Children of Destiny
Wow! I'm really happy I could update this story & Beauty in the Beast before this month is over! Anyway, we're finally gonna get a lot of action in this chapter & see the original gang all gathered again so enjoy!
Chapter 37: A Reunion Ruined
The new generation were face-to-face with their parents for the first time since they left.
So many thoughts went through their heads they didn't know what to say or do.
That is until their emotions finally poured out in a torrent with the force of a waterfall.
"Leon! Willow! My precious little babies!" Iris squeezed her children in a tight hug.
"I missed you too Mom!" Willow hugged her back.
"M-me too…" Leon was a little embarrassed but still grateful to have such a loving mother.
"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Lloyd playfully frowned.
"Daddy!" Willow jumped into her father's arms and giggled as he raised her up.
"What about me?" Leon pouted childishly.
"Of course I haven't forgotten about you!" The original green ninja ruffled his son's fair hair.
"D-Dad…!" Amy and Melody suffered yet another one of their father's infamously strong hugs. His thick ropy muscles finally loosened around them to give them some much-needed air until their mother also embraced them but at least she didn't have the potential to suffocate them.
"I missed you so much!" Luna wept before her daughters as she held them.
"Mom…" Tears also leaked from Melody's aquamarine eyes as she hugged her back.
"We missed you too." Amy sank into her embrace.
"Mom! Dad!" The Pyrrhus twins found their parents and held them tight as if they'll lose them if they let go.
"I knew you could make it!" Kai smiled proudly at his children.
"My babies!" Aria held her children tightly and nuzzled them as a wolf would do to her pups.
"You did remember what I told you, right?" Their father whispered to them.
"Of course!" Akira smirked.
"And look at you!" Their mother got a good look at their new armor, "You even look much more stronger than you did when you first left! You must've learned so much!"
"We sure did!" The new kunoichi of wind said proudly.
"Father!" Liana wept happy tears as she held her father.
"You don't have to cry. I'm right here." Zane ran his fingers through his daughter's fair hair.
"I was so worried about you!" Heather embraced Forrest and he felt at home with the scent of white roses and gardenias caressing his senses.
"Have you found anyone who accept you?" The former nindroid asked his eldest child.
"Yes… They were in front of me the whole time."
"I'm so happy you're both safe!" Nya kissed her sons nonstop.
"Mom!" Chris and Kyle whined but were grateful that their mother cared deeply for them but what they weren't grateful for were their father's embarrassing questions.
"Did anything go wrong and did you wet yourselves when they did? Also, did you always brush your teeth before bedtime? Did you have plenty of clean underwear?" Jay bombarded his sons with pointless questions.
"Dad! We're fine!" Chris pouted.
"By the way, how's Sayuri doing?" Kyle asked.
"I'm here!" Sayuri approached her brothers who also greeted her with hugs.
"Even during such a crisis, we couldn't leave you behind." Nya told her.
"Have you learned anything since you left?" Chris asked his youngest sibling.
"I'm feeling a little better." The little girl answered.
"But why did you come here?" Lloyd finally got to the point.
"Haukka detected the enemies approaching you guys and we couldn't just leave you here when we can come and defend you." Forrest answered.
"You came all the way here just for us?" Kai was astonished hearing what they've done but he understood their actions.
If his loved ones were far away and in danger, he would've done the same and that was all the more proof that Akira and Alex truly were his children.
"This may be our battle but there's no way we're leaving you behind." Melody vowed.
"Sweetie, you didn't have to do this just for us…" Luna was still shocked that they bothered to come to their aid when they were the ones that still needed guidance.
"But it's our duty not as your children but also as ninjas. We can't leave anyone behind." Akira said with determination in his voice.
"By the way, how's the Bounty doing?" Jay asked once their little reunion was over.
"The computers got hacked and we might have to reboot the whole thing." Chris sighed.
"Do you think you might be able to do something about it?" Kyle looked up to his father.
"There's no computer or gadget a Walker can't fix!" The tech-savvy inventor boasted.
"The Bounty can wait," His wife held his shoulder, "We must cherish what's truly important."
"Yeah…" Jay nodded.
"How is life as a Sensei faring for you?" Haruka greeted her lifelong friend.
"Now I understand the stress Wu experienced but I can manage." Misako answered.
"We aren't here to celebrate," Garmadon reminded the group of the reason they all came here, "The Overlord and his evil forces are making a move even as we speak."
"Indeed. We still have much to discuss about." His wife added.
The ninjas were gathered in the large meeting room and the original ninjas and the sons of the First Spinjitzu Master already continued what they started.
