Children of Destiny
Holy crap, guys. Looks like everyone in all the families are gonna be in on the action. Nothing quite says quality family time like a battle to decide the fate of Ninjago! Enjoy!
Chapter 67: A Family Affair
Jacob was surrounded by an inferno that threatened to consume him. The son of his rival really was nothing but a dirty coward relying on his wife and children to do his dirty work. Jacob was disgusted by Kai's 'advantage'. At least Richard always fought one on one until his death.
(*) "Fuoco!"
Akira shot a jet of fire with his hands towards Jacob and his father quickly joined him.
However, Jacob summoned a mysterious black flame and hurled it back at them but the original fire ninja was quick to counter it, creating a wall of natural flames to protect his children.
"That's impossible…! How can he do that!?" Alex was shocked by Jacob's sudden move.
"This is the Overlord we're talking about here. Of course his lackeys are gonna have something up their sleeves." Kai whispered.
"Enough is enough!" Kai swung his sword, "Jacob, you're no longer bringing my family into this! We're gonna fight man-to-man with just our swords!"
"Looks like you finally have a good idea for once." Jacob too took out a sword.
The blades met in a loud clang and the foes duked it out. Aria and the twins desperately wanted to jump in and help Kai but this was a one-on-one fight and they can't interfere. Kai discovered there was a good reason why his father and Jacob were rivals. Jacob was very competent with a sword and almost every swing of their sword met each other instead of cutting into flesh. The fire ninja can see the hatred in Jacob's eyes, undoubtedly seeing him as his father he wanted so desperately to take his vengeance on.
Kai himself knew it was no use holding a grudge forever. No one can live in the past forever or they will have no future but it was already too late for Jacob. The former ninja wasn't too keen on taking a human life but in a way, it could be more merciful than being trapped in time. It was time to move forward.
Conflict was always inevitable when one follows the life of a ninja. Even Zane and Heather were no exception years after their original adventures. The Julien family didn't resist the oncoming invaders but that didn't mean they'll back down from confrontation. They stood as steadfast as the birchwood trees around them as the enemies arrived.
Ash, Cryptor, and a small army of nindroids surrounded the hidden abode. Zane felt disturbed having to fight what were essentially clones of his past self. However, he wasn't going to let an evil army of mechanized warriors make Cyrus' dark ambitions become reality.
An uneasy silence hung over both sides for what felt like hours until Cryptor broke the silence.
"Chance of human's victory is two percent." He scanned the former nindroid.
"If I were you, I wouldn't have traded technological superiority for the shortcomings of mortal beings." Ash taunted the ice ninja.
"You have no right to say that," Heather glowered, "You're also human, just like the rest of us."
"Are we? If so, can any other human unlock the potential for a new world where technology is at its most supreme?"
"Just like light and darkness, harmony can only exist with a balance between old and new. With one overpowering the other, that can only lead to destruction and discord. Your ancestor only cared about technology and that was his downfall. If you keep procreating his wishes and cause an imbalance, it will end up with terrible consequences."
Ash gave a small chuckle but the ice ninja failed to see any mirth in his voice that escalated into a mad cackle.
"How odd hearing that from someone like you." The sinister inventor sneered at Zane once he was done taunting him.
"Perhaps you're right," The ex-robot retorted coolly, "It may not have been my right to say such things but you mustn't forget your roots. You mustn't repeat your father's mistakes or you may end up plunging Ninjago into chaos it used to be. Please don't forsake even your humanity."
"You could've had all this power if you weren't so caught up with your childish desires to be yet another pathetic human."
"I made my choice long ago." The ice ninja said with a stoic air before summoning his powers.
It looks like it was too late for Ash.
Cryptor shot a beam from his optic and the intense heat melted the ice almost immediately. It even went straight through the cold barrier and dissected the trees that unfortunately stood in its path. Their dying cries rung in Heather and Forrest's ears but they refused to get distracted by the real threat.
"NINJA-GO!"
Four tornadoes spun towards the nindroid army. The evil robots had the advantage in numbers but the ninjas, through sheer willpower alone, managed to take down at least a couple of them. The nindroids kept coming but the Julien family refused to give in, knowing more than anyone how important it was for nature and progress to coexist in order to achieve true harmony.
Just as much as it can advance human society, an imbalanced surplus of technology can end up destroying humanity. Even before becoming human, Zane still respected the natural world and sought balance between organic and inorganic and with Heather, was able to find a way for the two to coexist in harmony but that peace can still be easily shattered.
It was now up to them to restore the balance not only between light and dark but also between the natural world and human progression.
Jay could hear police sirens from his office and initially dismissed it as another everyday crime from the ne'er-do-wells of the city. Even with the ninjas, Ninjago City wasn't perfect and had its fair share of petty criminals. That is until he discovered the main reason for the alarm.
"Mr. Walker, you might want to see this." One of the engineers pointed at the TV screen.
Through one of the security cameras situated at the edge of the city, the team of scientists and engineers can see their boss' sons fighting Clouse.
