Children of Destiny
Okay guys, sorry about the lame chapter title but it's a big hint of what's to come in this chapter. Again, I'm sorry that this chapter is slow & there's no true potential (yet) but I want to do some worldbuilding before we get to that part so please enjoy!
Chapter 23: Chamber of Secrets
Much like their parents have done many years ago, the new generation saw the vague shape of the Dark Island just beyond the horizon.
The Dark Island still had its tropical climate and remained untouched by time. Even the remains of the original Bounty laid just as the original ninjas left it when they left the island for the final battle. The dusty wood and rusty scraps of metal served as a reminder of the difficult trials and tribulations they had to face to bring peace and order to Ninjago.
"You know, if it weren't for its name, this could be a great place for a vacation." Akira admitted.
"But we're not here for a vacation," Melody reminded him, "We're here to find clues on where the Overlord's lair is."
"Or if it's even here at all…" Liana added.
"Even if the Overlord isn't here, I know another place that may help us." Misako said.
"And that is…?"
"The Temple of Light," The scholar answered, "Long ago, your parents journeyed there in order to awaken their full elemental powers."
"So what does this have to do with finding the Overlord?"
"The temple wasn't built just for that purpose. It was also to record the prophecies of the First Spinjitzu Master."
"Would he know about us too?" Leon asked.
"Of course," His teacher nodded, "He knew of the events that will transpire but also knew that he won't live to see it. That was why he crafted the Gold and Silver Weapons, divided the land into two, and built the Temple of Light. The temple was accessible in times immemorial but that was before the First Spinjitzu Master divided the land and the temple was situated on the land sent across the ocean and that land is the one we stand on now."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Chris rallied his teammates, "Let's find the temple!"
The new generation trekked through the Dark Island, seeing that everything was exactly as they were since their parents left. They even spotted the abandoned mines that were used to collect Dark Matter. Leon and Willow felt uneasy walking through the eerie place, knowing all too well of their grandfather's dark past. Even today, the mines had a foreboding atmosphere.
"Look," Misako pointed towards the distant mountains and they can vaguely see the silhouette of a building similar to the monastery, "That's where we must go."
The climb wasn't easy but Amy had little difficulty, due to her earth element but she was quick to help her teammates up the mountain.
"Come on Chris!" She rallied the blue ninja who had a tough time climbing, "You can do it!"
"Easy for YOU to say!" The blue-eyed ninja grumbled as he clung to the rocks for dear life.
But soon, the eldest ninja made it to the summit and standing before the ninjas was the Temple of Light that has been sung in old legends.
Like the rest of the island, the Temple of Light remained untouched by the elements. Even now, an air of importance emanated from its high walls and sturdy pillars.
"So this is where our parents got their true powers…" Liana traced her fingers along the smooth lacquered pillars.
"Will we find anything in this temple?" Alex asked.
"This temple still has its secrets," Misako felt nostalgic walking in such hallowed grounds again, "There may even be other parts of the temple that haven't been explored to this day because the First Spinjitzu Master may have meant for you to find them when the time is right."
"How are we gonna find it?" Forrest asked.
"The First Spinjitzu Master built this temple with his own hands. He was also clairvoyant and he would know that your parents' battle won't be the last Ninjago will see of the Overlord. Light is just one side of the same coin. He knew light and shadows can never exist without the other so he knew that the Overlord will always return."
"So he's undefeatable…?"
"I'm afraid so… but there is also the slight possibility…"
"Of what?"
"As I said, light and shadows are just opposite sides of the same coin but the Overlord is more than shadow. He is complete darkness and unlike the shadows, that actually need light to exist, darkness swallows up everything including light and shadows. That is what the Overlord truly is. Light and shadows balance each other out, creating order, but darkness alone will create chaos and that is what the Overlord wants, a chaotic ruin he can rule over with an iron fist. There's no way we can entirely wipe out one side, for that could only perpetuate the chaos the Overlord is trying to achieve but maintaining balance may be the answer to destroying him for good…"
"And that is…?"