"As I said before, the final battle isn't coming… yet… but I sense something very significant may happen and with the old and new generations here, it definitely will." Wu began.
"We know." Kai said in a slightly bored manner.
"I know you all found your true potential but are you sure you can handle all this?" Cole asked the young ninjas.
"Actually, we didn't come here solely to protect you from the Overlord…" Amy started.
"Why else did you come here?" Her mother asked.
"Since we're all here, the Overlord's forces will focus on us and with both teams here, we might have a chance." Leon explained.
"I've seen stranger strategies work so this theory may give us a chance." Wu said.
"Do you really think this is the end?" Haruka asked her husband.
"No," Garmadon disagreed, "The Overlord doesn't seem like the person to throw in everything at once and so soon…"
"But no matter what, we'll do anything in our power to stop him." Heather vowed.
"But now that our children have found their true potential, do you think they'll be able to band together to form the tornado of creation or tornado of time like we did?" Cole asked.
"Time will tell." Garmadon stoically answered.
"Tornadoes of creation and time?" Willow tilted her head.
"The tornadoes of creation and time are made by the elemental ninja and kunoichi combining their Spinjitzu into one. The ninjas banded together to make the tornado of creation during the very first adventure they had together while the tornado of time first made by the kunoichi at the battle that brought an end to the Serpentine." Wu relayed their parents' adventures to the young generation and even the original ninjas felt nostalgic of those good ol' days.
"What can they do?" Akira asked.
"The tornadoes of creation and time are very powerful abilities that mustn't be taken lightly. To create them, all of you must be in harmony with one another because each of you are just one part of a whole. I hope you haven't forgotten that you're all part of a team." Misako said.
"Of course not!" Leon boasted.
Haukka swooped in and circled above Zane.
"Haukka, do you sense something?" The robot turned human asked the falcon.
"They're coming." The avian robot droned and everyone immediately knew what he meant.
The Overlord and his forces were already making their way here.
"Haruka, take Sayuri to the furthest rooms of the monastery. I don't want any innocent lives to be taken because of us." Garmadon commanded his wife.
"I can't just leave you out there! I'll fight alongside you!" His loyal spouse argued.
"You can join us once my daughter is safe!" Jay added.
The old and new generations all took their weapons and stood before of the monastery, ready to face their enemies in what may be their biggest battle yet.
The Serpentine, nindroids, and human servants all lined up before the ninja and kunoichi who were also ready to fight them. Hovering in front of the enemies was the one who started it all.
"You…!" Garmadon felt his blood boil seeing the one who caused everything wrong for him.
"Ah… the new and old have gathered here to face their doom together… It's almost touching…" The Overlord mocked his sworn enemies.
"Enough talk!" Kai aimed sword at the evil sentient orb, "This time, we'll end this for good!"
"Lookssss like sssssome thingssss never change." Acidicus glared at the blacksmith with all four eyes, still resentful that he made the last moments of his first life extremely brutal.
The ninjas still refused to back down, even with such an immense threat standing before them.
It was clear to the bad guys that introductions weren't necessary.
"Attack!" The Overlord commanded.
His servants let out a thunderous battle cry and charged at the ninjas.
"NINJA-GO!"
The first and next generation of ninja and kunoichi spun into the battle. Even the First Spinjitzu Master's sons were able to fight; they may be old but being old and weak were clearly different.
There were two people Ronin wanted to get his hands on and wasted no time in pursuing them.
"YOU!" He snarled and chased after the sons of the First Spinjitzu Master.
Rather than run away, the brothers were prepared to meet their former accomplice in battle. In whirlwinds of gold and silver, they met the traitorous apprentice in battle.
But with the strange gifts bestowed to him from the Overlord, Ronin dodged and sneaked up on them from behind and knock them down.
"I should've been the one to learn all your secrets but no! You thought I wasn't good enough!" The former apprentice swung his katana at Wu but the seasoned old man countered his moves.
"This wasn't about power alone! I saw the greed in your eyes, even to this day!" Wu blocked his blows with his staff.
The turncoat roared and let his wrath control him. He charged at them like a beast but Wu and Garmadon kept their wits. However, Ronin was bestowed with the Overlord's strange powers and finally tackled them down. Before he could deliver the finishing blow, a third enemy joined in the fray.
"NINJA-GO!"
A shining white tornado threw Ronin off and sent him flying.
"Misako…!" Garmadon was astonished that even after they broke up, she still cared about him.
"My time with you may be over but you're still important to me." Misako held her hand to offer her old flame some assistance before helping his brother too.
"The years continue being kind to you," Pythor eyed Iris lewdly before turning to Lloyd and his expression quickly turned sour, "But I can't say the same for you."
