Children of Destiny
Hi everyone! I want to thank everyone who enjoyed the last chapter! Kai & Aria will still get a cameo in this chapter as well as Garmadon but in this chapter, the new generation continue working as a team & they'll discover a big hint to their true potential! Read on!
Chapter 13: The Next Step
It wasn't long before trouble arose in Ninjago again but the civilians knew who to call.
"NINJA-GO!"
Ten elemental tornadoes spun across the battlefield in front of Jamanacai Village. Yet another group of thugs terrorized the town but the new generation was quick to defend those in need.
The gang was larger than the one the ninjas fought in their first mission but there's no way the ninja and kunoichi are giving up.
"Guys! Split up!" Akira rallied the group, "Give them more targets!"
Since there was a bigger number of foes, the ninja and kunoichi knew they may have a chance if the enemies have more than one target so they separated into groups but the gangsters copied their strategy and also split up.
Two of the thugs thought they had it in the bag as Forrest just stood before them, as if he was begging for a beating.
"Looks like you're gonna have it easy, kid!" One of them cracked his knuckles and grinned with his crooked teeth.
What they didn't know was that the brunette had something up his sleeve…
"Nature!"
The teal ninja struck the ground with the Forest Staff and a bunch of leaves burst forth from the ground where Silver Weapon met solid earth and wrapped around the punks.
It started as an uncomfortable tingling sensation the thugs easily brushed off… at first. Then the growing itchiness distracted them and they kept scratching to the point their flesh would sting from even the slightest contact. The once 'menacing' gang were reduced to bumbling morons obsessed with getting rid of their itches.
Forrest smirked over his work and the poisonous plants he summoned.
He remembered his mother telling him how she did the exact same thing to Skalidor of the now extinct Serpentine when he wrecked his father's face.
Like mother, like son.
The Charbonneau sisters were being chased by another group of thugs but they still whispered their plan to one another.
"I'll make the first move then you strike when I make the signal." Amy whispered to her sister.
"Okay." Melody nodded.
The sisters suddenly splintered away from each other.
"You!" The self-proclaimed leader pointed at the two remaining punks, "Go after the water girl! This one's mine!" He cracked his knuckles as he eyed the black kunoichi.
"Earth!" Like Forrest, Amy struck the ground with the Scythe of Quakes, burying the blade deep into its element. A deep rumble shook the gangsters off their feet and the earth beneath them broke into deep fissures threatening to swallow them whole but they clung to the edge of each crack but the earth kept splitting apart until they finally fell in.
"Ready Melody?" The kunoichi of earth signaled her sister.
"Yup!"
With the Whip of Oceans in hand, Melody was more than ready to make her move.
"Water!"
The purple kunoichi summoned a rushing stream of water and used her whip to send the water into the crevasse where the thugs were still inside. The trio kept doggy-paddling and clinging to the edges of the cracks. Under Melody's command, the currents swirled like a raging whirlpool that threatened to swallow them up but they barely managed to crawl out…
…and were greeted by a not-so-pleasant surprise.
"Lightning!"
Chris attacked from behind with his nunchucks while the gangsters were still wet. The voltage doused their already soaked bodies with a terrible sensation.
(*) "Gut gemacht!" The kunoichi of earth commended and high-fived the blue ninja.
Unlike what the Overlord thought, the new generation also had the element of surprise…
Yet another group were chasing after a certain kunoichi.
Liana had her own plans and suddenly stopped and the thugs nearly crashed into her.
"This is it guys! We got her!" One thug bragged to his cohorts.
Little did they know that they fell right into the ice wielder's trap.
Liana closed her eyes and let her element do its work. A thin layer of ice radiated from her body and smothered the earth. The thugs weren't deterred and tried to move but…
CRASH!
The punks slipped as if they were on an actual skating rink. The ice was slick and slippery under their weight and even the winds gave them biting chills and the sight of them stumbling about nearly brought a chuckle out of the otherwise stoic girl.
"Akira!" The white kunoichi called out to her 'opposite' ninja.
The fire ninja swooped in and plunged the Sword of Fire into the ice. A large cloud of hot steam burst from the rapidly melting ice. What used to be a bitter cold all too quickly transformed into an unbearable heat and the punks can feel their skin getting scalded. As if from a cartoon, they were sent flying, leaving trails of steam in their wake and their pained howls echoing in the sky.
"I never knew we'd make quite a team!" Liana finally let out a chuckle.
"Yeah…" Akira remained mesmerized by the ice wielder's laughter but quickly brushed it off.
The battle must go on.
