In case some of you are not aware, I do art for Heart of the Oni. You can find it on my tumblr,

or on my deviant art page, I'm Princess Keda on both.

I am open to suggestions and or commissions! Stop on by! :) Enjoy!


101

Keyda watched as the outsiders regrouped.

"They're gathering again…they keep pointing at the portal. I think they're going to try to close it…" She turned back to look at Cole and noticed that he seemed to be nodding off.

"Hey!" She shook his shoulder and he jolted awake. "Don't pass out on me; we're in the middle of a war zone here!"

"Sorry…" he said, blinking as he looked around. "I was listening, I swear! Can you tell how they're going to close it?"

She frowned as she watched the dragons preposition themselves. After a few moments, they all seemed to be preparing to fire.

"They're going to blast it, apparently,"

Cole smiled thinly. "Ah…sounds like something I would do."

Keyda rolled her eyes as the dragons opened fire. As the attacks hit the portal, the ground around them started rumbling. Keyda looked down in alarm.

"They're going to kill us all!" She hissed. The rumbling grew more agitated as the dragons continued to fire on the portal.

She turned to see the Idiot trying his best to stay upright as the ground shook.

"We can't stay here…" she started.

"NO!"

A scream echoed in the courtyard and Keyda turned to see Garmadon angrily firing on the dragons. They were able to dodge, but the intervention was causing the blasts to be less even. Another shockwave swelled through the air and the ground. The pillars near the portal collapsed and S.O.G began to run in an effort to get away from the collapsing portal.

"Keep firing!"

She heard Zane's voice above the chaos, as well as Garmadon's as he yelled at his forces to stay put. Another surge knocked everyone still standing off their feet. The pillar behind them creaked and dust fell down on them. Keyda made eye contact with Cole; there was nowhere to run. She put an arm around his waist, and he put one around her shoulders as they braced themselves for the next wave.

"It's collapsing! We need to be clear of the aftershock!" Zane's voice called. The Dragons split up as the Portal fully caved in on itself. The force of the collapse tore through the courtyard, literally breaking up the ground and causing any pillars left standing to crack or collapse completely.

Both Keyda's and Cole's grips tightened as they felt the surge go by. The pillar behind them heaved and Keyda looked up to see that the top half of it had broken off and was falling towards them. She blasted upwards, knocking the falling rubble out of their path. It landed with a crash next to them, and she let out a shaky breath, hands in the dust.

"You still alive?" she asked. She felt Cole laugh.

"Believe it or not…" he said quietly. His voice was a little shaky and she realized that he was probably in pain from all the jerking and jolting.

"Kill them all!" She heard Garmadon howl. She turned to see what the rest of the aftermath looked like. Unfortunately, as she did so she made eye contact with a recovering S.O.G, who immediately nudged one of his neighbors and pointed.

She cursed and Cole looked over, questioningly.

"We're about to have company…"

Ninja

The surge caused the ninja to tumble through the air; they struggled to keep their Elemental Dragons from dissolving.

"Well…at least it's closed…" Nya gasped. Her dragon had ended up next to the Ultra-Dragon, and she looked over at Lloyd and Wu. "Time to deal with Garmadon?"

Wu looked down at where his brother was glaring up at them.

"Indeed…" he looked at Lloyd. "Are you willing to try?"

Lloyd looked down at the gloves. "I'm willing to do anything, if it means that I can get my real dad back."

Zane pulled up next to them. "From our analysis, the portal is sealed. The damage was mainly underground; from what I can tell, the tunnel system that was under the palace is collapsing. Other than that, the damage has been minimal…"

"The tunnels?" Lloyd asked, feeling a jolt of sickness. Everyone looked at him, confused.

"Is…that a problem?" Zane asked. Lloyd swallowed.

"I left Harumi down there…"

Nya scoffed. "Serves her right."

Lloyd shook his head. "No…we can't just leave her there to get crushed! I'll be right back…I have to go get her."

"But you're running out of time to save your father!" Nya argued. "Besides…we don't owe Harumi anything. She's tried to kill you…multiple times!"

Lloyd looked conflicted. "But I can't just leave her…"

Nya sighed angrily. "Lloyd, go with Wu and save your dad."

"Nya, I can't just…"

"I'll go get Harumi. I've been meaning to give her a piece of my mind anyways." She took off towards the tunnel entrance.

Lloyd blinked in shock as they watched the water dragon evaporate near the tunnel entrance. Soon Nya had disappeared down into the tunnels.

He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll have to trust they'll be ok…but Nya is right. We're running out of time to save Garmadon." Wu said.

Cole

Cole swallowed as he saw the alarm on Keyda's face. They were sitting ducks behind this pillar…but there was nowhere for them to go. And even if there was, he wouldn't have been able to get there. Sitting up against the pillar, breathing shallowly, the pain wasn't too bad….but there was too much pain in his back to stand.

"Maybe we could just play dead…" he whispered, once again defaulting to dry humor. Keyda gave him a look that made it clear she didn't find him funny. His smile faded.

