Disclaimer: I do not own Ninjago or the lines from the episode The Darkest Hour.

Chapter XIII: The Darkest Hour

The ninja, Munce, and Geckles struggled to keep themselves out of Grief-Bringer's grasp. They ran for dear life, but it seemed that the skeleton dragon was only getting closer. At this point, running was there only hope.

"That horrible cry. That's Mief-Bringer, the dragon!" Murtessa exclaimed. "No mistake."

"You said Grief-Bringer was killed by some great hero!" Nya exclaimed back.

"It was! It's back! The Skull Sorcerer must have reanimated it!"

Meanwhile, Gulch was struggling for breath as he ran as fast as his short legs could carry him. It almost sounded like he was trying to say something, though.

"What?!" Kai asked.

"The-the strong cave!" Gulch panted. "It's our-our only hope!"

Kai looked a little farther ahead and noticed the cave entrance.

"Oh, finally. Some good news," the chancellor breathed a sigh of relief. "Guys!"

But he was suddenly grabbed by the mouth and shoved to the side by Gulch.

"Shh! Don't say it out loud!" the former chancellor instructed. He waited a few moments for the others to pass, and Kai thought that there was some formal chancellor thing that needed to be done. The next thing that came out of Gulch's mouth was (although, expected) disappointing and quite morbid. "Do you want the Munce to hear?"

Ignoring the fact that Gulch wanted all of the Munce to be eaten by a skeleton, Kai shoved himself away from the Geckle and said, "Yeah! That's the point, Gulch! If we leave them out here, they'll get chewed up by that thing! Follow us, Everyone!"

Gulch shook his head in fear, but he'd rather take his chances with the Munce than with Grief-Bringer, so he followed.

"They flee into the mountain," the skull told his master.

"Break it all down!" the Skull Sorcerer screamed as he pointed to some stalactites above.

Grief-Bringer immediately obeyed and flew up to the stalactites, slicing them clean off the cave ceiling with its tail, making a bridge for the skeletons to cross.

"After them! All of you!" the Skull Sorcerer then ordered his skeletons.

Grief-Bringer led the way as the thousands of skeletons and the Skull Sorcerer made their way into the mountain to get their slaves back and defeat the ninja.

Once everyone was inside the strong cave, Gulch turned to Kai, hand on the taller man's shoulder and said, "Cha-Chancellor Kai, you must...order the cave sealed!"

"I have to actually say that? Okay. Seal the cave! Now!" Kai yelled to the Geckles.

Two Geckles ran over to a wheel with a chain on it and started to turn it. This lowered the stone wall like a door, so that they'd be safe, but something went wrong. The chain got stuck and so did the door.

The ninja could hear the stomping marches of the skeletons, and the cries of Grief-Bringer. It struck fear into their hearts. How were they supposed to protect all these creatures?

"Forget the wheel! Cut the chain!" Nya ordered her Munce.

She, Murtessa, and Murt all used their weapons to try to cut the chain, but it was stronger than they anticipated.

They could now see Grief-Bringer, and the skeletons. There wasn't any time, so the ninja left the strong cave to fight.

Lloyd and Kai took out swords, Jay with his nunchunks, Zane with a crossbow, and Echo took his ax to the front of the cave entrance in case any skeletons got through the ninja's line of defense.

The ninja all stepped up one by one saying, "You-"

"Shall-"

"Not-"

"Be granted permission to traverse beyond this point!" Zane finished. Everyone shot him a look, even Echo as that did not sound entirely correct to him, only for the older nindroid to look at his friends in confusion.

The skeletons wouldn't have gotten the reference anyway. They just continued on forward, charging towards the ninja, Grief-Bringer right behind them.

"Ninja go!" they all screamed before going into their spinjitzu tornadoes and heading for the skeletons. The skeletons responded by throwing their vengestone spears at the ninja. Kai used his newly acquired shield to protect himself from these spears, making him wonder why they didn't use them all the time. Lloyd then threw his shield at the skeletons, knocking three of them apart, before the shield came back to him like one of Zane's shurikens.

The ninja continued to destroy skeletons with their new weapons, shields, and spinjitzu until they got to Grief-Bringer.

The dragon roared loudly, and skeletons reformed behind them, surrounding the ninja.

"Look out!" Lloyd suddenly screamed as the dragon started preparing its fire. All five of them stacked their shields on top of one another to block the blast, and it ended up hitting the surrounding skeletons instead.

Finally, the chain was broken, and the door started going down, but they could do nothing to stop it.

"It's coming down!" Murtessa warned the ninja.

"Everyone! Hurry!" Echo screamed as he took out a skeleton with his ax.

"Guys! Get in here!" Nya yelled.

"Run!" Lloyd exclaimed.

The five ninja dropped their shields to take off the weight and slid into the strong cave just in time. Grief-Bringer started banging on the door, though, and it was evident that they wouldn't be safe forever.

"Hopefully we're safe for now," Kai said.

"Are you kidding? We are not safe! The enemy is among us!" Gulch exclaimed. "You let them into our cave!"

"What? Where?" Jay asked, looking around for any skeletons that could jump out of a corner and kill them all.

"The Munce!" Gulch hissed. It sounded like he was pretending to try to whisper.

As the Munce and Geckles shared some harsh words with each other, Zane noticed that Echo had not joined them. He had his back turned towards everyone as he faced the door.

The ninja of ice walked over and quickly scanned Echo for any injuries. There were none, but his anxiety levels were rising rapidly.

Tentatively placing a hand on his shoulder, Zane asked, "Are you alright, brother?"

Echo didn't look away from the door. He didn't know what had overcome him, but that feeling he had inside was pure fear. But not from the dragon. He felt he could barely think, could barely move.