"NINJA-GO!"
Kyle circled around his foes whilst spinning in a golden twister. They tried to go after him but as if out of nowhere, a bunch of other tornadoes whirled around them, confusing them.
One of the punks lunged at the one he thought was really a human doing Spinjitzu only for the twister to dissipate in his hands.
"Get the ninja!" The self-proclaimed leader commanded.
"Which one is which!?" One of them complained.
"Why does it matter!?" He retorted, "Just find that bastard!"
The tornadoes started caving in on the gang but one of them dispersed. They finally found Kyle but it was too late. The other twisters engulfed and tortured them with winds so fierce it could cut their skin and were then sent flying.
Alex was proud of her work. Using the Fans of Gales, she created a bunch of small tornadoes to confuse the punks and it definitely worked.
"Good one Alex!" The metal ninja complemented his cousin.
"Nothing beats kicking the bad guys' asses!" Alex was quite proud of her work.
Unlike the others, Leon was having some trouble with his group. He overestimated his powers and all-too-quickly grew exhausted, which earned him a kick in the face. The gang cackled over his pained crumpled body on the ground. The young hero never felt so emotionally crushed in his whole life he didn't bother trying to fight back as the punks ganged up on him.
'I'm so sorry… Dad…' The green ninja closed his eyes in humiliation, waiting for another wave of pain to torment his body but it never came.
Was he too numb to feel any more pain?
Like an action movie battle, the thugs moved in slow motion but everything else was normal. It was like the flow of time slowed down on them and only two people can ever do that.
"Willow…!" Leon saw his little sister's glowing form from a distance.
"Leon! Hurry!" The kunoichi of time called out to him, "I can't hold them back much longer!"
The green ninja sped behind the enemies before Willow lost control over them and fired a mass of pure energy at them. The following explosion was so bright the siblings were nearly blinded but they were able to find each other.
"Leon! Are you okay!?" Willow ran up to her brother once she canceled her powers.
"I'm alright," Leon consoled his sibling, "I guess I owe you one for saving my ass back there…"
"You better." The twelve-year-old girl teased him in response.
Some of their teammates noticed the troubles Leon had earlier and also came to his side.
(*) "Stai bene?" Akira also noticed his comrade's bruises, "Looks like you took quite a beating."
"It's nothing. I'll live."
"Leon, you shouldn't push yourself like that." Amy reminded him like an older sister.
"Gomen…"
"There's no time to relax!" Forrest exclaimed, "There's still the leftovers!"
There were still a few more thugs for the ninja and kunoichi to deal with but with most of them already beaten up, they were small fry.
"NINJA-GO!"
The entire team used their Spinjitzu to finish off the enemies. Since their foes' 'morale' was low thanks to their cohorts' crushing defeats, it was almost literally a breeze finishing them off. And with that, the gangsters were defeated. Not caring about the brutal punishment awaiting them at the Overlord's hidden lair, they were forced to retreat.
With the thugs gone, the villagers cheered on the new heroes. They may be young but they had a lot of potential.
"Can I have your autograph?" The fangirls were all over the ninjas.
Like their fathers before them, the new ninjas were rather popular thanks to their good looks. Alex sent a wary glance at Akira's direction as he chatted with some of the fangirls.
'Akira better not hurt Liana.' The kunoichi of wind said to herself.
Luckily, Liana didn't seem to notice. She was too busy feeling flustered by the fanboys gushing over her beautiful looks, much to the jealousy of their own girlfriends.
"Kyle, are you okay?" Chris asked his little brother, who seemed anxious from all the attention.
"I-I'll be fine…" The metal ninja still shook and hide from the cameras but he was slowly getting over his anxiety.
Melody also felt timid in front of so many people but it was no surprise to her that she'd get so much attention. After all, she was the kunoichi of water.
Having known each other since they were little, the new generation already knew how to work as a team when the going gets tough. Even Misako was proud of her pupils when they got back on the Destiny's Bounty.
"You continue to improve." She commended the new generation.
"Yup!" Leon boasted, "Nothing will get in our way!"
"Says the guys that had to be saved by his baby sister." Chris rolled his sapphire eyes.
"I-I just had a lapse in judgement!" The green ninja argued.
Misako shook her head but disputes were all part of being a team.
"You already know how to work as a team but there will be times where your bonds will be put to the test. Disagreements are unavoidable but they can be opportunities for you to find other ways to work together or even create something unique between you."
"Do you really think we can do that?" Melody asked.
"It will take time and it won't be easy but I have faith in you."