"I'll take that as a compliment." The original green ninja coldly snapped back.
"I'll be more than happy to put you out of your misery!"
The Anacondrai lunged at the human with a gaping maw that exposed his sharp fangs in a loud hiss but Lloyd grappled the purple snake and pinned him to the ground.
"I killed you once and I'm not afraid to do it again!" Lloyd clutched his sworn enemy's head just like he had done before crushing it but Pythor quickly lashed out and used his tail as a whip to strike the former ninja's legs.
"Lloyd!"
Iris' eyes glowed white and she summoned her space powers to null the natural pull of gravity on Pythor to lift him off the ground. Using sheer willpower, she 'threw' the Anacondrai a good distance away from her husband.
"Lloyd! Are you okay!?" The Russian woman rushed to his side.
"This is nothing!" The green ninja boasted, "I can do this!"
After his wife reversed time on his wounds to seal them, Lloyd headed back into the battlefield.
Cryptor quickly scanned Zane's figure amidst the fray and swiftly moved through the battlefield and greeted the robot turned human with a swift punch in the face. Zane was astonished by the sudden attack but immediately reached for his shurikens.
"Cryptor…!" Zane glared at his dark copy.
"So… we finally meet…" The evil nindroid faced off against the former robot, "I longed to meet the original nindroid that inspired my design… It's a shame you revoked your advanced body for mortality. I find it very disappointing you threw it all away just to live like a filthy human."
The ice ninja was outraged by his dark clone's insults. He may not be a nindroid anymore but he was still the same sweet yet awkward Zane deep down.
"I am not defined by my body! Even if I'll look different, my heart will never change!"
Cryptor fired a laser from his optic but Zane was quick to escape from the sharp ray. The former nindroid engulfed himself in a frozen twister that consumed his evil copy. Cryptor felt parts of his system freezing up but he was advanced. He raised the temperatures of his heat source to thaw his cold gears and scanned Zane's body inside the icy tornado.
But a diabolical clone wasn't the only thing the Finnish ninja had to be worried about.
With his strength, Skalidor knocked Zane down on his stomach then a nasty idea popped up in his otherwise thick head.
The former nindroid screamed his lungs out at the terrible sensation on his back.
Zane can't describe the pain running down his back and felt like it was on fire as Skalidor raked his claws down his flesh. The Constrictai was astonished that instead of oil with gadgets peeking through the broken skin, there was actual blood but that made the ice ninja's torture the more enjoyable. He raised his bloody claws to do it again but much to his confusion, another icy blast stopped him.
(*) "Jää!" A female voice shouted through the snowstorm surrounding him.
The black snake tried to move but the ice surrounding him crept up his burly body until he was entirely encased in it.
"Father!" The white kunoichi used her powers to heal the terrible gashes on his back.
"Zane!" Heather also noticed her husband's gruesome injuries
"I'm… so grateful you still care for me…"
The moment was interrupted by the splintering sound of ice cracking. Skalidor twitched inside his icy prison and the ice slowly broke away. The burly snake finally broke free and was ready to send the ice wielders into a world of hurt but their family had other ideas.
A bunch of thorny vines suddenly burst from the ground and engulfed the Constrictai and held them in their spiky grasp.
Zane turned to see his wife and son both holding the Forest Staff that struck the ground.
"Zane!" The kunoichi of nature gasped seeing the grotesque scratch marks on her love's back.
"Dad! Are you alright!?" Forrest examined the wounds while his sister did everything she can to heal the bloody scratches.
"I'll live…" Zane hissed at the stinging sensations while his family formed a shield around him.
"Vasser!"
Luna summoned a tsunami against Karl but he used his unnatural strength to swim through the current and tackle her. The two tumbled and tousled until the traitorous man pinned her down. His face was so close to hers she can even feel his breath.
"Such a shame that such a talented beauty like you didn't end up with me." Karl held the water wielder's chin so she can't look away from him and his lips were dangerously close to hers.
"I should've known better than to hire you in the first place!" Luna literally spat at his face.
Karl raised his fist to let it meet the German woman's face but he was quickly knocked off by a heavy force and could've sworn a boulder was flung at him but he looked up to see Cole glaring down at him, ready to continue what they started back at Meerheim.
"You don't know when to give up, do you?" The earth ninja glared down at his enemy.
"You're one to talk!"
Karl threw the raven-haired man off of him but then tackled him and they were at it again. Luna used to be a skittish girl but this time, she wasn't going to let her spouse do all the fighting. She summoned rain clouds above Karl and a downpour quickly soaked her ex-producer, distracting him from the earth ninja, who split the ground underneath him with one stomp of his foot. Karl fell in and Cole sealed up the earth before he can get out, essentially burying him alive.
