Chapter 2

Harumi made her way out of the room. She passed through a dimly lit hallway and sped down a flight of stairs to reach the dragon chamber.

The dragon chamber was a large iron chamber featuring only a handful of windows to the outside world.

The S.O.G. used this place to store the dragons they stole. After they stole them, they decided whether to sell the dragons, kill them for food if they were useless, or keep them for, as Harumi put it, "a special occasion." What she meant by that was if the dragons were truly excellent, she would keep them to help conquer Ninjago once they found the Oni masks.

As Harumi strolled through the dragon chamber, she saw dragons in cells and small ones being stuffed into cages. She also saw dragons being pulled by iron chains, with their nostrils and jaws held by muzzles.

However, Harumi didn't take notice of the events happening around her. She made a beeline for Ultra Violet, who was having a conversation with another S.O.G. gang member.

Ultra Violet was talking with Luke Cunningham. Luke was a tall, scruffy man with frizzy white hair and a black mustache. He was not the strongest, nor the most intelligent member of the gang. (Ultra Violet had to catch Luke from falling onto some royal guards once.) But he was highly organized and good with keeping track of things. This made him the perfect person to keep track of all the dragons they captured. He had a large clipboard in his hands and he took notes as Ultra Violet spoke.

As all of the action passed around her, Harumi walked over to Ultra Violet and Luke. When they saw Harumi approach, they stopped talking immediately.

"Hello, Harumi," Luke said in the most dignified voice he could achieve. "Our troops recently robbed one of the richest families in Ninjago. They stole Elegard, Mr. and Mrs. Enoch's dragon."

"Do you think the Enochs will care?" Harumi asked. She cringed, knowing that this was a stupid question.

"Nah," Ultra Violet said carelessly. "This is what...the fifth dragon we've stolen from them? They didn't care then. What makes you think they'll care now?"

Before Harumi could speak up, Ultra Violet continued. "The Enochs are just another dimwitted, spoiled rich family. They only use their dragon to impress when other high class guests come to visit them. Which is what...once every five years?"

Ultra Violet laughed loudly, and her voice boomed in the chamber. But no S.O.G. member turned their head. They had heard this speech enough times that they were bored by it. "Besides, they're filthy rich! They can always just get another dragon, like they've done before!"

"But this dragon is different than the ones we've stolen before. Elegard is elegant, yet fierce. We could sell her for a good amount," Luke said quietly.

Harumi crossed her arms in front of her chest. "That reminds me," she smirked. "I'm planning on doing a little errand. Would you like to join me, Ultra Violet?" Harumi meant, of course, that she was going to steal another dragon.

Luke looked around nervously, aware that Harumi had not invited him on the mission. "I'll excuse myself then."

Harumi said nothing and kept staring at Ultra Violet, waiting for her response. Luke awkwardly backed away, taking the hint.

"I thought you said you didn't want us to be a dragon thieving group!" Ultra Violet cackled. Ultra Violet had a tendency to laugh at random times for no apparent reason.

"I never said that," Harumi replied. "I said that I wanted us to be more than a dragon thieving group."

Ultra Violet's eyes lit up like a kid opening presents on Christmas morning. "Oooooooooh!" she said eagerly. "The Sons Of Garmadon! The most feared criminal gang in all of Ninjago, conquerors of Ninjago, and the dragon thieving group who never failed a heist. Me likey it!" Ultra Violet laughed wickedly and slightly childishly. "And yes. I will go with you on your little errand!" she said giving Harumi the thumbs up.

"Alright then," Harumi said. "Grab your weapons and your chains. We're leaving now."

Ultra Violet dashed off faster than a cheetah. Whenever the S.O.G. went on a dragon heist, Ultra Violet was always the first one ready. Less than a minute later, she appeared with a stuffed leather sack. "I have everything in my bag!" Ultra Violet said, gesturing to the satchel she carried over her shoulder."Lets just go! Now!" she spat as she impatiently tapped her foot on the cold stone floor.

As the two made their way to the back door of the dragon chamber, Harumi thought about the dragon she planned to steal. She'd heard that the royal guards had found an injured dragon in the forest. The guards were keeping the dragon near the castle's dragon runway.

The dragon runway was a place Harumi had visited several times. It was an area of the castle that was used as the takeoff zone for dragon flights. Apart from the dragon stables, it was the best area in the whole castle to find dragons that were in perfect condition for stealing.

Harumi and her gang were masters at stealing many dragon species. So whatever type of dragon the royal guards found, Harumi was ready for it.