"How many?"

"At the moment? Three…"

"Three. That's not too bad."

"Yeah…except I'm out of energy and you already have a foot in the grave."

"How close?"

"Only a few yards now…" she turned back to him. "We have to move."

He shifted his weight. "Move where?"

She didn't answer, and he took that to mean that she didn't know either. He would suggest that she leave and get somewhere safe…he was the dead weight here, after all…but she was already angry and he figured she wouldn't appreciate that suggestion. She stood, fists clenched as t three thugs approached. None seemed to be carrying weapons…but even after getting knocked over by the power surge they seemed in pretty good shape.

Two rushed Keyda at once and she dodged the first's punch and kicked the other in the middle. He groaned and crumpled, but the first managed to land a kick of his own and Keyda fell forward on her hands and knees.

"Keyda!" Cole said, trying to move to help. Pain erupted up his spine, and he grit his teeth as he pulled away from the pillar.

Keyda had meanwhile regained her standing position, and she and the other thug were in a stand-off.

Cole watched in anxious anticipation and didn't see the third thug coming up from behind him. An arm suddenly wrapped around his neck, cutting off his air. He struggled in the thug's sleeper-hold, trying to summon his earth punch. He managed to pull the S.O.G's arm off his windpipe and he gasped for breath. The biker grunted in frustration, kneeing him harshly in his lower back. The red-hot pain caused him to scream out, and Keyda turned. When she saw the situation her eyes flashed purple. The thug she was fighting went for another hit and she blasted him backwards and in the next second she was next to Cole. The thug looked up in time for her to land a crushing punch to the side of his head. He crumpled to the earth and for a few moments she and Cole just sat, taking shaky breaths. Her hands were on her knees; Cole could tell that the fighting had only worn her out more.

"Are you ok?" she finally asked. He rubbed his neck ruefully, nodding. She straightened and looked around.

"There are only going to be more of them…and I can't fight them all off." she finally said.

Cole looked over to see another group of S.O.G headed their way.

"Now would be a good time for a really good idea…" he said quietly.

Jay

"Uh…where's Nya going?" Jay asked as he watched her head over to the tunnels.

"Looks like she's got a mission of her own," Kai commented nearby. "But if Lloyd and Wu are going for Garmadon now...we need to keep the S.O.G off their backs."

"They just don't stop coming…" Jay commented. What the thugs lacked in general brains they made up for in being annoyingly persistent.

"You get the south side, Jay…I'll try to shut down the entrances." Kai said, flying off. Jay nodded and started heading towards the south when he heard a scream. He pulled back on his dragon; he had put enough spiders in Cole's bed to recognize that scream. He immediately began scanning the area below…it wasn't really that big of a space; where was Cole? Had he been here the whole time?

A flash of purple caught his attention and he caught sight of Keyda. No doubt Cole was nearby…behind that pillar? He directed his dragon to head over to where they were. He noticed another group of S.O.G headed towards them and shook his head.

"Not today, criminals." He said in his best Fritz Donnegan impression. Lightening exploded from his dragon and the group of S.O.G shrieked and ran for cover. He chuckled in victory.

Cole

Cole watched in amazement as the group of bikers was suddenly hit by an explosion of lightening. He smiled in relief and moved so that he could see Jay in the air, flying on his elemental dragon. He shook his head as he could see his friend shouting something down at the S.O.G, though his voice was lost behind the crackle of lightening. Fritz Donnegan quotes, no doubt.

His gaze wandered around the courtyard. Across the grounds Kai seemed to be barricading the entrances, and Zane was working with P.I.X.A.L to keep the S.O.G away from the center of the grounds—that's where Garmadon was…

Something caught his eye and he looked over to see a stray thug; he had just poked out behind the remains of another pillar. He had a crossbow, and seemed to be aiming for…

"JAY!" Cole yelled in warning, but his friend couldn't hear him. "JAY!" He struggled to move, to do something. He watched in horror as the thug fired, and everything seemed to slow down to a sickening rate. Jay cried out as the bolt hit him in the shoulder, and his dragon exploded into stray strands of lightening. He dropped out of the sky as Cole watched helplessly. He tried to move, to run over and help, but only succeeded in wrenching his back.

"NO!" He screamed. By now Keyda had caught sight of what was happening. She froze, unsure how to stop the blue figure's fall.

A flash appeared under Jay; he seemed to be trying to summon his dragon again. The attempt failed, though it did seem to slow his fall. A moment later he hit the ground hard.

102

The tunnels were, in fact, collapsing. Nya wiped dust out of her eyes as she sprinted down each corridor. It occurred to her that she didn't actually know where Harumi was…but she had been too annoyed with Lloyd to think of asking him before this point. She heard a rumble and jumped forward to avoid a collapsing chunk of ceiling. That's when she heard the shrieking.

She ran towards the sound, coughing.