"Where's our daughters?" Luna looked around frantically, realizing she lost sight of her kids.
"Amy! Melody!" Cole scoured the battlefield, looking for their children.
Unfortunately, the enemies found them first…
"You look sssso much like your mother…" Skales licked his lips lasciviously at Amy and Melody.
"I normally blush at compliments but you are an exception." The purple kunoichi glared at him.
"Stay away from my daughters!" Luna howled and unleashed her true powers for the first time since the final battle.
The Hypnobrai and several henchmen were caught in a powerful whirlpool
Jay let out a loud battle cry as he infused his nunchucks with his lightning powers and swung it at Ash with the baton colliding with his torso, sending excruciating volts of electricity coursing through his body.
"This is all YOUR fault!" Jay clawed the mechanic's face and let his nails sink into his skin.
"You're one to talk," Ash cruelly smirked at him, "If it weren't for you giving in, I wouldn't have made Cryptor and all these masterpieces."
The lightning ninja roared and electrocuted him again and even resorted to using his fists. Ash clutched the former ninja's fists in his before he could punch him a third time and pushed back. The inventors were locked down in a man-to-man brawl as they wrestled on the ground.
Nya tried to help but her arms were clamped together by Clouse, who snuck up behind her.
"I would've never thought I'd have the pleasure of throwing away the ninjas." He sneered.
"Let go of me!" The former kunoichi stamped on Clouse's foot but he wasn't deterred.
"I might be able to let you go… if you cooperate." The dirty ex-cop whispered lewdly in her ear.
"You're disgusting!" The Japanese woman glared at him.
"NINJA-GO!"
Two tornadoes, one crackling with lightning bolts and the other sparkling like pure gold, headed towards Clouse and caused him to lose his grip on the kunoichi of metal but they weren't done. Their next target was Ash and this time, their mother joined them.
Ash shrieked in pain when Chris zapped him from behind and then Kyle socked him in the face.
"You sons of bitches!" Clouse snarled and spat out a wad of saliva mixed with blood.
"Hey!" A feminine voice barked.
The ex-cop turned to see Nya giving a look that could kill if possible.
"That bitch happens to be me!"
Nya spun into a shining gold twister and reentered the battle…
Kai was also caught up in his own personal battle with Jacob, who was deadset on beating him.
"Everything you have and everything you hold dear! All that should've been mine!" Jacob yelled in the blacksmith's face.
"It's my father you want so why me!?" The former ninja snarled and refused to back down.
"I will NEVER be satisfied until every last trace of your father and his legacy are gone! Including you!" Jacob socked the fire wielder right in the face but can't knock him out.
Kai was way too stubborn to let a single blow take him down.
The two fought like a couple of feral beasts and only one of them can win.
Aria was also busy fighting her own personal battle against Acidicus.
"Vento!"
With her willpower alone, the kunoichi of wind sent an aerial blast at the green snake with the force of a category five hurricane and the gales were strong enough to even cut his scaly flesh but his resurrection seemed to have made his body stronger. The cuts immediately healed and the four-eyed snake's formed a wad of hallucinogenic saliva in his glands.
Amidst the fray, the Pyrrhus twins saw their parents in trouble and acted fast.
"Fire!"
A stream of flames whipped between the Venomari and the kunoichi of wind. The intense heat of the flames evaporated the saliva in midair, similar to how Kai himself saved her in that battle that exterminated the Serpentine.
"Wind!"
With a single swipe from the Fans of Gales, Alex summoned a small tornado that blew Jacob off her father.
"Alex, this is MY battle!" Kai tried to warn his daughter off.
"I'm not going to leave you!" She vowed, "I'm staying until the very end!"
Lloyd and Pythor wrestled until the latter threw the human off but the original green ninja was quick to retaliate. With his unique powers, he formed a ball of pure energy in his hands with an intense light that blinded the tall snake and it grew into a gigantic size and threw it at the snake, imprisoning him. Leon also took the opportunity to imbue the prison with his own powers but Pythor's hatred alone was so intense his prison started to break.
"We can't hold him in for long!" Lloyd concentrated on keeping the prison intact.
With Lloyd in the front and Leon at the back, Pythor was trapped between them.
"Willow! Now!" Leon shouted at his sister.
The young kunoichi drew back the arrow and let go but…
She missed.
The arrow only grazed Pythor's shoulder but the stinging sensation didn't go unnoticed.
