Children of Destiny
Hey! I'm back with yet another chapter! I'm quite surprised everyone already ships Akira/Liana! I didn't think they'd get so popular so soon! Also, I can't believe I already have over 100 reviews! Thank you! Now in this chapter, we'll (finally) see some hints of the plot & give some of the original ninjas some attention! Now read!
Chapter 4: One Night at Buddy's
Just like their parents before them, the new generation woke up to the sound of a gong. Their clocks revealed that it was seven in the morning.
"Wake up!" Lloyd summoned his students, "Training starts at nine!"
If there was one thing the new ninjas and kunoichi hated about their summers here, it was that stupid gong and having to wake up very early like they always did for school. Once they were all dressed, they gathered in the dining room for breakfast. It's been a little over two weeks since they arrived and so far, things have been pretty good.
Akira and Liana haven't really interacted since the incident and both were convinced it was just a random act of kindness and nothing more.
Before Lloyd can get up and began training the ninjas, his uncle approached him.
"Lloyd, your parents plan on visiting today." Wu told his nephew.
"I'll go pick up Mom and Dad," Lloyd offered to go, "I'll have to take the Ultra Dragon."
Knowing their daily responsibility, his children knew what will happen.
"Do we have to feed it now?" Leon asked.
"Hai," His dad answered, "You already know the drill."
Leon and Willow went down to feed the four-headed creature. As part of teaching his children responsibility, Lloyd would have them cater to its needs like a pet. They walked down the stairs leading to the stable where it resided with big slabs of meat on hand.
"Wake up!" Willow said in a sing-song tone, "Time for breakfast!"
The Ultra Dragon would've woken up in an instant but only silence came from the stable.
Something wasn't right.
Leon pulled the lever to open the stable and was greeted with a very unpleasant sight.
The Ultra Dragon looked like a wreck!
The draconian beast was laying on its back with all four heads sprawled out. Each head groaned in discomfort and let out dry raspy coughs that sounded like retching. All the heads' eyes were glassy and their tongues were lolled out and dry.
"Dad, the Ultra Dragon's dying." Leon called out nonchalantly.
The green ninja was alarmed and rushed to his former companion's side in a flash, followed by Iris and Sensei Wu. The latter knew what was going on, remembering when four dragons acted the same many years ago.
"The Ultra Dragon isn't dying," Wu said, "It's just getting ready to molt."
"But why is it acting so sick?" Iris asked.
"It's just stressed because it can only shed its scales at the Spirit Coves."
"Do you really have to go?" Willow felt a little sad seeing the Ultra Dragon go. It truly was like a pet to her and Leon.
"The Ultra Dragon must begin the next stage of its life," Wu answered, "But it will return, even if it will look different. Dragons are known to have excellent memories."
The kids stood back to let the four-headed dragon get up on its feet and stretch its wings, which it just barely managed to do.
"See you later, pal." Lloyd stroked the head that used to be Flame before the large beast spread its wings and flew off for the Spirit Coves.
"And there goes my ride…" The hero of Ninjago muttered.
"You'll still have to go pick up your parents." Wu reminded him.
"But who will take Dad to Grandma and Grandpa?" Willow asked.
"I got that covered." Her father reassured her before returning to the courtyard.
Lloyd surrounded himself in a golden aura that soon formed into the same majestic dragon who helped him during his nigh legendary battle against the Overlord. But the hero of Ninjago didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to his family first.
"You'll have to train the ninjas while I'm gone," Lloyd said to his wife, "Are you sure you can do it by yourself?"
"Don't worry about me," Iris comforted him with a kiss on his cheek, "I'll be fine."
"Leon, Willow. You two behave while I'm gone."
"Okay, Dad."
Lloyd had faith in his family and got up onto the golden dragon, who took off immediately after.
Iris was a capable teacher in her own right. She wasn't as strict as her husband but was diligent and made sure the new ninjas and kunoichi did as they were told.
"Instead of going on the obstacle course, you'll practice controlling your elements," The former kunoichi of time and space began, "Why don't you come over and test your powers?"
