Children of Destiny
If you're having this feeling that something bad will happen soon in this story… then you may be correct. A whole bunch of crazy stuff will happen & all I can say about the next couple of chapters is that it's definitely gonna shake up your Christmas so tuck yourselves in cuz this is gonna be one emotional roller coaster!
Chapter 55: The Enigma
Life for the ninja and kunoichi were, more or less, the same as usual and they knew that every moment of peace will soon be nothing more than distant memories. Eventually, they accepted Akira and Liana as a couple and things have been tranquil… for now.
And that only led to suspicions among the young heroes.
What could the Overlord be doing now that there no eyes prying in his business?
Does he have some other diabolical war machine in the works?
Even if the hope of finding any answers were in vain, the ninjas can't stop wondering…
"It's been a while since we've last heard from the Overlord. I think he's up to something…" Amy murmured but made sure everyone heard her.
"Don't worry. Haukka's out looking for information." Liana placated the kunoichi of earth.
"But Haukka can only do so much," Forrest interrupted, "The Overlord could very well be out of any human or animal's reach."
"Do you think it's possible he's not even in Ninjago?" Willow pointed out the possibility.
"That's impossible." Kyle dismissed the youngest kunoichi.
"But think about it," Melody reminded him, "The Overlord absorbed all the ninjas' powers from to break his seal from so long ago and that includes Mrs. Garmadon's powers and she controls time and space. He could've used her powers to warp reality."
"I'm not sure about that because if he does have such powers, he most likely would've already used them on a much bigger scale by now." Akira dismissed the water wielder's theory.
"Plus there's some other factors responsible for him being able to hide for so long. For starters, he did oversee the construction of Cryptor and that war machine so maybe he developed some know-how with science and technology." Chris added.
"Perhaps he's gone into cyberspace?" Alex suggested but that only resulted in everyone staring at her like she was a three-headed, seven-eyed freak of nature.
"Even with the advancements in Ninjago's technology, it will still take many years for anyone to achieve such a feat." Misako said.
"But what if he found some other way to warp reality around him?" Liana suggested.
"Do you think he could actually be in outer space or something like that?" Leon asked.
"Or what if he's in some distant uncharted island, another dimension, or even a city in the sky full of weird people who are controlling everything that's happened in Ninjago up until now?" Akira brought up such a bizarre possibility seemingly out of nowhere.
…
"Nah." Everyone, even the fire ninja himself, dismissed that idea.
Those ideas were way too messed up to be real or Ninjago will be one VERY screwed up place…
The Overlord lurked in his secret lair that remained unknown to the ninjas at the moment. The evil being had to give them credit for being cautious and expecting him to show up when they least expect it. He still needed to gather his strength before resuming his dark designs.
"My Lord!" Jacob barged into his master's reserved chamber.
"What do you want?" The ball of evil light glowed brighter with his easily provoked anger.
"My Lord, we've found someone who wishes to have an audience with you." Karl bowed down before the Overlord.
The dark lord never met anyone who wanted to do as much as see him ever since he persuaded the mortals who were now his servants.
Perhaps another answered to the darkness in their heart?
After all, the Overlord could use some more support in such a dire hour…
"Bring them to me." The sentient orb commanded.
The Overlord's human henchmen bowed and escorted the stranger towards his chamber. Once the mortal exposed themselves to him, the master of all evil felt something in him. As if he was reliving his past…
"I never thought it would come to this…" The Overlord sneered, that is if he had a face.
"I could the say the same thing." The person responded.
The wheels of fate were ready to turn once more
"First… I know how foolish it is to ask something of you but then again, I am nothing more than a mere human." The new recruit started.
"Looks like you might have learned a thing or two…" The Overlord responded sardonically.
"Before I make my decision final, allow me to do one final foolish act and ask a request…"
Many of Iris' nights have been plagued with terrifying images that even made her NOT want to sleep and even curse herself for having time-based powers and it started to show. More often than not, her wavy hair was a mess and the bags under her violet eyes grew darker from all the nights she's gone having to deal with her nightmares. Adding that to her Serpentine looks, the former kunoichi was becoming harder to look at, even to her husband but that didn't stop him from trying to help her nor change how he feels for her.
"Iris?" Lloyd grew more and more concerned for his wife who spent many hours murmuring to herself and wandering aimlessly through the vast monastery.
"G-go away." Iris didn't want to sound rude but she was in no mood to be pitied.
"You can't hide your problems forever. You know better." Her husband continued.
"But I don't want to take out my ssssstressssssss on you." The kunoichi of time sighed.
"I'm still going to help you and find a way to fix those problems. That's what heroes do, right?"
"Da… However, that doessssssn't do anything to easssssse my guilt…"
"I know your visions have caused you so much misery but you're not having them just so they can torment you. They could offer insight on what to do to prepare for those events when they come. You used to see your visions as warnings to prepare for the future but right now, you're letting your uncertainties control you. This isn't the Iris I grew to love."