The new generation beamed with confidence and were even more pleased when their teacher decided to give them a break but before one of them can leave…
"Leon, I need a word with you." Misako beckoned the young hero.
The green ninja gulped without anticipation.
Misako knew he had a rough time today unlike the others and might make him go through the obstacle course on maximum difficulty as punishment like last time.
"Am I in trouble…?" He asked meekly.
"No," The wise woman shook her head but Leon can still tell she wasn't happy with him either, "But I am concerned that you're starting to become consumed by hubris."
"What do you mean?"
"You may be the new green ninja the world now depends on but that doesn't mean you should push yourself so hard nor try doing everything yourself. You still have so much to learn yet you also show much potential. The universe doesn't revolve around you. Your sister and the other ninjas will also go through their own trials. You are but one member of an entire team and you must let them help you and you must do the same for them."
"I… I'm sorry…" The green ninja bowed his head in submission.
"You don't need to apologize. You're still learning and so are the others. You have to remember that you're not alone."
"I guess I really am lucky to have all of you."
"You truly are," Misako gave a knowing smile, "Never forget the bonds you all share. It could be very important in the future…"
After a long day of fighting the Overlord's 'lesser' underlings, the new generation wanted to just kick back and relax before dinner but some were still in a sour mood.
Akira and Alex were always in the middle of the action but today, they kept to themselves. The former didn't even make the slightest effort to liven things up with the guys or trying to spend time with Liana and the latter was uncomfortably silent and seemed to have a lot of emotions going on in her head but she kept it all bottled up. Even before they got the distress signal from Jamanakai Village, they seemed out of it. The skirmish back there was the only time their fiery sparks surfaced.
"You two don't look so well," Misako observed the Pyrrhus twins, "It's about what happened to your parents the other day, is it not?"
"How can we NOT feel terrible knowing what just happened to them!?" Akira exploded, "We're the ones out there fighting when it's THEM the Overlord's henchmen want!"
"Your parents are most likely aware of that. I'm sure Wu told them about his plans after I sent him the message about Ronin."
"But I can't just stand here and let them go after Mom and Dad!" Forrest exclaimed, "I thought Akira and Alex were just being overprotective but now I see why! The Overlord and his minions want our parents! Not us! What if leaving them was exactly what he wanted!?"
"Yeah!" Kyle added, "Did you forget what almost happened to Sayuri!? She was only lucky Dad was there to save her!"
The new generation all started to complain over leaving their families behind and their desires to turn back. Misako understood how her students felt but all these questions and complaints at once were really trying her patience.
"SILENCE!"
And just like that, the Bounty grew so quiet the ninja and kunoichi can hear a pin drop.
"Complaining will resolve nothing. No one can do everything at once, including you," The wise woman sternly reminded them, "I understand your concerns for your families but this is all for the greater good."
"What greater good!?" Leon exclaimed.
"Destiny works in strange ways. We'll all end up doing things we're not proud of but in the end, we can learn something from them."
"I'm still seriously considering leaving the Bounty," Alex confessed, "I know Ninjago needs all of us but my parents still need some protecting of their own. Their elemental powers may not be what they used to be and they're not getting any younger."
"Just because someone gets older doesn't mean their powers waste away," The shrewd scholar said, "Wu and Garmadon are still just as powerful as they were in their youth, even in their old age. Your parents can still defend themselves."
"But what if something really terrible happens!?" The orange kunoichi asked, "What if Jacob or even the Overlord do something to Mom and Dad and they can't defeat them!? If they do, it'll be our fault for not being there for them!"
"It will take a lot more than that to take them down," Misako said, "I've known your parents for a long time and they aren't one to go down that easily."
"It doesn't matter!" Akira retorted, "No matter what, I will make sure my parents are safe!"
The sagely woman can't help but feel a wave of nostalgia hit her. She had seen that very same spark in their parents a long time ago.
"You really are your parents' children," The scholar gave a knowing smile, "You want to protect them just as much as they wanted to protect you, especially your father. I'm pretty sure you've seen how far they would go to keep you safe."
Akira and Alex knew their teacher was right. When they were kids and meet some strangers or see something they never saw before for the first time, their parents would get in front of them like a barrier, much like a wolf standing over its young. Even to this day, they were always more than willing to do whatever they can to protect them, especially their father.
"Don't forget that your parents fought the Overlord himself and went through many challenges in both body and mind. It will take a lot more than one skirmish to take them down."
"Do you really think our parents will be alright?"
"I'm sure your parents are recovering just fine."
The peace in Ignacia was shattered by bloodcurdling shrieks.
Kai kept squirming and screaming like a baby as Nya dabbed his cuts with antiseptic.
"Kai! Stop fidgeting or you'll make it worse!" The Japanese woman scolded her older brother.
When the former kunoichi of metal heard what happened to her sibling, she immediately went back to her hometown to check on him and his wife. There was nothing serious but she was still worried sick and vowed to do anything she can to heal them during her visit. That is if Kai won't stop making it difficult for her to put the antiseptic on his cuts.
The blacksmith yelped again when his sister rubbed his cheek with more of the painful formula. He even tried running away but both his sister and wife had to hold him down.
"Kai! You're a grown man!" Aria reprimanded her husband, "You were almost stabbed to death and got trapped in an active volcano yet you can't even take something as simple as iodine!?"
"This is different!" Kai complained like a brat.
This wasn't the first time Nya had to deal with a whiny brother. Every time Kai got into trouble (which was a lot), she was the one who had to heal his wound and every single time, he would squirm and complain, especially when she tried to disinfect his cuts.
Aria gave her sister-in-law a face that practically said, 'Can you believe the shit I go through?'
Being Kai's sister, Nya already knew but that didn't make it any easier.
Some things just never change…
Misako continued researching the scrolls and rereading the notes she took during her frequent travels for the umpteenth time. The ninjas and kunoichi were able to control their powers and it was just a matter of time until they take the next big step in fulfilling their destiny.
'The original ninja and kunoichi have fulfilled their destinies long ago. Now if I can find out what destiny has in store for the new generation…'
The scholar skimmed through the scrolls, including those she already read. Even if she already knew what was written down on those papers many years ago, she still knew it was important to go through them. There's always a chance to find something new in such ancient texts.
The new ninjas already know how to do Spinjitzu and control their elements but could there be something more?
Like their parents before them, their trials may not be about beating back the Overlord's army alone but they must also be tested in body and mind, much like the ninjas' true potentials and the Trials of the Elements for the kunoichi.
Misako was just ready to call it a day when she finally found what she was looking for in one of the scrolls she read multiple times. No matter how many times she's read them, there's always something new to be discovered in the old texts. The words kept echoing in her head while she skimmed through the words again and again.
'The young ones will be face many trials to free themselves of the restraints within their hearts but only when it appears when the end is nigh will the true light shine against the darkness.'
It was just like the famous saying, 'It's darkest before the dawn'.
The ever intelligent Misako easily deciphered the meaning of the cryptic words and knew all too well how true they applied to destiny.
The very same thing happened during that final battle all those years ago but the circumstances were different than the one described in the scroll. Back then, Lloyd and the others seemingly lost to the Overlord and all hope was lost but they pulled through and purged the world of his evil influence. Misako still remembered it like it was yesterday but this is today.
"Your parents have told you about how their got their true potential, didn't they?"
The new generation also relived another memory of their parents. The fathers often told their children on how they achieved their true potential, from Zane coming to terms with his origins to Jay finding out he just needed to be himself to earn Nya's love. It was one of their children's favorite stories and for many nights, they dreamt of finding their own true potential. Looks like this was another childhood dream about to come true…
"What about their true potential?" Forrest asked, trying not to sound rude.
"Much like them, you have your own emotional obstacles to overcome," Misako started, "You already have full control over your elements but that's just one step in the road of destiny."
"Does that mean we'll get our own true potential too?" Willow's violet eyes practically shined with a childlike curiosity.
"You will find your own true potential but unlike your parents, your true powers will only come right before the final battle. Throughout your adventures, your elemental powers will improve and new abilities will be unlocked to you but only when they're needed most that your powers will reach their zenith."
"So we're not gonna get it 'til the very end?" Akira asked with slight disappointment.
"I don't know," Misako admitted, "The scrolls say that you'll be free of emotional restraints by the time the final battle arrives. I believe this is similar to how your parents got their NRG mode back at the Temple of Light…"
"NRG mode…" Amy mused, "I remember my parents telling me about how they 'became' their own elements towards the end of their journey."
"That is a pretty sound theory," Misako admitted, "Perhaps this is actually what those ancient words meant. You will be in harmony with your element by finding peace within yourselves but you'll unlock your full elemental powers in another test not too long before the final battle."
"And when will that be?" Chris asked with slight impatience.
"Patience," His teacher only answered, "Only when the time comes, all will be revealed…"
It all replayed like an old film in his mind.