Iris first lit a match and handed it to Akira so he can test his powers with the tiny flame.
The olive-skinned teen gently blew the match to provoke the flame to grow brighter. He picked up the flame with his bare hand but it didn't burn him, being the new fire ninja. His teammates were impressed as they watched him guide the flames until Iris told him he's shown enough.
Next, Iris laid out a spoon for Kyle to try out his metal powers on.
"You're next, Kyle." She stepped aside to let him do his stuff.
The younger Walker brother remembered the day he awakened his powers by trying to be like those psychics his father watched on TV. Through sheer willpower alone, the simple silverware bent out of shape but with his developed powers, he took it a step further. He grabbed the bent metal and molded it into a formless mass and manipulated it to take all kinds of shapes such as a snake or even a fork. Finally, he crafted the metal into a small blade, an impressive feat with his progress.
"I'm impressed," Iris complimented the metal ninja, "I'm sure you'll unlock your Spinjitzu soon."
Each of the ninja and kunoichi proved to be capable of controlling their elements and Iris knew it was only a matter of time before they can do Spinjitzu. It was also time for their daily lectures that came with their training so she decided to cut the lesson short until her husband returns.
The new generation's stay at the monastery wasn't all about training. They also had to keep up with their knowledge on Ninjago's history so they too were tutored by Misako. They were now in the monastery library where she was often found reading scrolls.
"The Serpentine are divided into five tribes," Misako lectured them on the vile Serpentine their parents fought a long time ago, "There were the Hypnobrai, who can hypnotize anyone with a single look, the Fangpyre whose bite can turn anyone and anything into a snake, the Constrictai whose brute strength can crush anything they can get in their vice grips, the Venomari who can make humans see nothing but their biggest fears with their spittle, and lastly the Anacondrai."
The pupils listened with intent, still interested on hearing of their parents' adventures.
"But what kind of special powers did the Anacondrai have?" Alex asked.
"The Anacondrai had the power to turn completely invisible," Misako answered, "But this tribe was something of a unique case. Many years ago, men were at war with the Serpentine. It was fought way back when the First Spinjitzu Master was alive."
"You mean great-grandpa?" Leon interrupted.
"Yes," The bespectacled teacher nodded, "Your grandfather and granduncle also fought in the wars. Many fierce battles were fought all across the land and many lives were lost but humans prevailed and locked the Serpentine away. Each tribe was sealed in separate tombs and as time went by, the war has been forgotten in the epochs of time and has been thought to be a myth. But the Serpentine still lurked underground, seeking revenge but this is where the Anacondrai come in. Locked away for eons, they turned against each other in their starvation and devoured one another until only one remained. His name was Pythor and when all the Serpentine tribes were freed, he became their leader."
"But how did they get free?" Forrest raised his hand in question.
Misako knew it was time for the new generation to know the full history of their teacher. Leon and Willow already had an inkling of their father's past through his stories.
"Before he became a ninja, Lloyd was a very different person. He was but a young boy when the Serpentine were freed… by his own hands."
"You mean Sensei Lloyd was an enemy before…?" Melody gasped in astonishment.
"Back then, Garmadon was evil and Lloyd only wanted to be like him. Unlike you, he didn't have a good childhood and it resulted in him acting out. In his desires to be like his father and to live like other children, he released the Serpentine to do his bidding, only for them to turn against him, resulting in him freeing Pythor. But like the tribes before him, the sole Anacondrai proved to be traitorous and abandoned him. Pythor united the Serpentine to gather the Fang Blades to awaken the Great Devourer."
"The Great Devourer…" Chris mused, "I remember my parents telling me about it. They said the Great Devourer was a giant snake all the Serpentine worshipped as their god."
"Correct, Chris," Misako nodded, "The Serpentine wanted revenge for years of confinement by releasing the Great Devourer but even they can't tame the giant beast. All it wanted to do was consume anything and anyone it can sink its fangs into, including the Serpentine."