The changed woman remembered her adventures like it was yesterday. It still felt so sudden to her when she was forced to leave her sheltered life behind to answer the call of destiny and she herself found the differences between her past and present selves a little jarring. Back then, she was more optimistic but also naïve to the point of being downright ignorant. Now, she accepted her role as the kunoichi of time and predecessor of those who will inherit the title using all the knowledge and wisdom she gained to guide future generations of ninjas.
"I'm not a naïve little girl anymore. What if the Irisssss you loved isssss now nothing more than a dream of longing for the childhood you've lost?"
"No. I know your heart is still there underneath those scales and claws. It was my choice to give up my childhood and I already faced the consequences for it. Just like Heather says with Zane, you're you, no matter what."
(*) "Prosti… Lloyd… I wasssss sssssstarting to lossssse myself…"
"Don't worry about that. I'm never going to leave you."
"What about my visssssionsssss?"
"We'll get to the bottom of this so you nor our children will have to live in fear anymore."
"And what about my… you know…" Iris stared at her claws, still trying to get used to the drastic changes in her body.
"That doesn't matter to me. Not anymore. We'll just have to trust Jay and our children to find a way to reverse it. But there's also Overlord to worry about…"
"Even with my powers, I still don't know if they will be able to get rid of him for good. I can only hope that the fates will be kind to them…"
"We'll see."
Elsewhere in the monastery, Sensei Wu meditated with his mind in tune with the spirit smoke billowing in front of him. Iris had every right to be concerned with her visions he started to see them for himself in the mist. After seeing those images, he now understood why the kunoichi of time was losing her desire to sleep. If such a vision comes to pass, not even he knew the answer to what he would do.
He knew that person well enough to even understand if he would do such a thing.
Perhaps this was the perfect opportunity to speak with that person…
Just before the old man could leave the sound of glass breaking echoed behind him, forcing him to turn around and clean up the mess.
One of the pictures in the room had suddenly fallen from the shelf, surrounded by tiny shards of the glass that protected the picture from the elements. The old man carefully picked up the ruined frame, turned it over, and felt alarmed upon seeing the tarnished image.
Wu was a spiritual man but not one for extreme superstitions but with the way things were at the moment with Iris' disturbing visions adding to the tension, such an ominous event that has been foreshadowed so often may have actually come to pass.
Is history doomed to repeat itself for eternity?
Did he succumbed to the lingering darkness?
The old man's only answer was the foreboding silence that hung over the somber room…
Jay spent many hours in the office trying to form an antidote for the kunoichi but every time he seemed to have found a way to reverse at least some of the Serpentine features, there were a bunch of side effects that came with the procedures that wouldn't make the cures worthwhile or even open another can of worms for the victims. The ninja inventor hoped it wouldn't have to come to this but life isn't always fair and he was NOT looking forward to telling Zane and Kai that their wives are doomed to be snakes for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, there was no use trying to delay the inevitable…
"Jay, what's going on?" Kai was concerned that his brother-in-law would call all of a sudden.
"Have you made any progress with the DNA?" Zane asked.
The original ninjas of fire and ice can tell their brother had bad news just by looking at his dour expression when he was usually very optimistic and loud.
"Would you like me to sugarcoat it or can you handle brutal honesty?" The lightning ninja asked before he can finally break it to them.
"Just tell us. We'd know sooner or later." The fire ninja answered bluntly with the former robot nodding solemnly.
"I tried everything but everything was inconclusive. I… I wish I didn't have to say this but… there is no way I can help Heather and Aria… you might have to spend the rest of their lives as snakes. Every test I've done… the DNA either remained the same or change but not without any terrible side effects that could happen to the kunoichi. I did the best I could but I failed… I'm sorry."
It really pained Jay to see the crestfallen expressions on his brother's faces and the fact that he could do nothing about it hurt even more. Yet despite the awful news, Kai and Zane still had a determined look in their eyes as if they accepted their wives' fate.
"Heather is still herself and I'm willing to look beyond her physical changes because I know that underneath those scales, she's still Heather." The former nindroid said calmly but the blue ninja can tell that there were more emotions going on inside.
"But she's- "
"We already learned to look beyond their appearances," Kai interrupted the inventor, "Jay, you did what you could."
"But I still could've done a lot more…" Jay still remained doubtful.
"Fate can be very cruel but it's our choice to either face it head-on or run away and you should know by now that we would choose the former." The ice ninja lectured him.
"What about Heather and Aria? They may not take it well."
"I already expect Aria to not take it well but I've dealt with her for a long time so I'm prepared for it." Kai said.
"I'm... sorry I couldn't do much..." Jay sighed.
"You don't have to apologize. Let us deal with out wives." Zane added.
Even if Kai and Zane accepted it, it still won't be easy telling the kunoichi the cruel truth...
The peaceful atmosphere at the Bounty was suddenly interrupted by Haukka's endless squawks and caws until the Julien siblings finally approached him.
The recording displayed what appeared to be the Overlord's human zealots along with Cryptor trudging through a desolate landscape surrounded by several crumbling ruins. The angle of the footage implies that the falcon was perched on one of the taller ruins while spying on them.