"Harumi?!" she called. It was so dark…how was she supposed to see anything? Nya turned another corner, feeling frustrated with herself and the situation and everything.

Another scream came from her left as she heard more rubble collapse. She headed down the corridor with her hands out in front of her, feeling her way.

"Who's there?! Get me out of here!" Harumi's voice came echoing down the hall as the self-proclaimed empress heard the footsteps.

"Hold on..." Nya snapped, feeling both a little relieved to have finally found the witch and annoyed that she was having to save the arrogant brat. "Where are you?"

"Nya?!" the water ninja could hear the contempt in Harumi's voice. "What are you doing here?!"

"Well I'm about to leave without you…" Nya said angrily. Her hand finally ran into something; Harumi. She shrieked at the touch and Nya grimaced at the sound as she searched for the end of the rope.

"Don't get any ideas…" the water ninja warned as she followed the rope to the pillar. She pulled out her spear and cut through the binding to the column, but she left Harumi's hands tied up behind her.

"Don't expect me to thank you…" Harumi said haughtily. Nya rolled her eyes and pushed Harumi forward in the darkness.

"Really, just having you shut up would be thanks enough…" Nya grumbled as they walked. "If it was up to me, you'd stay tied up down here."

"Then why are you here?" Harumi snapped as she slowly picked her way through the tunnel, trying to avoid running into rubble in the dark.

"Because it wasn't up to me!" Nya yelled back. She shoved Harumi forward again, and the former quiet one glared at her in the dark. A rumble echoed through the corridors, and Harumi nearly tripped on something.

"This would be a lot easier if you'd just untie me…." she hissed. Nya gave her another push.

"Not gonna happen…and I thought I told you to shut up."

Cole

Cole watched Jay hit the ground and everything went cold.

"NO!" He screamed again, and immediately tried to stand up. The pain in his body dulled as his panic caused adrenaline to flood his system. Jay wasn't moving…he had to get out there…he had to help him!

Keyda was suddenly right there, pushing him back against the pillar.

"Stop…"

"Let go!" he yelled, struggling against her firm grip. "They shot Jay…"

"COLE, STOP. You're just going to hurt yourself more."

"I said let go!" His arms and scar flashed as he fought against her. "He's hurt! He could be dead!"

"He's not dead, Idiot…" she said, not releasing her grip. "It was a clean hit to the shoulder and he was able to break his fall…"

"Clean hit?! He was shot with a crossbow!" Cole yelled. He continued to look over where Jay was unmoving on the ground. What was the last thing he had said to him?

What if he was dead? A million memories raced through his head of Jay making some smart comment or another, cracking jokes, panicking…but now he was lying unmoving yards away and Cole wanted to throw up. Jay was the first ninja Cole had met after joining up with Wu all those years ago. Cole had been so closed off then, but the persistent freckled kid had wormed his way in. He could be argumentative, defensive, annoying…but he had a heart of gold and a way of bringing people together. He was Cole's best friend…no, he was more than that. Jay was like his kid brother, and the thought of losing him made Cole shake with dread.

The pain was beginning to make itself known once again as he continued his fight against Keyda.

"You can't even stand up…" she hissed.

"Then help me!" he snapped back. Jay still hadn't moved.

"You're wouldn't even be able to help him, the state you're in."

His arms flashed again as he shoved back against her. She glared at him.

"STOP!"

"I CAN'T LOSE ANYONE ELSE!"

He was crying now and Keyda's expression softened; in everything she had seen him go through, she had never seen him cry. She gave him a final push down, but looked him in the eye.

"Ok…Ok." She turned to look back over at the figure in blue. "We can help, but you are staying here. Alright?"

He finally stopped struggling, the tears just silently coursing. She was still looking at him, waiting for his answer.

"Ok…just help him…"

Everything felt so cold… he shivered as he watched Keyda get up and look back over to where Jay was. She glanced back at Cole.

"For once…just please stay put." Then she sprinted out into the open.

Ninja

Keyda reached Jay and was relieved to see that he was still breathing, though he seemed to be unconscious.

She rolled him over. He must have hit his head…and he had the bolt sticking out of his shoulder.

"Like one wounded idiot wasn't enough…" she muttered, undoing the cloth binding on her other arm. She grasped the bolt; first thing first, that needed to come out. Jay woke with a start at the shoot of pain, and immediately shot out with lightening.

"HEY!" she screamed angrily as he sent a jolt up her arm. "I'm trying to help!"

He squinted up at her.

"…Keyda?"

"Who were expecting, your mother?" she snapped angrily, trying to get a grasp on the bolt. "Hold still…"

"That hurts…" he mumbled, still not quite alert. She looked around to make sure that there weren't any other S.O.G coming for them. They were alone for now…Zane, that metal girl, and the hothead were keeping them at bay it seemed.

"You were shot, idiot. Of course it hurts." She got a good grip on the bolt and an idea struck. She shook Jay, trying to get him to wake up more.

