Chapter 3 - A Path and a Purpose

"You said things would make sense after I brought the map," Cole demanded, sitting across from his captain. The woman was locked in a cell within the belly of the ship, most likely still shouting endless insults as she struggled to find a way to freedom. There wasn't one. Even if she sneaked out of the cell there really wasn't anywhere to go, unless she planned on swimming back to Ninjago. "I'm actually even more confused than I was before."

"Yes." Garmadon nodded slowly. "I will admit I wasn't aware of the map being. . . well, a girl."

"What is the map for? Where exactly are we going?"

"The island the map will lead us to holds a really special kind of treasure." The captain's eyes glowed with excitement, sending a wave of goosebumps down Cole's arms. "You've heard of the Teapot of Tyrahn, haven't you?"

Cole frowned. The name threw him into the past, to the stories and legends his father would recite alongside his friends. The teapot was supposed to hold a powerful Djinn who would grant three wishes for whoever freed him. "Well. . . yes, but it's a legend. You can't truly believe a teapot is going to grant wishes."

"Soto has seen it."

"And you'd really trust a pirate?"

"My brother has run into it as well," Garmadon added, "and he isn't exactly too fond of lying. This thing is real, Cole. Could you imagine all we could do, if we could wish for anything?"

A part of Cole could. A part of him was tempted, his mind creating images of what his life could be like if he were able to wish it into perfection, but something kept him from fully giving in to the idea. It simply felt. . . wrong. Everything had a price. What would be the consequences of getting all you could wish for?

"Well. . . I do hope it's worth it, Captain," Cole finally said, "because now your brother is no doubt going to come chasing after us. Trying to steal a map from under his nose is one thing, but kidnapping a woman is something else entirely. People will notice."

Garmadon scowled. "Let him come then. I've skirted away from this battle for too long. Maybe it's about time I faced it."

"Yes mom, I'll be back before lunch. Aren't I always?" Jay Walker ran to the door, anticipation causing his heart to beat ever faster.

"Okay well, stay safe." His mother, Edna, shouted after him, her eyes creased with worry as they always seemed to be. Jay nodded briefly, waving good bye to her while merging into the crowd.

His eyes jumped left and right, taking in the sights before him. Jay loved coming into the town when the shops were open and the customers were abundant. Every day, things were different. Different conversations, different people, different products. The flow of everything made his ever-curious eyes widen, and his steps became a little lighter as the atmosphere around him allowed him to relax.

But there was something that was always the same. And it was for this that Jay had made waking up early to walk around the town a routine. He reached the town's plaza, his eyes instantly locking onto the blacksmith shop.

Rain or shine, Nya was always there, always working on something new. Watching her mold the metal into whatever she desired was fascinating, and Jay never tired of it. From the first moment that he and his parents had arrived on the island, Jay had been drawn to her, and day by day he'd pushed himself closer, until he'd finally been able to strike up a conversation a couple of months back.

For each day after that he'd shown up, tentatively offering his friendship. Nya had been rather welcoming, laughing at Jay's terrible jokes and enjoying the stories he'd tell about his crazy inventions. He couldn't imagine going a day without sharing a couple of words with her.

Which was why Jay's stomach dropped with disappointment at the sight before him. The shop was closed, and there were no sounds from within. The whole place seemed dead. Jay looked at the people around him, wondering if anyone knew why the shop was closed, but everyone was too caught up in their own lives and Jay was too nervous to speak up.

Instead, he walked closer to the shop, leaning close to the window, until his forehead was almost pressed against the glass. He couldn't see anything. With the questions in his mind beginning to sour with a hint of worry, Jay headed towards the door. It wouldn't hurt to knock.

As he raised his fist, the door itself swung open.

When Lloyd woke up, confusion dazed his eyes.

It took him a couple of minutes to recollect his memories, and once they finally marched into place, he felt himself drowning in disappointment all over again. He'd been so close to seeing his father again, but he'd failed.

The ship would now be long gone and Lloyd was once again stuck in a place where he didn't want to be, surrounded by people he didn't want to see.

Then a hint of doubt began to creep into his already muddled mind. The thought made his heart ache with even more intensity, and he clutched his dark cape around himself.

What if his father didn't want to see him?

Lloyd had never entertained the thought. Somehow, he'd always believed his father loved him more than anything. That his father would have his own reasons for not approaching the island. Lloyd had always blamed his uncle for it all. It was Wu's fault his dad couldn't come close to him. It was his fault his dad had gone away.