Harumi soon snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Ultra Violet clear her throat.

"After you," Ultra Violet said holding the door wide open.

Harumi walked through it. And as she did, she reminded herself one last time: "Whatever dragon species the royal guards found, I will be ready for it."

Back at the castle, the Ninja were training outdoors on the palace training grounds. The palace training grounds were a wide, hexagonal shaped area featuring equipment that could be lowered into the patio by the push of a button if more space was needed.

Zane and Lloyd sparred on one side of the training area, while Nya and Jay were deep in conversation on the nearby grass. Kai and Cole were practicing their defensive moves and punching the air around them.

Just as Lloyd dodged a kick from Zane, he heard a voice from behind him.

"Lloyd! Heads up!"

Lloyd immediately turned around to find Kai sending a kick near his legs. With a swift spinning move, Lloyd managed to dodge it. Strangely, the spinning momentum didn't stop, and caused Lloyd to go into a spinning frenzy.

Lloyd felt himself spinning and spinning around nonstop. At first, Lloyd was a little hesitant to open his eyes, but when he did, he was shocked to find himself in what looked like a whirlpool of endless green.

After about thirty seconds of spinning, Lloyd stopped and toppled onto the ground.

Lloyd looked up at his team, who all looked as though they had seen a banshee dripping in blood.

At first, no one moved. The air was completely still for a couple of seconds. But after a brief, awkward silence, Kai slowly walked over to Lloyd.

"You okay?" Kai asked while helping Lloyd up.

"Yeah. I- I'm fine," Lloyd said still slightly shocked.

"What the heck just happened?! What on earth did you do?!" Jay shouted at the top of his lungs. He looked as though he had seen a shark swallow an entire ship made of iron. "I have so many questions right now!" He continued to shout.

"Shhh! Quiet down Jay! Someone might hear us!" Cole whispered.

Little did the Ninja know they were already being watched. Nearby, in the tower closest to the training grounds, there was a elderly man spying through the third floor window. He had been watching the Ninja's every move since their training had begun.

Who is this man, you might ask? You'll find out soon enough.

The man said nothing. He merely watched for another brief second, and then made his way down the winding staircase.

Before any of the Ninja could say another word, they heard another voice from behind them, causing them all to turn around.

"Ninja! Is everything going okay out here?" It was Lloyds father, Garmadon. Or, as the people of Ninjago called him, King Garmadon.

He had wavy gray hair that was swept back off his deeply lined face. He wore a black kimono with white sleeves. Gold symbols were scrawled across his chest, and a green belt with stitched golden dragon markings was pulled tightly around his waist.

Garmadon was extremely protective and caring of not just his family, but of his people, as well. Garmadon went to great lengths to protect the people of Ninjago, his wife, Misako, and of course, his son, Lloyd.

"Uh yeah. Everything is going fine," Lloyd said, still slightly flustered from the incident.

"Are you sure?" Garmadon continued to question. "I thought I heard a little bit of a ruckus out here."

Lloyd saw Cole give Jay a dirty look, as if to say: Told you someone would hear us.

"We're fine, Your Majesty. It was just a little accident, that's all." Nya spoke up before Lloyd could say a word. Lloyd saw in her eyes that she did not want his father to know what had just happened.

"If you insist, then," Garmadon said. "And please, Nya, call me Garmadon."

Nya smiled and bowed her head. "Thank you," she said before stepping back into the group of boys.

"As a matter of fact, I came to see you all for a very urgent reason," Garmadon continued.

All of the Ninjas' heads perked up. "What is it?!" they all said together.

"Is it sky pirates?" Kai asked.

"Perhaps a skeleton army?" Zane suggested.

"What about vermillion warriors?!" Jay shrieked nervously.

Garmadon chuckled. "No, it's none of that."

"Then what is it, Father?" Lloyd asked.

"Mr. and Mrs. Enoch had their dragon stolen from them. Again," Garmadon sighed. "They would like to ask you to do a favor for them," he continued.

Behind Garmadon, two well dressed individuals, one man and one woman, appeared and walked down the steps towards the training grounds. The lady was wearing a scarlet red kimono with little pictures of various types of sparrows stitched on the silky fabric. She also had fine makeup, with glittering rose red lips and golden eyeshadow, and her face was painted as white as milk. Her blackberry colored hair was tied up in a small bun.