"I'm going to pull this out...then you need to shock it…"

"What?" He still looked dazed and she shook him again, harder.

"You need to electrocute your wound…it will seal it and keep you from bleeding out." she said harshly. He swallowed and she could see that she was finally getting through to him. She took a breath and turned her attention to the bolt.

"You ready?" she said and he nodded, tensing in anticipation. She pulled back and he cried out as the bolt came out.

"Now." She ordered, helping him put a hand to his shoulder. He closed his eyes and turned away as a shot of power crackled under his hand. She felt his body jolt in pain, but she was surprised that he didn't actually make any sound.

She moved his hand out of the way and inspected the wound. After she was convinced that it was cauterized, she moved to bind his arm to his body. He winced as she moved it.

"Does anything else hurt?" she asked as she finished.

"Everything…." he moaned.

"We need to get out of the open." she muttered. He nodded his understanding and she helped him stand up. He put a hand to his head, wincing.

"Is Cole ok?" he asked as they started moving towards the pillar.

Keyda frowned. "He'd be better if he wouldn't make stupid decisions…"

"I hear that…" Jay scoffed, trying to ignore the pounding in his head.

An explosion sounded to their left and they looked over to see dust shooting out of the entrance to the tunnels. Jay cried out and began moving towards the explosion. He grit his teeth against the pain that was shooting from his shoulder and head as he moved as quickly as he could.

"Where are you going!?" Keyda yelled after him as she watched in disbelief.

"You take care of boulder-brain…I have to find Nya!"

103

Garmadon watched the portal collapse and began radiating Hatred. These bikers and thugs…they were weak. It was because of his reliance on them that his plans were falling apart. That's why he needed the Oni; a force that would truly measure up to his vision and image. The force of the surge had pushed him backwards, but he leaned forward into it, refusing to be knocked down. He watched the ninja spin out of control, regroup, and split up once more.

"Kill them all!" he screamed. If these oafish followers could keep the rest of the ninja at bay—or better, get rid of them altogether—then he would be able to deal with his brother and son. He wanted to be rid of them both…but with the portal gone he would need them in order to recreate it.

He watched the Ultra-Dragon draw closer and sneered.

Lloyd

"Wu…what do I do? I mean, how do we save him?" Lloyd asked as they got closer.

"First, you must clear your mind. Meditation will draw your aura out, and then you can send it to your father…"

"How am I supposed to clear my mind with so much going on?!" Lloyd asked. He could hear explosions, screams, not to mention the worry that gnawed at him for each of his friends in battle.

"Close your eyes." Wu instructed. Lloyd did so. "Think of your father; in order to connect with the rest of his soul, you must have a vivid picture in your mind."

Lloyd tried to do so…but so many memories vied for attention. His father coming to the rescue…leaving…scowling….laughing. But the memory that kept forcing itself to the front of his mind was the fight in Kryptarium Prison.

"I have no son…"

Lloyd closed his eyes tighter and clenched his fists as they started buzzing again.

"You must not focus on the negative, Lloyd….think of your father as he was before you ever met this husk."

Lloyd swallowed and pushed the memory away.

"You think that because you've destroyed the portal, that you've won?" Garmadon yelled out. "You haven't done anything but postpone the inevitable…portals can be rebuilt. But you will lose your friends in the meantime."

Wu leaned forward and spoke to the dragon.

"Keep us out of reach of his attacks…but as close as you can get. We'll do the rest." The Dragon roared with two of its heads in response and dove in closer.

Nya

An entire tunnel collapsed, shooting dust and debris throughout the under-palace labyrinth.

Nya and Harumi coughed in the darkness.

"We're both going to die down here if you don't untie me!" Harumi said angrily.

"How do I put this nicely…" Nya retorted. "I. Don't. Trust. You."

They heard rumbling above them and Nya shoved Harumi again.

"If you don't wanna die, then I suggest you get moving, quiet one."

They took off running blindly down the hall as the roof behind them collapsed. Nya was more terrified than she would like to admit; she had run from a lot of trouble over the last few weeks…but running from unseen danger in the pitch-darkness was a much scarier experience.

Harumi's foot caught another piece of rubble and she went down. Moments after Nya hit and went flying over her. She hit the ground and skidded a bit, and she heard her spear clatter across the stony floor. Her heart was in her throat as she immediately felt along the ground for it.

She heard a small scraping sound as someone picked the spear up off the stones, and then a soft swipe as Harumi cut through her bonds. The Water Ninja froze; Harumi was free, she had a weapon…and Nya had no idea where the quiet one was.

Wu

Wu was struggling to summon his aura; so much of it had been taken for the portal. How would he connect with his brother now?

Garmadon continued to throw orbs at them as he fumed and threatened. Wu blocked out his words and tried to picture the real Garmadon. He remembered the friendship they had shared as children, the camaraderie that they had achieved in adulthood during the serpentine wars. He remembered the sacrifice his brother had been willing to make in the Corridor of Elders. He had let his older brother down in the past…but this time he couldn't afford to.