But now, Lloyd's father had been so close. And yet, Garmadon had made no effort to reach his son. Why? Lloyd had done his best to slip away. He'd run, and run, and he'd reached the beach before the ship sailed away, but his father hadn't been waiting for him.

"We need to go. I didn't mean to sleep so long. Come on, kid, we need to go."

Lloyd shook the thoughts away, pushing the tears as far from his eyes as he could. If he was going to go back home, he wasn't going to cry. He didn't want his mother to see how much it all hurt. He didn't want her to say that things would be okay, that she loved him, and that his uncle loved him too.

"Okay," Lloyd responded softly, moving himself towards the door. The man went on ahead, and Lloyd followed, hating each beat of silence. The awkward air hanging between them felt suffocating, urging Lloyd to fill it with words. "So. . . What's your name? And, well, why were you outside in the middle of the night?"

"My name is Kai," the man responded. His voice sounded strained, and Lloyd had to wait a couple of beats before receiving his answer to the second question. "And my sister is missing."

"Missing?"

"Gone."

"I know what it means. I was wondering why she's missing."

"Well maybe you could tell me," Kai snapped back, reaching for the door. "Since it was your father that- "

Kai's words froze in his mouth, when he spotted the man standing on the other side of the door. His fist was raised, as if he'd been seconds away from knocking. To Lloyd, the man looked skittish and jumpy, his bright blue eyes eyeing Kai with a hint of fear.

"Jay?" Kai scowled.

"Hi," Jay responded. "Is Nya-"

"No, she's not. She was kidnapped by pirates and I'm trying to do something about it, so if you would excuse me." Kai pushed Jay aside none too gently, and stepped out into the town. Lloyd skipped forward, rushing to keep up.

"Wait," Jay trotted after them, falling in line just behind Lloyd. "Are you . . . serious?"

When Kai didn't respond, Lloyd chose to speak up. "He is."

Jay's eyes traveled down to Lloyd, finally taking in the child trotting along behind Kai. His eyes widened, and he looked back towards Nya's brother. "Why do you have the Admiral's son with you?"

"I am not his son. Garmadon is my father."

"Garmadon, like, the pirate Garmadon?" Jay asked, looking back towards Lloyd.

"Yeah," Lloyd nodded.

"Wow." Jay's instant belief of Lloyd's words made the child feel slightly more comfortable, and he slowed down enough to keep pace with him instead of Kai.

"I don't know why they took Kai's sister though."

"Nya," Jay prompted. "Her name is Nya."

"Is she nice?"

"Real nice."

Kai ignored both Jay and Lloyd, allowing their conversation to become nothing more than background noise. The worry he'd felt yesterday had tripled over night, and he could barely find the focus to do anything more than move forward.

The Admiral had to help him. Kai knew he couldn't do it by himself, although he wouldn't hesitate to try if it came down to it. He would go to the ends of the earth for his sister, just as he knew she would do the same for him. After both of their parents had left them with nothing but each other, Kai and Nya had grown closer than ever. He wasn't going to fail her.

But what if you have failed? A small voice in the back of his head nagged, making Kai's stomach twist upon itself.

What if it's already too late?

"Well, if you didn't fight with Lloyd last night, then why exactly is he missing, Wu?" Misako paced the length of Wu's office, her body pulsing with adrenaline. When she'd found Lloyd missing this morning, she'd been overcome with a wave of emotions. And now they were all directed towards Wu, in the form of very, very sharp anger. "You're the last one who spoke to him. You're the one who upset him."

"Misako, I said nothing to him." Wu responded for what seemed to be the hundredth time. "Lloyd couldn't have gone far. We'll find him, or most likely he'll come back on his own."

"We can't know that." Misako shook her head, finally stopping by the window. "Lloyd's. . . He can be stubborn. If he wanted to get far. . . I just don't understand why. Maybe if I knew, I'd know where to find him."

A soft knock echoed throughout the room. Misako straightened herself, blinking away the tears of anger and frustration. "Come in."

Zane, one of Wu's best guards, stepped inside. "Sir. Lloyd is back. The blacksmith ran into him last night, and he's brought him back. He also claims there's something really important he must tell you."

"Let them in," Wu said.

With a small nod, Zane stepped out, only to return with Kai, Jay and Lloyd close behind him. The moment Lloyd stepped into the room, Misako ran towards him, pulling him into a tight embrace. Lloyd stiffened.