A dragon's roar echoed outside the monastery's library, cutting the lecture short.
"We'll continue from here tomorrow," Misako rolled up her scrolls, "Lloyd will most likely train you again."
The students and Misako went to the courtyard where Wu and Iris already stood to greet their teacher and his family.
Lloyd finally returned with his parents on the Golden Dragon, which disappeared the moment he and his family set foot on the monastery grounds.
The Garmadon standing before the new ninjas can't be more different than the Garmadon their parents described. Age lines marked his face, his grey hair looked just like his son's, and he also had thick eyebrows above silver eyes that looked just like his brother's. Standing at his side was his gentle wife Haruka, whose hair was as white as fresh snow and pensive eyes a pure emerald green just like her son's.
"It's good to see you again, brother." Garmadon greeted his only sibling.
"I can say the same for myself." Wu responded.
Haruka also greeted Wu and Misako like old friends.
"How are you doing as a teacher?" Haruka asked her old friend.
"The students are doing fine," Misako answered, "They have a lot of promise."
"I'm sure they've learned a lot with a teacher like you."
"It's not I alone who have taught them. Lloyd, Iris, and Wu are all capable teachers."
"Grandpa!" Leon and Willow greeted the former dark lord with big hugs.
"My, you've gotten so big." Garmadon complimented his growing grandchildren.
"We missed you too Grandma!" They also greeted their grandmother.
"I missed you too." Haruka embraced them in turn.
"It's nice to see you all again." Garmadon addressed the new generation.
They really reminded him of their parents in their youth except for the fact that he wasn't evil and they didn't have to worry about the Overlord… for now.
But it's all in the past and he can now be a mentor for them during his stay.
"Kids, would you like to show your grandparents what you've learned?" Lloyd asked them.
Leon and Willow were only happy to show their grandparents what they can do. A golden aura surrounded the former as he used his powers over creation to make a bridge out of some rocks he got from the garden and Willow used her space powers to teleport and manipulate time on herself to run at 'super speed'.
"You have undoubtedly improved your skills," Garmadon complimented, "I won't be surprised if you unlock your Spinjitzu soon."
"You've also become much stronger since last time." Haruka added.
Leon and Willow wanted to hear more of their grandparents' stories but Lloyd wanted his kids and students to resume training before they can show anything.
"Today's training still isn't over," He led his students to the training grounds, "You all still have much to learn."
The obstacle course popped up again to inflict yet more suffering for the apprentices.
"This time, you won't use any weapons," Lloyd gave the instructions for the day, "You will rely solely on your elements to overcome your obstacles."
The new ninjas and kunoichi nervously gulped at the idea of showing their elements to not only Lloyd but his father as well. The former dark lord still gave the impression that he has very high expectations for them.
"Um… who wants to go first?" Alex turned to the others for help.
"Ladies first." Akira smirked at his sister, much to her annoyance.
Before the new kunoichi of wind can come up with a retort, the last person she expected went up to the obstacle course, walking past her in silence.
Of all people, Liana was the one to try out her powers first. Usually, she would wait until at least half of her teammates gave training a go before she had her turn.
The new kunoichi of ice kept her body and mind in tune with her element as she began to show her stuff. The spectators shivered as the air grew cold but Liana wasn't any bit bothered before swinging her arms, manipulating swirls of white winter air to flow through the obstacle course. She sent an icy blast towards the targets, knocking them over with the force of a blizzard before moving on to the treadmill she froze under her feet the moment they touched. Tiny shurikens flew at her but Liana quickly summoned an ice wall to come up and halt the small weapons and several dummies closed in on her but she also ousted them by impaling them with ice spikes.
During the whole time, Akira stared in silent awe.
There was no denying that Liana was beautiful, which is no surprise since her father was known for his unique beauty, but seeing her unleash her ice powers seemed so… surreal to him.