The man was also wearing a kimono, but his was deep purple, with golden stitched lines that made the patterns of trees and vines. He didn't wear any glossy makeup, but his hair was tied up in a tight bun like the woman's.

Upon seeing the Enochs' faces, the entire team had to suppress their groans. Lloyd and the other Ninja had come to dislike the Enochs over the years. Lloyd very clearly remembered being seven years old when they visited for the first time. They talked to him as though he had the personality of dirt. When the Ninja first started out, the Enochs would go on rants about how awful, immature, and uneducated the Ninja were.

Lloyd didn't say anything. But he was, admittedly, a little angry that after the way the Enochs had treated him and his team years ago, they were now asking for a favor. But he kept a sense of hope. Maybe the Enochs had changed over the years. He was, after all, only ten years old the last time he saw them.

But then, Mrs. Enoch began to speak. "Ugh! You've all grown from horribly ugly children, into horribly ugly teenagers."

All hope of the Enochs being changed was destroyed right when she said that.

Mr. Enoch spoke next. "Yes. You're all terribly ugly," he agreed. "But fear not! I know the best stylist in all of Ninjago! I can put you in contact with him!"

"That's quite alright," Garmadon said. Garmadon himself very much disliked the Enochs. But he did not say anything about how unfond he was of them or their presence. "You're here to ask my son and his team for a favor," Garmadon reminded them.

"Fine," Mrs. Enoch said with her lips pursed together. "Our dragon, Elegard, was stolen from us by the S.O.G."

"That's what you get for not paying attention to your dragon enough," Nya said slyly.

The entire Ninja team laughed at Nya's remark. The Enochs, as well as many other high class, wealthy families in the land, were known to be quite neglectful of their dragons.

Mrs. Enoch looked as though she was going to throw a brick at someone. "I don't see why you need go to great lengths to protect a vile and dissolute creature like that," she spat.

Lloyd was angered and hurt by this remark. The Ninja were some of the only people in Ninjago who treated their dragons as actual living, breathing creatures, not as showy props and status symbols. But Lloyd merely rolled his eyes, and brushed off Mrs. Enoch's comment.

"Speaking of dragons, where is your dragon, anyway, Lloyd?" Kai asked.

"Yeah, I didn't see Emerald in the stables this morning when we woke you up," Jay said.

"You slept in the dragon stables this morning?" Mrs. Enoch said, slightly nauseated. "Disgusting!"

Lloyd did his best to ignore Mrs. Enoch's comments. "I thought he could use some fresh air. He went on a flight this morning. He should be back soon," Lloyd said.

"Anyway!" Mr. Enoch interrupted. "This isn't the time to be discussing dragons or flights of fancy," he said gruffly. "We were just going on about why we are here."

"Ah, yes," Nya said. "As you were saying, your dragon Elegard has been stolen. Continue," she said while trying to suppress her annoyance.

Mrs. Enoch cleared her throat. "Yes, our dragon, Elegard, has been stolen from us. This is the seventh dragon we've had stolen from us. And the fifth dragon we've had stolen by the S.O.G."

"So just get a new one," Cole smirked. "You've done that in the past. What makes this time any different?"

The Enochs looked at Cole with the utmost disapproval. "Don't interrupt my wife!" Mr. Enoch spat at Cole.

"As I was saying," Mrs. Enoch huffed. "We've bought dragons in the past, but they're wickedly expensive. We'll be broke before we know it!" She paused. "We will be getting a new dragon today. He's in the the launch bay being treated for injuries." Mrs. Enoch took a deep breath, as though she was ready to reveal something big and shocking. After a moment, she whispered, "And we want you Ninja to protect it."

A chill coursed through the air as nobody made a sound. Lloyd felt as though crickets should be playing in the background. The entire atmosphere of the training grounds suddenly turned awkward and uncomfortable.

Lloyd had quite a few mixed emotions running through him. On one hand, he was rather angry at the Enochs for treating him and his team horribly over the years, and then suddenly asking them for protection for their dragon. But on the other hand, he knew that the Ninja needed to answer every call, and should never turn down a mission.

Before Lloyd could speak, there was a loud roar in the distance. It was unmistakably a dragon roar.

Everyone froze and looked up into the cloudless sky overhead. A jade colored dragon with iridescent scales flew high above their heads.

Lloyd instantly recognized his own dragon, Emerald, as he flew effortlessly through the sky. He swooped closer to the ground, but it didn't appear as though he would be landing. Everyone ducked out of the way as Emerald dove towards the training grounds, and then flew straight into the woods behind them.