"Why Lloyd? What got into you?" Lloyd's mother questioned, but the boy simply shrugged, refusing to meet her eyes.

Wu stood, moving his eyes away from Lloyd and Misako in order to face the man who'd brought them here. "And. . . how exactly did you come to find Lloyd?"

"And what's your part in all of this?" Wu then asked, finally placing his eyes on Jay, who had been trying his best to blend into the background.

"I, uh-"

Kai stepped in front of him, cutting off his words. "He's just someone who knows my sister, but he was just leaving."

With those words, Kai shot a glare at Jay, who finally stepped out of the room rather reluctantly. Wu then redirected his attention towards Kai. "This. . . well it's about my sister, sir. And. . . your brother. He was here, on the island, last night. I think. . . I know he kidnapped her, though I don't understand why."

"Garmadon? Here?" Misako turned to look at Lloyd. "Is that why you left, Lloyd?"

Once again, Lloyd shrugged. With a shake of her head, Misako herded Lloyd out the door. "Go to your room. I'll be up in a second. And we're going to talk about this."

After closing the door, Misako turned back towards Wu. Kai spotted a shared secret in their eyes, and he cleared his throat, eager to bring attention back to himself, to his sister. The Admiral looked back at Kai. "Well, young man, tell us everything then."

The moment his mother closed the door after him, Lloyd marched off towards the garden.

"Hey, wait," Jay, who'd been standing outside the door, moved after him. "What happened? Where are you going?"

"They're going to talk about my dad. That's why mom kicked me out, but I'm going to listen." Lloyd and Jay stepped into the mansion's garden. A couple of guards eyed Jay suspiciously, but didn't ask any questions due to Lloyd's presence.

"Can I listen too? The girl that's missing, Nya, she's my friend."

Lloyd nodded, urging Jay to follow him. Lloyd lowered himself against the grass, and Jay mimicked his movements. Soon they had both crawled beneath one of the mansion's windows. Although the window looked just like all the others to Jay's eyes, he trusted the kid knew what he was doing.

The both sat still, straining their ears, waiting for sound to reach them.

"Of course we'll help you, Kai. My brother has been running from the law for far too long. We will bring your sister to safety." The Admiral's voice finally rang out. Jay softened his breathing, not wanting to miss a word. "I will arrange a ship. I think I may have an idea as to where he will be headed. His ship is not as fast as ours and we will surely reach him before any harm can be done."

"Great," Kai said, voice rushing with adrenaline. "I'm ready now. I can wait by the docks and-"

"Well. . . The ship will not be ready until tomorrow morning, Kai. There are supplies to think about, and I must carefully choose which soldiers to bring along."

"What?" Kai's response was quick and shaky. "She's already been with them far longer than I-"

"I understand your concerns, Kai, and I know you want to go this very second, but I can't snap my fingers and have everything ready in an instant. I promise you we will be as quick as we can. You're welcome to stay the night here, so you can leave with me."

"I. . ." Jay could imagine Kai pacing, shaking his head. And he understood the blacksmith perfectly. Jay himself could barely keep from jumping up and running to the beach. The longer Nya spent in the hands of pirates, the more chance of her . . . Jay bit his lip. He wasn't going to think of it. "I don't. . ."

"I know it's hard to trust me when I say it will turn out alright," Wu said, his voice soothing. Jay scowled. Hard to trust him? Try impossible. The Admiral didn't have any proof that a bunch of pirates wouldn't harm Nya. "But it will. I doubt my brother will harm your sister."

"Why wouldn't he?" Kai asked. "Better yet, why would he take her in the first place?"

"It's got something to do with your father, Kai. I promise things will make sense, in due time. Your sister will be unharmed and we will head to her rescue in the morning. Alright?"

A small sigh was heard, echoing Jay's own. "Alright."

"Thank you, Kai. Now, do you wish to stay the night?"

Lloyd and Jay both tuned out of the conversation, choosing to think about the words that had already been said instead. They were each filled with different emotions, but they both wound up with the same sense of purpose.

Uncle will go after my father, Lloyd thought, his earlier doubts replaced by hope. I have another chance!

The Admiral's going after Nya, Jay thought, worry making his fingers jitter. I can't just wait and see how it all turns out.

"I have to be on that ship." Both Jay and Lloyd muttered in unison.