He trained alongside Liana for years, along with everyone else, but this is the first time he had this strange feeling in his chest around her. He can see glimpses of her true self when she used her elemental powers and he now understood why Forrest tried to get her out of her shell. Still, he had no idea why these feelings were coming up. She's just another friend and he helped her a couple of weeks ago because he was just instinctively looking out for her in the same way he does with his sister.
But what is this feeling…?
"Akira!" Chris practically yelled in his ear.
The new ninja's eardrums rang as he stared at his cousin in annoyance.
"What do you want!?" He gritted his teeth in aggravation.
"Oh, nothing…" The lightning wielder smirked, "Just noticing the love in the air…"
"I'm not in love!" Despite his words, Akira can't hide the blush on his face, "It's just hormones!"
"Cut it out you two!" Lloyd scolded them, "One of you still have to go next!"
The ever confident Chris volunteered to go and do his stuff on the obstacle course.
Lightning flashed nonstop as the oldest ninja zapped various weapons and dummies coming at him and he was also swift on his feet and dodged all darts, arrows, and the like heading for him. Like Liana, he passed the obstacle course with flying colors.
Each ninja and kunoichi had their turn on the obstacle course and they all proved themselves.
Even Lloyd was sure they were ready…
"You all have stable control of your elements now," Lloyd commended his students, "However, there's still much more for you to learn, particularly Spinjitzu."
"When do we get to do that?" Willow asked her father.
"You already have the ability of Spinjitzu buried deep within you," He told his students the very same thing his uncle told their parents, "You just have to awaken it."
"How?"
"When the time is right, other new things will be unlocked to you. You can't do everything in an instant and believe me, I've learned that the hard way."
The new generation laughed, trying to imagine their teacher failing on the obstacle course.
"Yeah. Laugh it up." Lloyd rolled his emerald eyes.
"They're just on the first step to the path of destiny," Garmadon said, "They still have much to learn and you were the same when you first became a ninja."
"I guess…"
The new generation returned inside. With training done for the day, they can have the evening to themselves.
Luna sighed wistfully as she stared out the window.
It was a little sad not having the children around but for the original ninja and kunoichi, life still goes on.
"I'm home!"
Once again, Cole was greeted by his wife with a loving kiss.
"With the girls gone, we have plenty of time for some TLC." He playfully winked at her.
"It's kind of strange being able to have all these moments with the girls gone…" Luna admitted.
"It's been only a couple of weeks."
"But still…"
"Hey, I know what'll cheer you up."
Luna yelped in surprise as Cole carried her like a bride. The two shared a deep kiss, the first one they've had in months without having to worry about their daughters eavesdropping.
The couple were interrupted by whines coming from a certain German Shepherd they jokingly nicknamed their 'third daughter'. Lorelei barked and rubbed her muzzle against the door as she always did whenever she wanted to go on a walk. Luna got down to get ready for her walk.
"Just a minute, Lorelei," The former kunoichi patted the dog's head, "I just want to see what's on the news real quick."
Before taking Lorelei on a walk, Luna turned on the TV to see the latest news.
"Now there are four people missing," The news reporter began, "There was Clouse, Jacob, and Ash, and now, Karl's among the missing. Many empty wine and beer bottles were found in his apartment and have been dated to be less than two weeks old but his body was missing nor has there been any clues of his whereabouts. It's generally believed that Karl drank himself to death but he could still be alive out there somewhere."
The reporter continued but Luna was too shocked to listen.
The former diva thought she won't have to deal with the selfish man again after she fired him.
But alas, the past has come to haunt her.
"Luna, you seem troubled," Cole approached his distressed wife, "Is something wrong?"
"I never thought I would have to deal with Karl again but…"
"That jerk?" The former ninja furrowed his bushy eyebrows, "I thought you got rid of him."
"He's been reported missing and you've heard of the disappearances lately."
Cole knew what his wife was talking about. Right after the new ninjas and kunoichi went to the monastery, strange disappearances have occurred throughout Ninjago. Nobody knew what was going on and the ninjas and kunoichi began to have a bad feeling.
They knew that where there is light, there will also be shadow and that it will only be a matter of time before the balance is thrown off course once again.