Once Emerald had disappeared into the distance, everyone stood back up.

"Wasn't that your dragon, Lloyd?" Nya asked while brushing some pebbles off her uniform.

"Yeah, it was," Lloyd answered. "I think he landed in the woods somewhere."

"According to my calculations, taking into account his estimated speed and descent, Emerald has landed approximately 1.01 miles away in the forest," Zane explained.

"Didn't Emerald land in the woods last week?" Jay asked.

"Yeah. He's been having problems landing at the dragon launch bay recently," Lloyd said. "Don't worry. I'll go get him. I'll be right back."

Meanwhile, at the dragon launch bay, Harumi and Ultra Violet were already at the runway, hidden behind a large stack of boxes.

Just ahead of them was the injured dragon the Enochs planned to buy, who was now all healed up. He was pastel grey with amber colored eyes, and was the size of a large horse and coach.

Harumi peeked from behind the boxes. The smell of wood and iron filled her nose "It's gorgeous," she said while looking at the dragon. "The S.O.G. could use a dragon like that."

Just then, a low moan came from the forest, sending a flock of birds flying away from the crimson and earth colored trees in fear.

"What was that?" Ultra Violet asked, slightly startled.

"That was a dragon roar!" Harumi said. Her eyes were wide with shock and excitement. "Ultra Violet! Do you know what this means?! We could get not one, but TWO dragons!" Harumi explained excitedly. "I'll tell you what. You go after this dragon, and I will get the dragon in the woods. And then we'll meet back at S.O.G. headquarters."

"Oooooh!" Ultra Violet squealed. "Two dragons in one heist! I like it!" she said cunningly. "Meet back at S.O.G. headquarters, then?"

"Yes," Harumi said simply.

"Alright then. See ya!"

Harumi nodded, and then she dashed towards the woods.

Harumi sped through the forest trying to locate where the roar had come from. She heard the sparrows and the crows overhead in the trees. Their songs clashed over one another, creating a melody that was both beautiful and slightly chilling. Harumi heard her feet pounding against leaves and dirt as she dashed through the forest. Beads of sweat formed on her face. As she raced through the woods, the wind tickled her skin and cooled her off.

She ran, and ran, and then ran some more until finally she heard another low growl, one that came from nearby. She hopped over stones to get across a murky creek. She peered through the trees and saw a jade colored dragon resting by a small, yet radiant, crystal clear lake. Sunlight danced upon the dragon's scales, making it gleam and glitter.

Harumi hid behind a tree as she stared at the dragon. It was perhaps the most beautiful dragon she had ever seen, and it was exactly the kind of dragon she could use to lead the Sons of Garmadon.

With a chain in one hand and a sharp knife in the other, Harumi crept out from behind the tree. While a chain and knife were usually considered useless to capture a dragon, Harumi was so skilled, she could use any kind of material to capture any kind of dragon.

But just before she could capture this one, she heard a voice:

"Emerald! There you are!"

Harumi backed behind the tree, crouched down, and immediately hid her weapons. She then saw a boy a few feet away from the dragon. He looked around the same age as Harumi. He had wavy blonde hair, emerald colored eyes, and he wore a green ninja uniform. A grey belt cinched his waist and silver armor straddled his right shoulder.

Upon seeing him, Harumi instantly knew who it was. A wave of hatred coursed through her entire body. She reached into her satchel and pulled out her knife. She was ready to kill Lloyd right then and there.

But upon her thinking these thoughts, a little voice in her head called out to her.

What are you doing Harumi?! This is wrong and you know it, the voice said.

Do you know what he has done to me?! Harumi shouted back in her head.

He was still very young. It wasn't his fault that the Great Devourer was too strong, the voice continued.

He couldn't save my family! Harumi fired back.

Is this what your family would have wanted!? the voice then shouted.

Harumi froze. The question, "Is this what your family would've wanted?" often haunted her thoughts. Usually, she was able to answer with a simple, "They're gone." But this time was different. She couldn't quite put her finger on why it was different. Maybe it was because of the fact that she was talking to a voice in her head. But then again, maybe it wasn't. It just felt significantly different than the other times she had been asked this question.

Harumi tried to fight these thoughts, but it was too late. The voice's thoughts had overpowered her. Harumi put her knife back into her bag and was about to leave when, suddenly, she accidentally stepped on a tree branch. The wood snapped into two pieces, causing a loud *Crick!*

Lloyd and his dragon, Emerald, immediately turned their heads to face the noise. Soon, they were both face to face with the white haired, teenage girl.

Harumi froze and then blushed in embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry!" she said, flustered. "I thought I heard something and thought I should check it out."

"No need to apologize," Lloyd said sympathetically. "My dragon Emerald sorta missed his landing spot and flew off towards the woods. I needed to get him back."

Harumi was about to say something, but suddenly she heard a very shrill voice echoing through the trees.

"HAAARUUUUUMMI!"

"Who is that?" Lloyd asked.

Harumi instantly knew who the voice belonged to.

Ultra Violet! Harumi thought to herself. She looked at the confused prince, and then back to the forest. Without thinking, she ran as fast as she could towards the location of Ultra Violet, never looking back.

Lloyd and his dragon stared at each other. "Was it something I said?" Lloyd asked.

Emerald shrugged his head, and then looked at Lloyd, as if to say: "Come on. We'd better get going now. The team will wonder where we are."

Lloyd nodded, and then hopped onto Emerald's back. At first, Emerald very slowly lifted off the ground. But as he went higher and higher, he flew more rapidly. The thrust of Emerald's wings made the trees sway back and forth. And soon, as they flew back to the palace, Emerald soared at the speed of an eagle.

Meanwhile, Harumi soon managed to locate where Ultra Violet was.

"There you are!" Ultra Violet said. "I've been looking all over the forest for you."

"What happened?" Harumi asked, confused. "I thought we were going to meet up at headquarters later?"

"We were!" Ultra Violet said. "But I ran into some S.O.G. members and they took care of the dragon for me. So I thought I might come and look for you!" she said happily. "Where is your dragon anyway?" Ultra Violet cackled.

"Oh. um-" Harumi stuttered, trying to think up a good excuse as to why she didn't have a dragon. "It wasn't a dragon," she finally said. "It was a rather large bear."

"A bear made that sound?!" Ultra Violet said, shocked. "Jeebus, they must be getting big!"

"Well then," Harumi continued. "I don't know about you, but I think we should be heading back now."

Ultra Violet nodded. "Right then. Let's get back to headquarters."

As they walked through the forest back to headquarters, Harumi thought about her brief encounter with Lloyd, the prince. She knew he was going to want an explanation as to why she ran away from him.

Hmmm… Usually when people want to know something, they go back to where it all began, Harumi thought to herself. She knew that if Lloyd wanted to know the reason why she'd run away, he'd probably come back to where he saw her the next day.

Same time. Same place. Tomorrow, Harumi promised herself as she walked quietly through the forest.

Chapter 2 is officially complete! I'll tell you, this looked a lot better in my head. But I'm pretty proud of how it turned out! Special thanks to AuroraRain18, EnergyBlastNinjaWriter, Elcall, Legomanny, Rachel Spirit, Wolf Fangirl, mpsullivan, xHatsandCatsx, and luckycharmsomg for favoriting. And another special thanks to AuroraRain18, CHEESEPUFF fg, Elcall, Kayla Brandtmeier, Legomanny, NinjagoGeek4EVER, Rachel Spirit, The Titan's Shadow, Wolf Fangirl, , nataliefuentes12345, luckycharmsomg, and EnergyBlastNinjaWriter for following so far! You guys are awesome! And now, for the reviews!

NinjagoGeek4EVER: Summaries are important if you want a reader to see your story. I'm glad you find both my story and my summary interesting! Thank you!

CHEESEPUFF fg: Whether or not the Ninja knew about Lloyd being prince will be revealed in the next chapter. But you actually gave me an idea! I might do a oneshot about when the Ninja first met, that will be a prequel to this story! So thank you for that! :) And yes, as revealed in this chapter, Garmadon is still alive and kicking!

AuroraRain18: Thank you so much! I try to write as best as I can. So it means alot when you like my story! Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter, as well. I'll try to get chapter three out as soon as possible for ya! :)

The Titan's Shadow: Thank you for your lovely review! And yeah, I'm kinda picky about my stories, as well. I try not to rush anything, and I try to get my grammar as best as I possibly can.

Elcall: Thank you! I try to make my chapters as long as possible. Hopefully you liked this chapter, as well.

Guest: Thank you! And yes, Garmadon is here in this story, and he is very protective of Lloyd. :)

Mpsullivan: Thank you! And just to give you a small spoiler: there will be a few more Llorumi interactions in the next chapter!

Well, that's all I've got for now. See you next chapter everybody! ~legocameragirl