"You little brat!" The Anacondrai slithered towards the kunoichi of time but she ran from him at an inhuman speed.
Iris stepped in to protect her daughter and frozen time on Pythor alone, essentially turning him into a living statue.
"Run!" She commanded her child, "His hatred is strong! I can't hold him back much longer!"
Lloyd tacked Pythor from behind and held his jaw open with his bare hands, not even noticing the faint stinging on his skin where the Serpentine's fangs pierced it and even Pythor can taste the green ninja's blood. The original green ninja was prying the Anacondrai's mouth open as if trying to tear his body in two, starting with his jaws.
But he forgot about the other end.
Pythor's tail wrapped around Lloyd's leg and using all the force within him, threw the human off and send him careening onto the solid ground but it took a lot more than that to take down the green ninja. Lloyd tacked his enemy again in a seemingly endless battle…
The Overlord would've smirked at all the carnage if he had a face but there was a certain man he wanted to see…
"If it isn't Lord Garmadon…" The Overlord floated over to his former ally, putting emphasis on the word 'lord' but the former despot no longer wanted anything to do with him.
"I almost failed to recognize you without that four arms and black flesh."
"Times have changed." Garmadon retorted coldly.
"I wouldn't mind welcoming you back. You still have much potential and I sense that darkness still lingers in your heart. If you swear total allegiance to me, I could help you take back all the years you have lost."
The former dark lord can't help but let the evil being's words tempt his heart.
"He is NOT coming with you!" Haruka threw herself between her husband and the Overlord.
"Brother! Do NOT listen to him!" Wu pleaded.
Memories of his life before the venom was purged flashed in Garmadon's eyes. He didn't want to admit it but he still carried some resentment in his heart for losing so much because of Wu. That and he was secretly envious of the ninjas he once fought whenever he saw them spending time with their children like real parents should and that jealousy even extended to his own son he failed to be there for.
'No! I will NOT stoop so low!'
'But don't you want this? This is your only chance to take back what you've lost!'
'I won't give in! Not again!'
"NINJA-GO!"
A Spinjitzu tornado as bright as warm sunlight spun into the battlefield in front of Garmadon, as if to keep him away from the Overlord.
"Haruka…!"
"Garmadon! You can't do this! Not just for me or your family but also for yourself! Please! We lost you once and none of us can live through that pain again! Will it be worth pushing yourself away from us!? Don't you want to be with our son for the remainder of our days!?"
Garmadon felt like his heart wanted to go to two places at once. Half of him wanted to remain here with his family but the other half wanted to return to the dark side but the darkest reality was that they were both him.
The two halves were different but they both made the whole of his very being.
'Who am I…?'
Much to his wife and brother's horror, he walked towards the Overlord, as if he actually wanted to rejoin the forces of evil.
"Brother, no!" Wu tried to stop him but some thugs came from behind and held him down.
The former dark lord suddenly stopped in front of the sentient ball of evil energy and stared at his previous cohort right in the eye.
"I won't be truthful if I say your words didn't tempt me but your false promises won't work on me for a second time."
"Are you sure?" The Overlord still tried to manipulate him, "I have new powers and this time, I will be able to fulfill your deepest desires."
"I may not be able to change the past but I can still control my destiny!"
"And that is…?"
Garmadon answered with a bright silver tornado but the Overlord floated out of the way. Even he knew it was now foolhardy trying to bring Garmadon back to his side but he still had another surprise up his metaphorical sleeve.
"Ash! Bring it out!" The Overlord commanded.
"Yes Master!" The corrupt mechanic pressed a switch on his belt.
A rumbling tremor seemingly from far away shook the ninja and kunoichi off their feet.
"What's going on!?" Jay tried to keep his balance but as the tremors grew stronger it was more difficult trying to stand up straight.
The ninjas could've sworn the monastery was hit by an earthquake but the artificial sounds of twisting metal, winding gears, and stomps filled the air and then they can see a large silhouette heading towards them.
"W-what is that…!?" Willow clung to her father.
"A war machine…!" Lloyd stared in shocked silence.
Hovering above the ninja and kunoichi was a mechanical monstrosity. No words can describe its look but the heroes of Ninjago already felt something ominous in its design.
"Behold!" The Overlord cackled, "The last thing you'll see before you die!"
The war machine loomed over the ninjas and they knew, without a doubt, that this will be the most difficult battle they'll face…
(*) Jää = Ice (Finnish)
DUN DUN DUN!
Will the ninjas be able to stop the Overlord & the war machine or will evil finally succeed?
It may not seem like it but this is FAR from the end of this story & as always, reviews are highly appreciated!