Upon zooming in on the group, Haukka's optics detected another person who had never joined the Overlord or any of his servants until now. The person's face was obscured by the nindroids surrounding them and even the falcon knew that getting closer was going to increase his risk of getting caught. Unfortunately, even if Haukka can't be seen, the mechanical disciples were still able to detect his presence thanks to what the tech-savvy ninjas assumed to be the X-ray vision Ash probably implemented them with.
"Intruder detected." Cryptor's evil red optic stared directly at the camera and shot a beam at it but Haukka was smart enough to have flown out of its range. Several dangerous rays shot in the falcon's direction and one managed to graze his head, disrupting the recording function.
Haukka barely made it out of the skirmish and the recording crashed once he was in the clear.
The ninja and kunoichi were left speechless by what they just observed. Just as they expected, the Overlord still hasn't let up on his greedy ambitions and they know he's hiding somewhere… but the biggest issue is where…?
"At least we know that the Overlord hasn't gone to space or any of those other weird ideas but something just doesn't add up…" Chris finally spoke up.
"Also, those ruins have never shown up in the history books at school." Melody added.
"Do you know where those ruins are, Sensei?" Willow turned to Misako for answers.
"Even after so many years of traversing the lands of Ninjago, those ruins are unfamiliar to me. Judging from the exotic patterns, it's more than likely that the Overlord's new lair isn't part of the mainland but the exact location can't be deciphered because of the malfunctions. It wasn't impossible for there to be uncharted lands outside the main continent and the Dark Island and now we know the Overlord is more clever than we initially thought…" Misako answered.
"So is the Overlord back to recruiting more lackeys to do his dirty work?" Alex growled.
"Yet another reason to get rid of him." Amy shook her head.
"But who else would want to side with him?" Kyle asked.
"The real question is who that person was…" Leon brought up the stranger's obscure identity.
"Wait a minute. There's another thing about what happened back there I'm concerned about." Forrest spoke up.
"What is it?" Liana turned to her brother for answers.
"The nindroids had the perfect opportunity to follow Haukka to our location… n-n-not that it's a bad thing… but if the Overlord wanted so desperately to get rid of us, why didn't he just let the nindroids follow Haukka back to the Bounty. Seeing them give up the chase so soon and letting go of such a huge opportunity… is disturbing. I may sound crazy but I'm not relieved…" The teal ninja observed the replayed footage.
The ninja and kunoichi thought about the plant wielder's observations and even if it did sound strange at first, they began to understand why he was so anxious.
If the Overlord didn't want his servants to follow Haukka all the way to their location, that could only mean that he had some bigger plan up his sleeve…
"Do you think it may have something to do with that stranger with them?" Kyle pointed out.
"That wouldn't be that far-off of a scenario…"
"But we still don't know that person's identity."
The ninjas replayed what Haukka saw numerous times but no matter how many times they've re-watched the whole footage, they can never get a good look at mystery person's face. It was constantly obscured by the servants surrounding them or Haukka was too busy trying to evade Cryptor's attacks.
Willow felt the already deep pit in her stomach grow into a bottomless abyss.
What if that vision…?
'N-no…! He's stronger than that!' The kunoichi of time still didn't want to believe it despite the overwhelming evidence that may say otherwise.
"Sis? Is something wrong?" Leon noticed his sister's shivers and whimpers.
"It's nothing." She answered a little too quickly…
"You're hiding something, aren't you?" The green ninja stared at her suspiciously, which caused her jittery manners to get worse.
"I don't want to talk about it." She denied him again, much to his ire.
"Leon, don't pressure her." Misako defended the youngest team member.
"But she knows the truth and we need to know too so we can prepare ourselves. If she doesn't fess up, we're gonna be screwed and it will be her fault for not speaking up in the first place!"
Poor Willow shook more violently, looking like she was about to cry.
"You will not blame your sister for your own failures!" Misako scolded the green ninja, "Willow can't help when or even if she experiences those visions and it's your choice to either succeed or fail. You shouldn't drag your sister into this nor take your frustrations out on her."
"But only she knows what's going on or even that person's identity!"
"And she clearly has trouble coping with her powers. You should know better and approach her in a way that she's comfortable with."
The wise woman frowned disapprovingly at Leon before turning her attention back to Willow, wearing a sympathetic expression.
"Willow, can you tell me what's wrong?" She asked in a gentle voice.
"I had some really bad dreams shortly before I left home…"
"What did you see in those dreams?"
"I saw the Overlord but that's obvious… and then… there was someone else…"
"Does it have to do with that stranger?"
"I still don't want to believe they're the same person but my dreams aren't letting me run away from the truth…"
"I understand how uncomfortable you are but we all must know the truth and you know better than any of us that no matter what, you can't escape from it."
Willow hesitated yet again but now was the time to stop hiding and come clean…
"Okay… I'll tell you… but don't say I didn't warn you…"
Everyone leaned in, anxious to hear the kunoichi of time's answer…
"I may actually know that person Haukka saw… that person is…"
(*) Prosti = I'm sorry (Russian)
It may be obvious who the mystery person is but for the kunoichi… are they really gonna be stuck as snakes forever? Jay won't be able to cure them but who said there's no other way…?
For now, review to tell me what you think & I'll see you on Christmas with my holiday fic!