"I apologize," The wise woman sighed, "I was getting ahead of myself. We should go in and see if there's any clues…"
The new generation cautiously opened the heavy double doors and stepped inside.
Even the interior of the temple was untouched by time. The pillars with the elemental symbols still stood and the walls were still adorned with images of the original ninjas' adventures.
"I don't know why, but all this feels familiar…" Willow stared at the old pictures of her parents throughout their adventures.
Misako too felt nostalgic being back in the very grounds she once walked upon with the ninjas' parents so many years ago. It only felt like yesterday the original ninja and kunoichi found out what it truly meant for them to 'become' their elements in this very room.
'Time sure has a funny way of going either too slow or too fast… there never seems to be some type of middle ground…'
But she wasn't here to relive old memories. As a teacher, it was her responsibility to guide her students towards their destiny. They must be ready for when the time comes…
The Overlord inspected the slowly growing army of nindroids.
All of them looked like Cryptor but there were some minor differences such as height and girth. Ash was also careful to not give them the exact same AI as Zane, saying it wouldn't be good for them to 'start thinking'. The last thing the Overlord needed was for an army of androids to start having their own emotions and desires and turn against him.
The true dark lord inspected his human henchmen who labored tirelessly to build more robots for his cause but he can't be everywhere at once.
"Clouse…" He summoned his human subordinate once he spotted him.
"Yes, my lord?" The henchman knelt before his bodiless master.
"See to it that the nindroids' production is going steadily." The intangible being commanded.
"As you wish."
There were times Clouse felt like he wasn't getting anywhere but he kept telling himself that his chance will come when the time was right. After all, he had his reasons for joining the Overlord.
He didn't have any personal history with any of the original ninjas but he still bore deep enmity towards them. He used to be an ordinary citizen of Ninjago City but he was also a cop, keeping order in the city and many people looked up to him… until the ninja and kunoichi came along.
Ever since the death of the Great Devourer, the ninjas got all the credit and all the citizens who once looked up to him depended on them for everything, even stopping small-time crooks and forgot about him, sowing the seeds of envy in his heart. Even when he did everything he could to defend the citizens from the Stone Warriors when they awoke, they STILL gave those upstart ninjas all the credit. And as if to add insult to injury, he even got demoted when it was apparent that Ninjago was at peace but this only caused his jealousy to grow.
Soon, that jealousy turned to hatred and Clouse remained unhappy until the ninjas were gone for good and that was when the Overlord came in. The dark lord offered him one chance to get revenge on the ninjas in return for his loyalty. He may be stuck in this dank lair but he decided to wait until the time comes.
No matter how fast or how slow time flows, it always does…
The new generation scoured the Temple of Light for clues or hints but everything they've found were already discovered by their parents. They were just about ready to call it a day when Liana and Forrest can hear a faint echo from the distance like a bird's caw.
"Haukka!" Liana greeted the mechanical falcon that perched on her arm.
"Did you find anything?" Kyle asked.
The robot bird nodded and hopped up and down Liana's arm as if it was itching to show her and the others what it saw.
"Let's go back," The ice wielder suggested, "I'm sure Haukka found something very important."
"But we should keep exploring the Temple of Light," Akira said, "Who knows what else is there. Maybe there's some secret chamber underneath the temple or something…"
It didn't take long until a light bulb went off in Alex's head.
"That's it!" The younger Pyrrhus twin shouted all of a sudden.
"What did I do this time?" The fire ninja asked in slight annoyance.
"Our parents found what they were looking for inside the Temple itself but in order to uncover all its secrets, we have to delve deeper!" The kunoichi of wind explained, "It's just like when we get to know someone and then it's like that song, 'Dig a Little Deeper'! The deeper we look, the more we'll discover!"
"That IS a very sound theory," Misako commended the orange kunoichi, "Some things are not what they seem. The temple seems to be just that on the surface but there could be more. The First Spinjitzu Master may have kept some other secrets here for you to find."