Garmadon yelled out in anger as he saw Wu begin to glow.

"Do you think there is any chance of saving me now?! My old self is dead and gone…this is all that is left!"

The Ultra-Dragon dove out of the way of another attack.

Ninja

Zane watched as P.I.X.A.L plowed through another group of S.O.G. Their numbers were dwindling now. He looked over at where Kai was finishing his entrance blockades. For good measure, he lit them on fire.

"That should keep everybody else out." The fire ninja said confidently. He looked around and frowned.

"Where's Jay?"

Zane realized that the lightening dragon was nowhere to be seen. He did a quick scan and located him.

"There." he pointed at the figure in blue running towards the underground tunnel entrance.

"Where's he going?"

"I do not know…the tunnel system is collapsing; there is nothing down there to…"

"It's collapsing?! My sister's down there!" Kai yelled.

"That's probably why he's headed there, then." Skylor said from behind him.

"Zane." P.I.X.A.L said, having overheard the conversation. "Your ice will come in handy keeping the entrance from collapsing. I will hold off the forces on this front."

"I'll stay behind as well." Skylor said, standing up behind Kai. "You go help your sister."

"You sure?"

"Hey, just because I can't pull off a fancy dragon anymore doesn't mean that I can't handle myself." Skylor said, jumping off the dragon and onto P.I.X.A.L's mech. "Now hurry, Nya might not have much more time."

"I don't even know why she went down there in the first place!" Kai said angrily as he and Zane headed for the entrance.

Lloyd

Lloyd's fists continued to buzz…did that mean that it was working? Or that it was trying to take over? He remembered the feeling of being filled with Hatred and shuddered.

I can control it…it doesn't control me. I need to save my dad.

He kept his eyes closed, trying to figure out if he had an aura or not. How would he even tell? The buzzing was getting stronger again and he pushed away the feelings of anger that it tried to set off in him. He was mad at his Dad for leaving in the first place. He was angry that his father ever had to be evil…he was angry that he had been brought back as the monster that he was. He was angry that he had lost his powers…that his friends had left…that he couldn't do this.

I hate this….I hate him…I hate…

NO.

He opened his eyes. He needed to use this power, but that didn't mean he had to give in to the Hatred. It was a destructive force…but he didn't need to use it in that way. He wasn't here to destroy…he was here to make a change. To bring his father back.

He closed his eyes again, and pictured his father. His hands buzzed again, but this time, it was almost a calm feeling.

Dad….I know you're in there…

Garmadon

Garmadon watched as Lloyd began to glow as well and he yelled in frustration. They were too late, anyways…let them try to connect with the rest of his soul. There really was nothing left to save.

104

Jay's head was spinning, and his shoulder was in agony. He still wasn't really sure what had happened…one minute he was blasting bad guys and the next he was waking up to Miss-Suunshine ripping a crossbow bolt out of his shoulder. He reached the entrance to the tunnels and headed in, his left hand crackling to light his way. He glanced down at his right arm, now bound to his body. He hoped that he could get Nya out of here with just his left one.

"Nya? NYA!" He called out. He coughed; there was still a lot of dust in the air. He started running down the tunnel, the light from his hand illuminating cracks in the walls.

"That is not good…" he muttered. "NYAAAAA! Where are you!?"

He turned down another hallway. He had always been good at mazes…but the panic and the pain were interfering with his mazing skills. Why wasn't she answering? Was she hurt? Or worse?

"NYYYYYAAAAAA!"

Cole

Cole watched Keyda run towards Jay. He felt so frustrated to have once again been rendered useless when his best friend needed him most. In the distance, Garmadon was yelling and the ground continued to rumble from the earlier surge. He watched as Jay seemed to wake up as Keyda knelt beside him and sagged with relief; he was alive then….

He continued to shiver. When had it gotten so cold? He watched as Keyda pulled the bolt out of Jay's shoulder and winced; no doubt that shoulder would be in agony for a while. She was telling him something now…Cole's eyelids began drooping and he shook himself awake. He couldn't fall asleep, not now! He shifted his position and rubbed his eyes, but despite his efforts to keep himself awake his vision continued to dim.

He woke up in limbo and felt a stab of panic. Why did he keep coming here? Was he never going to be free of this horrible place? He shuddered at the thought. The grey expanse loomed around him, as blank and imposing as ever.

He turned to find a nearly transparent Garmadon, once again asleep, hovering nearby.

"Oh no…"

He tried moving closer so that he could wake him up, but right then a golden rope came blasting into the void, heading straight for Garmadon.

It went through him without connecting.

Cole's stomach lurched in panic; was it too late?! The connection couldn't be made?

"Garmadon!" he called, continuing to move closer. "Wake up!"

If he woke up, would the connection work? How much longer before he just faded to nothing?

The void around him suddenly vanished as he was once again jolted awake. He opened his eyes to a glaring Keyda.

"I was only gone five minutes!" she said angrily. He blinked, disoriented.

"…What…" he remembered Jay suddenly, and looked around to find him. "Where's Jay? Is he ok?"

She rolled her eyes. "Apparently, he's fine enough to be running off back into danger. Honestly, you are all insane…"

Cole sagged with relief at hearing that Jay was alright, but then he remembered the other crisis on their hands.

"I have to go back." he said suddenly. Keyda looked at him, confused.

"Go back? Go back where? You can't even…"

"They can't connect with him…I have to wake him up…" Cole continued, sounding panicked, but Keyda just shook her head in irritation.

"You aren't making any sense!"

Cole was looking around the pillar. He could see Garmadon and the Ultra-Dragon.

"Garmadon…in the limbo world. He's fading and they won't be able to save him unless I go back…"

Keyda grabbed him, looking at him intently. "What are you talking about?! We saved you from the Limbo world…you can't go back."

He looked at her, brows knit. She looked angry…and scared.

"Keyda…I've been pulled there over and over ever since you woke me up that first time. I thought it was nightmares, but then…"

"What?"

"It's every time I fall asleep!" Cole explained. "But I always wake up…so it's not like it was when I first went there. I don't know why, or how...but Garmadon's still there and he's…"

She shook her head. "That shouldn't be happening, Cole…why haven't you told anyone!?"

He swallowed; they were getting off track and Garmadon didn't have much time.

"He's fading, Keyda, and unless I go back they won't be able to connect with him…"

"They can't connect anyways." she argued. "I couldn't link to him…I already tried. Wu's plan failed; Garmadon's already doomed."

"No, he's not…that's why I brought Lloyd the gloves; if he and Wu make the connection then it will work!"

Keyda couldn't wrap her mind around everything he was saying. Cole had been going to limbo? Was that were he was just before she woke him up? And what gloves...

She suddenly remembered the orbs the green kid had been throwing.

"The Baron's gloves?!" she accused. "What could you possibly be…" she stopped as another thought struck home.

"You said you brought them to him…" she said softly, and she noticed that his expression began to look a little guilty. She couldn't believe it.

"You got caught on purpose?!" She was basically shaking him now, fuming.

"Keyda…I had to, otherwise…"

"You promised you would stay in the cave!" she continued.

"I did! They found us there!"

"So you were supposed to get as far away as possible! Cole, he nearly killed you!" She shook him again. "When are you going to learn that you aren't invincible!?"

He grimaced; her grip on his shoulders was getting quite painful, but Keyda was too angry to care.

"Keyds…"

"Don't call me that!"

"Keyda, I know you're angry, but Garmadon doesn't have much time…"

"The monster?! That's who you're worried about right now!?"

"The real Garmadon isn't a monster…he's a good man and he's fading away! You have to let me go back…"

She had stopped shaking him, but she didn't stop glaring.

"NO. If you go back every time you sleep, then I'm keeping you awake until we can figure out how to fix it…forever."

He glared back. "I have to help him!"

"No you don't!" Her eyes swam with angry tears. "You don't have to….you've never had to take any of these risks…so why do you keep taking them?"

He was getting angry himself; Garmadon was nearly gone, and he could do something about it if she would just let him!

"Compared to everything else we've done, this is hardly a risk! I always wake up…I won't get stuck there…"

"You don't know that! You aren't even supposed to be going back there at all!"

"Even if it was a risk, it's my risk to take! It's my decision!"

"Your decisions keep getting you closer to getting killed,Idiot!"

"You want to talk about risks…you've been taking plenty of them over the past week. Why is this any different than you helping us, or standing up to the Baron, or agreeing to rule the Oni…"

"Because there was always something to be gained!" she shouted at him. "Don't you get it?! I don't have anything to gain from you going back into Limbo… but I could end up losing you. And that is one risk I'm not willing to take." She swallowed and looked away. "I'm not letting you go back…so just drop it already."

He looked back over at where Garmadon was fighting with the figures on the back of the Ultra-Dragon. Wu and Lloyd were glowing; they were ready to make the connection…but soon there would be nothing to connect to. He turned back to Keyda; she was sitting next to him, crying openly now. He shivered in the cold, trying to figure out what to say to her.

"Why did you save me…that first time?" he finally asked. She didn't answer.

"You were supposed to be catching a dragon," he prompted. "Your whole future depended on it. But instead you took the time to break my fall and save my life. You said that you only take risks that you can benefit from…but what benefit could come from saving a stranger?"

Her jaw was clenched as she shrugged.

"I wanted to take you to the Baron…"

"No, you didn't. You were upset when the Baron showed up and found us… you didn't want us to have anything to do with him. Why did you really save me that day?!"

Her fists tightened as he continued.

"You can't answer it…because you don't know why, do you?"

"Shut up." she said, refusing to look at him.

"You want to know why you saved me? Because you could. I'm not saying you were attempting to be a hero…you didn't weigh all the options to make your decision. In that moment something in you realized that you were the only thing standing in the way of me and death and you decided to do something about it. That feeling is the same reason I've been taking all these stupid risks. I don't want to die, Keyda. But there isn't anybody else who can take these chances…it's just me standing in the way between someone and an awful fate. We can't just let him disappear…regardless of the consequences that would have on the realm, it wouldn't be right!"

"You're obsessed with doing the 'right thing', you know that?" she said quietly. "But how do you know that this is the right thing? What does that even mean?! Who's to say that you should sacrifice your life to save him instead of him sacrificing his to keep you safe?"

He didn't answer right away, and they could hear Garmadon yelling in the distance. He reached over and took her hand. She let him…but she still didn't look at him.

"I'll be fine…I promise. The only life on the line in this is his…and if I don't do this, then everything we've risked and sacrificed up to this point would be for nothing."

She sniffed softly, staring at the ground.

"Last risk…then, I'll stay in a hospital room for a month if you want me to."

He shivered again; he was so tired. Her grip on his hand tightened.

"But Cole…if I lose you..." she said, finally speaking.

"Keyda…look at me." he said, and she finally looked over. Despite her glare he could tell that she was more scared than angry. He gave her a little smile.

"It's going to be ok. I promise." he said gently. His heart pounded as he took another risk.

He leaned in and kissed her. He felt her stiffen, and he half expected her to strike him down right then and there. She didn't.

He pulled away and she just looked stunned. She blinked a few times and in the silence that followed his eyelids grew heavier. For a moment she looked like she was going to shake him back awake, but then she stopped.

"You had better wake up…" she finally said.

His vision blurred again…his last thought was that she was still holding his hand.

105

"Nyyyyyaaaaaaa"

The call echoed down the corridors, and Nya's heart pounded. It was Jay…he had come looking for her. She wasn't sure if she should be relieved because he could help her against Harumi…or worried because Harumi would be able to target him.

She heard the soft scuff of a footstep…Harumi was moving now. The Water Ninja tried to pinpoint where the quiet one was, but it seemed Harumi had gotten that nickname for a reason.

Nya practically held her breath, not wanting to give away her own location.

"Nyyyyyaaaaaaaaaa!"

She needed to let Jay know where she was, and warn him about what he was walking into. But she couldn't do either without letting Harumi know where to aim her spear. They waited in the dark for a few more moments, and then the self-proclaimed Empress struck.

The Spear sparked against the stone just to Nya's left; somehow or another, she had known where Nya was. In the quick-dying light from the sparks, Nya could make out Harumi as well. In seconds she had rolled out of the way as Harumi struck again.

Zane

Zane created columns of ice in an effort to stabilize the entrance to the tunnels. Kai had wanted to go running in to find his sister, but the nindroid had advised against it. It was already dangerous having two of their teammates in a collapsing tunnel system; having Kai running around would be more of a hazard than a help.

Kai blasted at any bikers that came their way; if he wasn't allowed in the tunnels, than they definitely weren't.

"What do we do if the tunnels collapse completely with them inside?" Kai asked, panicking.

"I do not know…for now we need to hold on to the hope that they will make it out before that happens."

Lloyd

"Wu…I can't find him!" Lloyd said, his face scrunched in concentration. As he searched with the Oni aura, it was like he could sense his father without actually pinpointing him. Cole had mentioned that his father had been fading…were they already too late?!

"He's there…" Wu called back, but he was running into the same problems. "We just have to keep trying…."

Garmadon laughed cruelly beneath them.

Jay

Jay stopped walking. There was no point in continuing walking if he didn't know where to go. Why wasn't Nya answering?!

He let his lightning wink out so that the crackling wouldn't distract him from hearing what other sounds were echoing in the tunnels. He hated waiting…but something told him that was exactly what was needed. After a few moments he thought he could hear scuffling noises…like a fight. He began running towards the sound.

Cole

The Limbo world had become cold as well, and Cole shivered as he finally reached Garmadon.

"WAKE UP! WAKE UP!"

The older man didn't react in any way, and the Master of Earth groaned in frustration.

"We're so close!" he yelled. "You told me that it had to be Wu and Lloyd… they're UP there right now! They're trying to connect with you!"

Was it really all going to fall apart right now, right at the finish line?!

Another bolt flashed around them, purple this time.

"C'MON!" Cole yelled again. Yelling had worked last time…why wasn't it working now? "I know you've been here awhile, but you can't give up. You're Garmadon! You're like the definition of 'never quits'!"

Nya

Nya fired water all around her. Since Harumi already knew her location, she might as well try and figure out where that she-devil was hiding. The water splashed across the walls and pooled on the floor. Nya stood rigid; Harumi wouldn't be able to move around in the ankle-deep water without making some kind of splash, giving away her position.

"Nya? Are you down here?"

Jay was getting closer, and Nya swallowed. She heard splashing to her right and jumped backwards. There was a metallic clang as the spearhead hit the stone wall where she had been standing.

Nya could hear someone running towards them. There was a glimmer of light crackling in the distance; Jay's lightning.

"Careful Jay!" she finally called out, immediately moving so that Harumi couldn't shish-kabob her. Her heart pounded in her ears as the glimmer of light came closer.

"Nya!" she could hear the relief in his voice. "Why weren't you answering?"

"It's Harumi! Be careful!" she called. There was more splashing as Harumi tried to stab her once again and Nya dodged out of the way. Jay's light was helping her catch glimpses of the metal spear; at least she knew where that was.

"What?! Where?!"

Nya dodged as the glinting spear struck out again and again.

"Nya!? Are you alright?!" Jay's voice sounded panicked now. Nya backed up and ran into some rubble. It was quite a large pile, and an idea suddenly struck. She climbed up onto the rubble, getting clear of her own puddle of water.

"Jay…fire now! Aim for the ground!" she yelled. She hoped he would just listen for once, instead of questioning it.

A bolt of lightning lit the hall as Jay fired low towards where he could hear Nya. It hit the puddle and there was a scream and a splash as Harumi dropped the spear in the water, and then a second splash as she collapsed into it. Nya closed her eyes in relief as Jay ran forward into the puddle.

"Oh my gosh, who screamed?! Was that you, or Harumi...Nya?! Where are you!?"

"I'm right here, Jay," she said, grabbing his arm. He cried out—she must have scared him. Though, it almost sounded like he was in pain…

The walls around them suddenly started to rumble; apparently the already compromised tunnels didn't appreciate being electrocuted.

"We have to get out of here," Jay said, wrapping an arm around her, protectively.

"Wait." Nya said, pulling away. "Give me some light…"

Jay's hand lit up and Nya was able to pick Harumi out. She was passed out in the shallow puddle, and Nya ran over to her.

"Ohhh…now I get what you were doing…" Jay said as he caught sight of the unconscious villain. Nya slung one of Harumi's arms over her shoulders and stood up.

"Let's get out of here. Do you know the way to the exit?"

"I'll have you know, I'm very good at mazes, Nya. I've got quite the memory for them." He flashed her a mischievous smile and she couldn't help but smile herself. While rolling her eyes, of course.

"A little help here, Jay?" she called. He looked over at where she was struggling to hold all of Harumi's dead weight. He looked down at his flashing hand and back.

"Oh…ok. But, we'll have to go without the light…" he said as his hand winked out. A few moments later she felt him lift Harumi from the other side.

"Why can't you use your other arm?" she asked as they took off down the tunnel.

"I…..can't really use that arm….at the moment." he said vaguely.

"What? Why not?! What happened?!"

They heard splashing as the tunnel behind them was collapsing into the puddle.

"I'll explain as soon as we get out of here!" Jay promised. Nya huffed.

"Fine. I'll add it to the list of things you need to fill me in on."

Lloyd

Lloyd tried to tune out the sound of Garmadon's laughter. His dad…his real dad was in there somewhere, and he was going to find him! His heart pounded with the realization that if they couldn't save him now, he would never see him again. Not even in the departed realm, based on what little details Wu had given about this limbo void. He stretched his aura farther, trying desperately to find the man who he had idolized so much for nearly his entire life.

Cole

"PLEASE!"

Cole continued to yell as the flashes appeared again and again. They wouldn't connect to him…he was too far gone. Cole wanted to throw up; they had been so close.

"You have to wake up…we got sent to an entirely different realm just to find the person who could help you! So much has happened…so much more will happen…if you just fade away. The monster out there now is going to kill people!"

Garmadon still didn't stir, and Cole yelled out in frustration as he continued to shiver.

"He hurt Lloyd! He hurt your son…he injured him so badly that Lloyd doesn't even have his powers anymore! Imagine what he'll do to him if you don't wake up right now!"

There was a stir, then, and Cole felt a flash of hope.

"Your son's out there…he's trying to find you. He needs you to come back…we all do. Heck, Ninjago's fate rests on it!"

Another stir, and Garmadon slowly opened his eyes. He looked at Cole with dazed confusion.

"What…are you doing here?"

As he woke, his form seemed to become more substantial. Cole almost cried with relief.

"You're awake! You're awake…oh, I thought it was too late there for a second, but you woke up…"

Garmadon struggled to sit up, and Cole tried to help him, but his hand went through him.

"Oh yeah…forgot about that." he said, looking down at it.

Garmadon's breathing was slow, and he wasn't totally coherent, but Cole had to hope that it was enough for a connection now. He looked around and waited for another flash.

Wu

Wu tightened his grip on the Harness as the Dragon below him ducked and weaved. He had tried to connect so many times now…his aura was basically gone. He knew deep down he would only be able to try once more. He grit his teeth and sent out the aura.

Brother…please…you have to be in there somewhere…

There was that familiar glimmer, the one he had been aiming for this entire time. He swallowed and sent the aura for one last shot.

Dark Garmadon yelled out as he felt the connection latch on.

24