"Oh no…" This was the very last thing Jay wanted right now.
"Jay, what's going on?" Nya came in, oblivious to what's happening to their children.
The former ninja didn't know what to say to his wife but this time, he wasn't looking forward to her reaction not towards him but towards their son who couldn't have had worse timing.
But it was already too late the second Nya's eyes turned to the TV still displaying her sons in the middle of a heated battle with one of the enemies. Knowing what his wife would do, the ninja turned inventor grabbed her arm before she could even leave the room.
"Nya, this could be what Clouse wants." Jay spoke through their personal experiences.
"That won't stop me from going." His wife calmly pulled herself away.
The lightning ninja knew how stubborn Nya can get. In a way, she truly was Kai's sister but just as much as she was determined, he was loyal to her and their family. Not even he can deny his urge to protect their children and they were now at a greater risk than all the inhabitants who were still safe within the city… for now.
"Everyone, stay here continue working on the project like I told you to." Jay briskly commanded before he and Nya quickly left to where they were truly needed…
At the battlefield, Clouse also didn't come unequipped. He now wielded a staff that just won't break no matter how many times it met their Golden and Silver Weapons. The brothers refused to let up and continued their assault. The sound of metal clanging against one another echoed in the battlefield and increased with both enemies' fury.
Chris waited for the right time to zap Clouse without hurting Kyle and once the metal ninja was out of the way, the eldest ninja sent a bolt of lightning towards the ex-cop. The corrupted man felt jolts of electricity tear through every fiber of his being but his determination and bloodlust outweighed the pain.
But the brothers were determined too.
Kyle countered Clouse's blows with the Steel Kunai as well as his elemental endurance while his brother used well-timed lightning bolts to hold him off.
Chris and Kyle fought with every ounce of strength to keep Clouse from wreaking havoc on the city or at least delay the Overlord's inevitable invasion. The least they can do is buy some time before some miracle will show up…
Not even the Great Ocean was safe from the ensuing chaos.
Cole and Luna felt a storm brewing and can tell that this was no ordinary storm. They couldn't shake the feeling that something was going on within the tempest. As ninjas, they instinctively headed into the heart of the storm to investigate. Upon arriving, the couple saw the last thing they expected above them.
Their daughters were caught in a duel against Karl, the former riding atop their dragons and the latter on what looked like a mechanical dragon. Unfortunately, the latter spotted them quicker than they would've liked and this time, Karl didn't hesitate to get what he truly wanted.
The draconian aircraft released an anchor like a crane game claw that grabbed Luna before she can even spot it. The former diva yelped in terror as the hook around her rapidly pulled her up onto the outlandish jet where Karl held her in a painfully tight grip.
"LUNA!"
"MOM!"
Amy and Melody REALLY wanted to beat up Karl but it was too risky with their mother trapped on the plane. Cole had the same sentiment but can only watch helplessly as Karl grabbed Luna with his sleazy hands.
"Let go of me!" Luna struggled and shouted at Karl until he slapped his hand over her mouth.
"You still have a lot of potential in you," Karl got right in her face and spoke in a soft voice that only frightened her even more, "You still want to sing and I can give your old life back. Wealth, fame, you name it. All you have to do is say the magic word."
What Karl failed to see was that Luna had grown from the frightened young girl she was on the outset of her life as a kunoichi. The original kunoichi of water bit down on his hand and refused to let go, not even when her tongue was hit with the coppery taste of blood. Karl screamed in agony until the pain was too much and finally let go of Luna.
"I'd rather die than betray my husband and children!" The former kunoichi spat out the blood lingering in her mouth and her aqua eyes burned with fury towards her ex-producer.
"I could've given you a better life. Even after all I've been through to make your dreams come true, you still reject me?" Karl's voice seemed calm but Luna can tell otherwise.
"You know what? I've had it with you!" The ex-diva finally gave her former producer what for, "You've done nothing but treat me like a trophy and even before you left, you were greedy and selfish! Even now, I would've forgiven you for all that if you hadn't committed such abhorrent actions on innocent people just for your own personal gain! You don't even deserve to be called a human after all you've done! You're a monster!"
Luna's words hit hard for Karl. He went through hell and back for her and even after making it obvious he would do anything for her, she was still ungrateful. He didn't even make the tiniest of sounds while staring at her with cold stony eyes. Cole and his daughters wanted desperately to jump in and save Luna but they might as well awaken the beast.
Much to Cole and the sisters' horror, Karl callously shoved Luna off the jet and into the waters far below.
"Luna!" Cole leapt as far as he could and barely managed to catch his wife into his arms before colliding with the ocean's surface.
"Dad!"
Rocky and Rain flew close to the surface of the water but soon, the couple surfaced.
"Luna, are you okay?" Cole gasped upon filling his lungs with some much-needed air.
"I'm fine… but…" His wife trailed off while her eyes pointed skyward.