The ninjas and kunoichi clambered precariously around the mountain the Temple of Light was situated on, looking for anything the slightest bit out of place.
"Maybe there's something IN the temple," Kyle suggested, "We can still find something in there our parents haven't."
"But what's bothering me is that our parents didn't even find it when they were ninjas," Melody pointed out, "Wouldn't they have figured it out when they came here?"
"The temple itself was for them to find," Misako said, "But you are not your parents. The First Spinjitzu Master most likely kept some secrets stowed away for you to find."
The ninja and kunoichi continued exploring the mountains, even if the sight of the ground from so far away made them feel a little queasy.
"This looks like some sort of lever…" Alex inspected a small slightly discolored rock sticking out of the mountain's natural slope. The other kunoichi soon helped their sister pull the small stone but then, the mountain rumbled. The ninjas barely managed to hold on as a small portion of the earth crumbled away, revealing a door similar to the one in front of the temple but smaller.
"Alex! You did it!" Willow cheered.
"It's too early to celebrate," Misako halted the youngest kunoichi, "We still have to investigate and see if this is some sort of lead or not."
The ninjas pushed open the door but the interior was so dark they can hardly see anything but the first few steps of stairs winding into the mountain. Despite the plain appearance, the ninja and kunoichi can tell there was something very big inside…
"S-should we go in…?" Kyle shivered.
"There's only one way to find out…" Amy stepped forward but it was too dark for the kunoichi of earth to see anything more than a few feet away.
"But it's too dark down there." Leon complained.
"I got you all covered." Akira lit up a ball of flame in his hands and guided his team into the dark winding stairs…
The stairs led downward into the mountain itself underneath the Temple of Light. The ninja and kunoichi owed Akira and his fire powers to not fall down a lengthy flight of stairs but it was still spooky to them having to walk down a dark cramped hall no one has ever discovered before.
"Forrest, are you okay?" Liana asked her brother, noticing how tense he looked.
"I-I-I'm fine…" The teal ninja stuttered, "I'm just a little c-claustrophobic. That's all…"
The kunoichi of ice eyed her brother suspiciously behind his back. Lately, he's been acting more anxious and temperamental. Sure, he had more than a few moments back home where he lets his temper get the better of him but never to this extent. She remembered his outburst when Cryptor was revealed and ever since, he was more prone to stressing out.
'He needs to channel his emotions…' The white kunoichi thought to herself, 'I want to help him but this is one of those things he must overcome on his own…'
The group continued further down until they were sure they were very deep within the earth, but the long trek was worth it. Another small entrance awaited them at the very bottom of the stairs but luckily there were no doors, as if the First Spinjitzu Master knew there was no point in making one if no one was going to find this place.
But the new generation did.
The group cautiously entered and were surprised at their newest discovery.
The walls were covered with ancient texts and pictures carved into the stone and much of the floor was covered by a flat dais. Eight small but tall pedestals stood on each corner of the altar and two of them let out a slight glow in white and purple. Yet the new generation felt like there was still some more secrets this chamber hid.
"I would've never thought such a place existed…" Leon whispered in awe, trying to decipher the words carved into the walls.
Misako, having known the old tongue, understood much of the old texts and wrote them down for some deciphering back in the ship. The group also noticed two of the dais giving off a faint glow in white and purple.
"What could they mean…?" Leon whispered.
"Two of you already unlocked your true potential," Misako eyed Liana and Melody, "You should go check it out."
Liana and Melody cautiously stepped onto their respective podiums and held out the Shurikens of Ice and Whip of Oceans respectively. The entire room lit up, even if just a little bit…
But nothing happened.
"So much for that." Akira grumbled but earned himself a jab in the gut from Alex.
"Sensei, why isn't it working?" Melody asked.
"It's most likely that this chamber's deepest secrets will be revealed only when all of you reach your true potential," Misako whispered, "We should come back here when the time is right."
"But is the Overlord here or not?" Kyle asked, wanting to get straight to the point.