"Echo?" Zane asked again. "Please speak to me."

The copper nindroid felt so much anger upon hearing that voice. He didn't know why, but he needed it to be gone. His hand flew up to the direction of the noise as he tried to take it out, but Zane's quick reflexes caught the fist just before it could hit his face.

Yellow eyes filled with so much hatred met those loving blue as Echo realized what he had just attempted to do.

"I-" he started as he pulled his hand away. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"It is quite alright," Zane replied. "Because I think I do."

Echo looked up from the stone ground and said, "You do?"

Zane nodded.

"You spent so much time locked in the lighthouse with no way out. It is only natural that those same feelings would come up now that we're locked in here."

That same feeling of fear struck his soul as he looked his brother in the eyes, but that anger was no longer there. Zane understood. It was not his fault yet that tone of remorse and sorrow in his voice made it sound like he thought it was. It filled Echo with grief.

"It is not your fault. I know that now," the younger nindroid apologized, "and I'm sorry for what I did as Mr. E. It was wrong."

Zane didn't say anything more. Just hugged his little brother. Echo's anxiety levels were going down.

So that they wouldn't have to continue listening to the Munce and Geckles fighting, Echo asked, "So, we're truly stuck in here?"

"For now," Zane replied, letting go, "but it's the safest option we have."

Echo looked down in disappointment. He hated this. He wanted to get out. To be somewhere, anywhere but locked in a room. Trapped. Stuck.

"You're not alone this time," Zane assured him. "You have us."

The copper nindroid looked to the titanium one and realized that, for the first time, he truly wasn't alone. He had friends. He had his brother. He was locked in a room, but one with people he cared for and loved. He had someone to talk to. Someone to laugh with, even when he couldn't get out. He still hated that he was stuck somewhere, but at least he knew it wouldn't be as bad.

Zane smiled at his brother, somewhat sorrowfully as he thought of all he had endured. It looked so friendly. So kind. So...understanding. A sudden urge filled Echo's being as he jumped onto his brother and gave him a tight hug.

"Thank you," he said as tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Of course, Echo," Zane replied, trying his best to keep his own tears at bay.

Suddenly, a chilling voice entered its way into both of their ears. Knowing that it was time to be ninja, they put their own feelings and fears aside and turned to face their threat on the other side of the door. The Skull Sorcerer.

"Geckles! Munce! Hear me!" he said. "I offer you a chance and one chance only! Send out the ninja, and I will spare your lives! I will show you mercy!"

"Mercy! Mercy!" the skull added creepily.

"Send them out, and you will be allowed to return to work in the mines!" the Skull Sorcerer continued. "All shall be as it was. A time of peace and hard work! So swears the Skull Sorcerer!"

"Never!"

"No way!"

Murtessa and Gulch exclaimed at once, only to look at each other in pure disgust.

"I am talking, Geckle!" Murtessa told him.

"We both started talking at the same time!" Gulch replied.

"No. I said the 'ne' in never before you opened mouth!"

"All of you-!" the Skull Sorcerer started, but Gulch interrupted saying, "Alright. Who was watching? Did anyone see who opened their mouth first?"

"Hear me-!"

"Will one you just respond?" Nya interrupted.

"Munce will never serve Skull Sorcerer!" was Murtessa's reply.

"As much as it pains me to agree with a Munce, neither will the Geckles!" Gulch added.

"So be it," the Skull Sorcerer could finally say. "Grief-Bringer! My skeletons! Destroy them!"

The skull started laughing maniacally as the skeletons and dragon came up to the cave entrance saying, "Destruction! Devastation!"

Grief-Bringer used its tail to slice a stone column so the skeletons could use it as a battering ram before ramming its head into the stone door.

All the Geckles and Munce started hiding themselves behind different objects, but it was then that Nya noticed something.

"It's cracking!" Kai exclaimed to Gulch as he watched the door. "You said this strong cave could withstand the Grief-Bringer!"

"Well, we thought it could," Gulch defended. "It's never been tested against a resurrected skeleton dragon, and an army of evil skeletons. Without Gilly, all is lost."

"Zane!" Nya suddenly called to the nindroid.

Both Echo and Zane walked over to the water ninja to see that she had found a rock formation, possibly covering up something.

"Can you scan this?" she asked.

Zane did and reported back, "There is a space behind this wall of rocks. Possibly a previously covered up exit."

Nya jumped down from the rock formation and yelled, "Listen up! There's an opening behind this rock wall! We're not sure, but it could be a way out! If we're gonna bring down this wall, we need everyone's help. And by everyone, I mean...everyone!"

Everyone seemed shocked by this idea, but even so, they heard Grief-Bringer making their way through and decided for it.

They ran over to the rock formation and started working together to take it down. A Munce even saved a Geckle from getting squashed by a rock in the process, but they angrily refused to look at each other afterwards.

Finally, most of the rocks were gone. Enough for Gulch to see that there was, indeed, a space back there.

"A chamber!" Murtessa exclaimed.

"Look at them," Nya said as she walked up to Lloyd. "They're working together. Side by side!"

"I never thought I'd see that," Lloyd smiled.

Soon, all the rocks were gone, and Murtess and Gulch entered the chamber. Kai came in with his fire, but the light from the flames only extinguished their hope. There was no way out.

"What do we do?" Murtessa asked.

"There's no other way out," Gulch expressed sadly.

"No. They'll get through any minute!" Jay exclaimed. They couldn't handle the dragon and army of skeletons. It was just too much.

"I-I am sorry," Gulch said as he sat down, facing his back to his people in shame. "I was wrong to lead you all here."

"You gave us shelter," