had gotten close to him now, looking at him with a pleading look. "Where's the Lloyd I know?"

Lloyd glanced over at her and his glare softened slightly. His eyes closed as he fought for control. Nya bit her lip as she watched his hands shake. He put one hand to his head as he yelled.

Meanwhile Garmadon was building up a large attack; he still couldn't figure out how Lloyd had unlocked this power, but it posed a threat to everything he had been working to build.

Nya was too busy watching Lloyd's inner battle to notice, but as the Dark Emperor sent his attack flying it was cancelled out by a blast of fire as the Ultra Dragon swooped down. Wu lowered a hand from his place on the golden saddle.

"Hurry!" he called and Nya looked back at Lloyd.

"C'mon!" she said to Lloyd, willing him to open his eyes. His hands shook harder.

The Ultra-Dragon blocked another Garmadon attack and Lloyd finally opened his eyes. Nya almost cried with relief when she saw that they were no longer purple.

"I'm ok….I'm ok…" he mumbled, but he looked exhausted. He looked up and saw Wu and jumped to grabbed his hand. Nya formed her elemental dragon and together they took to the sky. Wu turned to look at his nephew.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah…" Lloyd said quietly. He looked down at the gloves and swallowed. "Wu? I'm…I'm sorry…"

"I understand, Lloyd…that power is hard to control. It may be best to remove the gloves at this point,"

Lloyd slowly clenched his fists open and closed. "I…want to…but this is the only way I can save my father."

Wu turned in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

"Cole said that my dad talked to him again…and he said that in order to save him, it has to be me and you. But since I don't have any powers of my own anymore, he brought me these. Do you…do you think it could work?"

Wu pulled the reins, having the Ultra-Dragon dodge another torrent of purple fire from Garmadon. He tried to process everything his nephew had just said; Cole still had contact with his brother? Or had he been told that back when he was in the limbo void? He must have found the gloves somewhere, but how had he gotten them to Lloyd…

"He got himself caught on purpose." he muttered. But if Lloyd could control the power of the Oni, then maybe there was still a chance to save his brother. He glanced over at his other students. They seemed to be doing well enough keeping the S.O.G out of the way, but that portal was still going to be a problem.

"Let's go see if Zane has figured out how we're going to deal with that vortex…" Wu said.

Zane

"The parameters are not forgiving for that course of action, Zane." P.I.X.A.L pointed out as they both studied the portal.

"It is keeping itself open…inter-realm portals are highly unstable. How has it not collapsed on itself already?"

P.I.X.A.L remembered back when they had destroyed the masks.

"Oni and Dragon power have opposing forces; by infusing the portal with both, their repelling forces are keeping the gateway open."

"That would explain it…but the bigger question is how are we going to shut it down without it destroying everything?"

P.I.X.A.L sighed in frustration. "I do not know…if we hit it with enough elemental power, it would disrupt the balance enough that it would destroy itself, but I cannot figure out a scenario in which there would be no damage."

"But what if we could limit it?" Zane asked. "If we balanced out the elemental attack, we could keep the destruction from getting too out of hand…"

"I still say that is risky…" P.I.X.A.L said. "But…it may be the only way we can get it closed."

Zane looked over as the Ultra-Dragon pulled up alongside them. "Do you have a plan?" Wu asked.

The nindroid looked over at P.I.X.A.L before answering.

"There is no way to destroy it without backlash…but if P.I.X.A.L and I can direct the different elemental powers, we should be able to get it to close without too much destruction."

Wu nodded his understanding.

"Get everyone in position."

29