What if the Overlord has returned…?
"Should we tell our kids?" Luna asked.
"I'm sure this news would reach Lloyd and Wu by now. They'll know what to do."
"But will Amy and Melody be ready? They're still so young…"
"They'll have to take the helm sooner or later," Cole said, "We have to let them go."
"I know but letting go is always so hard. It may be even more difficult than being a kunoichi."
"I understand how you feel," Cole wrapped his strong arms around his wife to comfort her, "It's the hardest thing a parent has to do."
"Do you think they'll be able to stop… him…?"
"I don't know. No one does, but we must have faith in our children. We must…"
Despite not having elemental powers, Sayuri still had plenty of friends from school. Now, they were having a get-together at Buddy's Pizza and Jay was kind enough to be their chaperone for the evening.
"Girls, I'm gonna go use the bathroom," Jay got up, "Until I get back, don't go anywhere."
"Okay Mr. Walker." The girls did as they were told and remained well-mannered after he left.
While the girls chatted away, they were oblivious to a trio of thugs coming in. They were clad in stereotypical gangster attire with studded accessories and numerous piercings. Purple and red tattoos adorned their faces and exposed torsos. They caused all kinds of trouble from stealing pizza right off the customers' plates, ripping up the kids' tokens, and scaring the babies. Sayuri and her friends didn't know what to do and tried to keep to themselves but somehow, they got the delinquents' attention.
"Look what we have here?" One of the thugs whose hair was hidden in a white cap sneered at the group of girls.
Sayuri and her friends had no idea what to do without Jay to defend them.
'If only I had an elemental power!' The powerless girl lamented.
One of the delinquents who was most likely the leader with his black Mohawk and single glass eye, shoved his way past them and stared down at Sayuri.
"Hmmm, this one could be useful…" He cruelly smirked at the frightened girl, paying particular attention to the bracelet she wore.
According to them, this bracelet belonged to one of the kunoichi of ages past.
Sayuri subconsciously held the piece of jewelry on her wrist, knowing how important it was. She inherited it from her mother, who in turn had it passed down from her mother, who received it from her husband, who made it for her.
The leader cackled and suddenly pulled Sayuri away from the table by her wrist.
He will surely be pleased…
"No! Let me go! Please!" Sayuri screamed and struggled in the thug's grasp.
Her friends were too frightened to react but even if they tried to do something, the other two gangsters blocked and taunted them.
Jay heard the commotion from the bathroom and was shocked by what he saw. Some no-good degenerates were causing chaos and terrorizing the pizzeria.
But a certain sight had the former lightning ninja seeing red.
One of the gangsters was trying to take Sayuri!
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!"
Bright bolts of lightning crackled around Jay's hands and the enraged father hurled them at the thugs who dared try to hurt his daughter. Their skeletons flashed with each zap and the furious father wouldn't let up on his thunderous assault and kept throwing lightning bolts at them until they fled with their tails tucked between their legs should they have any.
"Daddy!" Sayuri clung to her father once they were gone.
"Did he hurt you?" The ninja turned inventor checked his youngest child for any injuries.
"I-I-I'm not hurt…"
Jay ended up getting a lot of attention for using his powers to stop evil for the first time in eons but all he cared about was his daughter's safety.
Before he could get any unwanted attention from the media, the ninja turned inventor left the pizzeria with his daughter and her friends. Once all of her friends were dropped off, Sayuri and her father managed to reach their house without incident until…
"Sayuri!" Nya rushed to her daughter's side, holding her like a protective mother.
"M-Mom…!" The non-elemental girl squirmed in her grasp.
"I was SO worried about you two!" The Japanese woman held her youngest child and husband in a tight grip.
"You already know what happened!?" Jay was surprised his wife seemed to already know what went on at Buddy's Pizza.
"It's all over the news!" Nya pointed at the TV, showing Buddy's Pizza crowded with journalists and cameramen.