Luna looked on in silent dismay upon seeing Karl fly away, refusing to face reality.
"He's still just as much as a coward as he was." She said with disappointment.
"No. He's not getting away, not after what he just did to you." Melody responded.
The sisters helped their parents onto the dragons before beginning their pursuit.
The very heavens shook with the dragons' war cries and the large beasts followed Karl's aircraft into their battle amongst the clouds. The elemental beasts quickly caught up with the latter and seeing no way out of this, Karl had no choice but to confront the Charbonneau family again.
Neither side can run away anymore.
It was time for them to confront their past in order to move on to the future.
The feeling that something was happening to her loved ones struck Iris once again. Lloyd didn't have to even ask about her wellbeing when he saw her tense up and knew what was wrong.
"You're worried about our kids, no?" He asked with his arms wrapped around her.
"How do you know?" Iris turned to her husband for comfort.
"We've been together for years. We know a lot about each other already." The green ninja said whilst consoling his wife with light kisses.
The kunoichi of time knew it was futile hiding anything from him and was quick to confess her innermost concerns, even if it hurts.
"I know our children will have to face the real world… yet I still have this urge to protect them… D-do you think I may be overreacting…?" She confessed.
"No. In fact, I'm actually going through the same thing. Even if they become fully grown adults, Leon and Willow will always be our children. The bonds of family are not easily broken." Lloyd answered with his gained wisdom.
"Yet I feel like we're making them fight our battles. It's us the enemies want and I feel so guilty for getting our children involved."
"It's all part of destiny, Iris."
"But don't you ever want to break free from those chains and be your own person?"
Lloyd thought about the desires he had and changed throughout his whole life. If there was one thing that never changed, it was his desire to be his own person.
"I'm going to be honest, I still have those desires even to this day but it's not that simple. We all have our responsibilities and we have roles to fulfill in Ninjago's fate. At the same time, we had the choice to run away from it all but we didn't because our actions always have consequences. We knew our children will one day bear the burdens we once had but that doesn't mean we'll immediately pass everything to them. Life isn't always fair and even if it is, it wouldn't be wise to forsake our duties over small matters."
Iris took in her husband's advice, reminiscing over her fate and how deeply it was intertwined with that of Ninjago as a whole.
Was she and all the ninja just a random chess piece in destiny's game?
Is she still allowed to make her own decisions and live her life freely?
But after all these years, she still doesn't know the answer.
"Even after all these years, I still have much to learn…" She murmured.
"Same here." Lloyd replied.
Silence loomed over the couple until Iris finally made her decision.
"I don't care if I'm going to look like a fool. I'm still going to protect my children." The kunoichi of time vowed and readied herself to fight once more.
"I understand," Lloyd started, "…and that's why I'm coming too."
"Chto? Do you sincerely want to join me?"
"Yes. I can never deny my bond with you and our children, no matter what. I used to take things that these for granted but now, they're too important for me to discard. I almost lost everything once and I don't want that to happen again."
The couple gazed at one another and seeing the answers in each other's eyes, they silently agreed to go and find their children.
Even with Willow's reality-bending powers, the First Spinjitzu Master's descendants still found it increasingly difficult to hold off Ronin. Wu and Garmadon's former apprentice just won't stop at nothing to get rid of them or at least give them hell.
Leon shielded himself, ready for a world of hurt except that Ronin was now completely frozen, stuck in his position midair. The grass didn't even sway because there was no wind blowing. It was as if time came to a completely stop on everything save the Garmadon siblings.
"Good going, Willow!" The green ninja commended his sister for using her time-based powers at the right time.
"But it's not me!" The pink kunoichi confessed.
"What? Then who's doing it?" Leon grew bewildered but not for long.
"It's me." A grown voice suddenly answered behind them.
Leon and Willow turned around and were surprised to see none other than their mother.
"Mom!"
"This is your battle but I just couldn't abandon you!" Iris held her children, refusing to let go.
"Me neither." Another familiar voice added.
"Dad? You too?" Leon quickly spotted his father trailing his wife.
"Your mother pretty much sums up why we're here," Lloyd replied, "We love you too much to let you do such a dangerous task alone, no matter what destiny plans for you."
"You do?" Willow asked while subconsciously fiddled with the crystal heart necklace her loving mother handed down to her.
But Iris' powers were starting to wear off on Ronin with his movements gradually increasing.
"You know by now we do. But what's more important now is to live and fight so there will be a tomorrow for us to tell you." Lloyd readied himself for battle.
"Yes," Iris added, "We want to continue loving you and we have to save Ninjago so we can."
The Garmadon siblings now understood everything their parents said and joined them. This will be their greatest battle yet but their bonds with their family were stronger than even the dark lord himself. With their love for one another, their family could overcome whatever is thrown at them and they could even fulfill their destiny.
(*) Fuoco = Fire (Italian)
Yeah! We're finally gonna get some action from here on out!
I can't believe how far this story has come & I couldn't have done it without you guys! As always, reviews are appreciated!