"I haven't seen anything suspicious here," Misako shook her head, "It also wouldn't be likely for the Overlord to make his new base back at the very same place he was sealed but what we do know is that we'll have to return here one day and Haukka also has that footage we have yet to see. We must go back… for now."
The ninja and kunoichi wanted to continue exploring more of this secret place but it wasn't like time will stop for them. It can only move forward.
Back in the bridge, Liana got the falcon hooked up to the main computer.
On the screen was the very scene Haukka witnessed while the ninjas were away. Judging from the sands and sounds of the waves, the falcon was at another beach. But what the mechanical creature saw on the beach got the humans' attention.
A couple of gangsters like the ones associated with the Overlord lurked around the beaches.
"Where did you find this?" Alex asked.
The 3D map of Ninjago popped up and pinpointed the location of the recording.
"Footage has been concluded to occur in the far eastern shores of the mainland." The flat voice of the AI echoed.
"If those goons are there, that could mean…" Melody started.
"The Overlord may not be far." Amy concluded.
"But we don't know for sure," Misako warned her students, "This could be another trap but we don't have much of a lead."
"But what choice do we have?" Chris shrugged, "It's not like we'll find anything underneath the Temple of Light until all of us find our true potential."
"We'll probably have some investigating to do in the east," Akira added, "But we should also be looking for more clues on what to do next."
"We don't know much about the latter so we might as well check out the Far East." Leon went to the steering wheel to guide the Bounty towards their destination.
"I'm sorry for asking this Haukka, but would you mind looking elsewhere while we go?" Forrest asked his longtime companion but the bird shook its head, not minding another opportunity to stretch its wings.
The ninjas discovered a lot at the Temple of Light but they were just scratching the surface on what destiny has in store for them. They already knew they'll follow in their parents' footsteps and destroy the Overlord once more but what if there was something else?
What if like that subterranean chamber, there was more to it than meets the eye…?
Iris woke up with a startle in the middle of the night at the monastery.
The former kunoichi still had vivid memories of her dream.
She had a vision of the Dark Island, specifically the Temple of Light that was ironically situated on the abandoned island. But she didn't see the interior part of the temple she explored so long ago but instead, she saw a secret passageway behind it, leading to a hidden chamber under the temple. Inside was a man who looked slightly similar to Wu. He wore a wide straw hat that hid much of his hair that was fair like his younger son and grandson's but there were hints of grey throughout the braid.
Iris asked the man if he was who she was but he remained silent and didn't even seem to notice he wasn't alone in the mysterious chamber. She remembered him talking to himself about the events that happened during the original ninjas' journey from the ninja and kunoichi's budding relationships to the Trials of the Elements but he too spoke of events that will occur afterwards and that another group of ninjas will uncover this place.
Then the kunoichi of time knew she wasn't in some sort of dreamland.
What she saw was a vision of the past.
The First Spinjitzu Master built some secret chamber under the Temple of Light for her children to find, long after the original ninjas have set foot in the temple and fulfilled their destiny. But Iris wanted to know about her children's progress.
'Do they even know…?' The Russian woman asked herself in her thoughts.
Her husband stirred next to her, feeling something was slightly amiss and finally woke up to see Iris looking restless.
"Iris, why are you up?" Lloyd asked as he wrapped his arms around his wife.
"I had a dream… no… a vision…" She answered.
"What was it about?"
"Your grandfather still has some secrets he has yet to reveal to the world."
"I'm not surprised if what you said about my grandfather turns out to be true." The aged hero replied, stroking her hair to comfort her.
"What about your father and uncle?" The former kunoichi asked, "What if they know about all this? And if they did, why didn't they say anything?"
"They probably wanted to protect us and our children or just wait until the time was right," Her husband answered, "Whatever the reason, I'll talk with Uncle in the morning."
"But it may be too late," Iris sighed, "What if the children already found out? Or what if the First Spinjitzu Master even hid it from his sons? What can we do?"