"Is Ninjago in danger again?" NTV reporter Nathan asked, "Will the ninjas return to protect the citizens like they have done a long time ago? Could be, because tonight, inventor of the famous P.I.X.A.L.'s and former ninja, Jay Walker, fought off a trio of thugs at Buddy's Pizza. The owner of the pizzeria have provided us with a rough sketch of them."
The screen displayed a crude drawing that resembled the trio Jay fought at the restaurant.
Nya didn't want to believe it but knew it was no use denying it.
The peace Ninjago has enjoyed for years have been shattered.
"We still know very little of these thugs or if they have any relation to the string of mysterious disappearances going around lately but if you find them, contact the authorities right away!"
"Sayuri, go to your room," Nya began, "Daddy and I need to have some grown-up talk."
The nine-year-old girl wanted to find out what was going on but obeyed anyway. Once she was gone, Jay and Nya started to discuss… his return…
"Do you think he has returned?" Nya whispered to her husband.
"I don't know," Jay shrugged, "But he'll obviously want vengeance if he has and will try to hunt us down and our children won't be safe either. We know what happened to Sayuri back there."
"I was hoping this day wouldn't come so soon."
"Me neither. But we should've seen it coming. He can't remain locked away forever."
"I still get chills thinking about what happened all those years ago. To think our children will go through the same thing…"
"I also don't want that either but I still prefer to think that wherever darkness may lay, there'll always be the light to drive it back."
"You know, you're actually stronger than you seem. At least you still know how to hope."
"That's the power of positive thinking."
Nya appreciated Jay for always being himself even after all these years.
That was why she married him in the first place.
Another early morning has arrived at the monastery but Lloyd was already tense.
Being careful not to wake Iris, he walked over to the window and gaze at the rising sun but not even the first rays of morning can give him comfort due to what he saw on the news last night. He knew what happened with Jay and Sayuri at Ninjago City and the unusual events going on in Ninjago and he knew all too well what it meant for his students and their parents.
The new generation already have to face their first challenge as ninjas.
He always knew that the forces of evil will return to resume their nefarious designs one day but he didn't expect it to be so soon. Sure, his students are now able to control their elements but they were still so young and naïve, especially Willow who was only twelve, the same age he was when it all began.
"Lloyd…?"
The hero of Ninjago was soon joined by his faithful wife. Before he can say anything, the former kunoichi of time spoke.
"I know you're thinking about these recent events."
"Yeah…" Lloyd admitted, "The disappearances, Jay's incident at the pizzeria, I know they don't seem like it but I'm sure they're both related. Both must've been orchestrated by… him…"
Iris felt her blood run cold thinking about him…
"So he's still alive…" She whispered.
"Light and shadow are two sides of the same coin," Her husband reminded her, "One can never truly destroy the other. It was only a matter of time before the forces of evil throw the balance off course again."
"But did it have to be so soon?"
"Iris, we don't have full control over the world. We can't decide when he comes back. Besides, our children have trained for this day since their powers awakened. They're not as ignorant as we were back then."
"But we've learned from our experiences and our children will have to make their own."
"At first, I was looking forward to seeing our children go off on their own adventures but now, I don't think it's a good idea…"
"But they must mature to fulfill their destinies like we have."
"I know. I'm just not looking forward to the day they'll have to become official ninjas."
"And when will that be?"
…
"Today."
DUN DUN DUN!
Looks like things are finally gonna get down! As you know, the 'main conflict' in this story will have aspects of 'Rebooted' & 'Rise of an Ancient Evil' but will have some elements of my own! (See what I did there?) As for Akira/Liana, I don't wanna rush so I apologize if their upcoming moments may seem slow. Also, some action might show up in a couple of chapters.
Again, I want to thank everyone who've reviewed this story! To ForeverDreamer12, AwesomeAuther13, samuraifan282, Goldmedalninja, NinjaWriterMaster, LightningDanino23, ZaneLoverFan88, PyroHunter16, IceFreak101, SuperSmashDemigodNinjaKnight, & countless more, thank you so much! Words can never express my gratitude!
As always, let me know what you think & review!