Garmadon saw himself as a boy, sparring with his younger brother under the ever watchful eyes of their wise father. During one match, his brother's practice sword was flung over the fence but he was too shy to go out and get it. Being the dependable older brother he was, he went out to retrieve it for him.
And then it appeared.
A dark green snake slithered from under the bushes next to his brother's sword and sunk its tiny fangs into his flesh. The pain he felt stayed within his memories and even in the present day, his hand still stung thinking about that fateful decision.
Then that's when things changed.
The tiny snake grew rapidly before his eyes and when he had to bend down to get a good look at it, he now had to crane his neck to see the crested face of the Great Devourer. The giant snake who started it all for him leaned down and stared straight into his eyes. He can see his reflection of its glowing magenta eye and he now looked like the black-skinned and four-armed dark lord he used to be.
"No!" He looked at his four hands in disbelief, "This isn't who I am anymore!"
Surrounding him were all the enemies of the ninja who also used to be his servants. The Skullkin, Serpentine, and Stone Warriors all surrounded him but the former dark lord refused to back off.
"I'm not one of you anymore! I am a changed man!"
'Too bad…' The raspy voice of the Overlord echoed, 'Then you'll be going down with that cursed family of yours.'
"Nani!?"
As if from thin air, a group of cloaked men materialized before him and commanded the villains to turn away from him.
"You're not going anywhere! NINJA-GO!"
Garmadon spun in his dark tornado and managed to defeat his former minions but the cloaked men continued, accompanied by a group of slightly familiar silhouettes.
"Dad!" A familiar voice echoed.
The changed man looked around and saw Lloyd as well as the other ninja and kunoichi but that offered no relief for him. The cloaked men and the mysterious beings trailing behind them were heading in their direction.
"Lloyd! No!"
He tried to stop the enigmatic figures from reaching his son but just when they were within his reach, he…
Garmadon woke up in a flash, his shaking body soaked in cold sweat.
He was back in his secluded home in the northeast mountains. Everything was the same as he saw it over the last several years. Haruka was still sound asleep next to him and the moonlight from the window bathed the room in an almost mysterious light.
'It was just a dream…' He tried reassuring himself, 'Yet… it felt too real…'
Garmadon was so caught up in his thoughts he didn't notice his wife waking up. The first thing she noticed was her husband's quivering figure and already knew something was up.
"Garmadon, what's wrong?" Haruka embraced him from behind to comfort him.
"It's just a bad dream." The reformed man held his hand over his wife's.
"If it's just that, then you wouldn't be so restless." The ever pensive woman observed.
"…I wouldn't want to upset you…"
"I understand it was unpleasant but can you please tell me what happened?"
"The Overlord…" Garmadon started, "I was… evil again. At least my body was… The enemies of the past had me surrounded and then… our son…"
"Lloyd…?"
Just the mere mention of their son had the old woman's maternal instincts kick in.
"It's not the new generation alone he's after. He also wants to exact revenge on Lloyd and the original ninja and kunoichi.
"Do you remember anything else?"
The reformed man tried to bring the images of his vision back in his head before they leave him. The silhouettes following the hooded men looked familiar. Garmadon summoned their images in his head and what he could see from them in his vision were features that wouldn't belong to a human. There was no mistake from their figures that they not human. They were…
"They have returned…" Garmadon suddenly spoke ominously.
"Who?"
"I never thought it was possible but it is…"
Haruka had a slight sense of what her husband was talking about. She never forgot the look on Lloyd's face when it finally happened.
"So they have returned…" She began, "Is there anything we can do to help the ninjas?"
"This is something the new generation have to find out for themselves. They need to stand on their own feet."
"But it's Lloyd and the original ninja and kunoichi they want."
"Haruka, our time has passed and so have our son's and his generation's, but that doesn't mean we'll just sit idle. Lloyd named his students ninjas so they can fight alongside their parents, not to wholly take their place and even we will do the same."
"I know."
"But there's one thing none of us know…"
"What is it?"
"How can anyone defeat those that are already dead…?"
(*) Gut gemacht = Good job (German)
(*) Stai bene = Are you okay (Italian)
I'm sorry this chapter was so slow but I'll try to pick things up in the next chapter! I promise!
If anyone's wondering when I'm gonna put up a Lloyd/Iris story, I have some new ideas but still can't decide which one to do so I'd like to know what kind of story you want me to write & vote on my new poll!
Also, as a little extra, Happy (belated) Birthday to Cole!
At least my headcanon for his birthday is on Earth Day (get it?) which was the 22nd. Let's just say he celebrated by eating a ton of birthday cakes! XD
As always, please review!