"He wouldn't have hid these secrets so no one would know," Lloyd said, "He had visions of the future and he would've left all these things behind for us to discover. He only hid it because he would've also wanted to protect us, even if just a little bit. At least that's what I believe."
The green ninja's wife thought over his words. The First Spinjitzu Master was truly a man like no other and it showed with his sons and grandson. He had so many secrets that were now being discovered by his descendants. She knew the life of a ninja and kunoichi will never be easy yet she wanted to be there for her children.
Iris finally laid back upon the bed, being held by Lloyd who whispered comforting words to her.
'Leon… Willow… Please be safe…' She mutely prayed for their children…
Misako was already up in the early hours of the morning translating the words inscribed on the walls of the secret chamber. So far, what she deciphered messages that were very similar to the ones she read on the many scrolls she accumulated during her travels. Some of the words were so worn she had trouble deciphering them but she was gradually putting the pieces together.
"Once the surface has been cleared…" She translated one of the quotes but the fragment broke off, leaving her to translate the others.
"By receiving the full blessings…" Again, the small quote cut off but Misako was quick to piece it all together. The key to awakening the ninjas' full power was inside the secret chamber and will reveal itself after the ninjas find their true potential but she knew there could be some aspects of the prophecies that will make it different from the ones with the original ninjas but she had yet to translate it until…
The computer beeped, signaling a new message tracing back to the monastery. The old woman knew this was serious because whenever Wu or Lloyd had something very important to say, it was VERY important. Upon answering the call, a familiar face popped up on the screen. She had fallen out of love with both of the men who came into her life but she still had a special place in her heart for both of them, including the one whose face graced the large screen.
"Wu, it's been a long time." Misako greeted her old flame.
"Indeed, it has been," The old sage responded, "But I haven't called you just to catch up. I have some important secrets to tell you."
"I know," The wise woman said, "What is it you need to tell me?"
"Lloyd told me Iris had a vision of the First Spinjitzu Master in the Temple of Light, specifically, a secret chamber hidden deep within the temple the ninjas never found in their time."
"The thing is that we discovered it yesterday."
The old man was taken aback but at the same time, he didn't seem too surprised, knowing how smart Misako was and that her intellect still hasn't left her.
"How do you know…?" Wu asked in astonishment.
"The ninjas wanted to find clues to the location of the Overlord's base of operations. We hoped to find clues at the Dark Islands and we ended up searching at the Temple of Light for guidance. We theorized that what their parents discovered was just the surface and we eventually found a secret chamber leading underneath the temple."
"Can you describe it?"
"Like the interior of the temple itself, it was basically one large room but the walls were carved with many ancient texts and depictions as well as eight pedestals representing the elements."
"Anything else?"
"Liana and Melody already unlocked their true potential and two of the pedestals glowed. I feel that there are more undiscovered secrets but they'll only show themselves once all of the ninja and kunoichi find their true potential."
Wu was pleasantly surprised that two members of the new generation have realized their true might but that also meant that the ultimate showdown will draw nearer.
"I have my own questions to ask, mainly, I want to know if your father ever told you about the secret chamber or if he knew of these recent events."
"…There were some things my father wouldn't even tell me and my brother. He always wanted these things to reveal themselves only when need be… I always felt like the Temple of Light still had some secrets but it wasn't for me or my students to find but their children…"
"He was definitely a very wise man," Misako said, "He must've had faith even in the new ninjas to have built that chamber."
"But this isn't a time for reverie," Wu spoke cautiously, "As long as the Overlord is somewhere planning his next move, the ninjas will be needed."
"I know. It's almost time for their morning training, anyway."
"Until we meet again, take care, Misako."
"You too."
After the communication ended, Misako stepped out to begin another day where another trial will await the ninjas…
Okay! I know this was slow but I promise that the 3rd true potential will be in the next chapter! At least I hope so.
But first, I wanna say thank you to NinjaWriterMaster! I'm so happy you loved my anniversary/gift fic for you! I also want to thank everyone who reviewed my stories & offered me great advice! I couldn't have made it without you! Thank you!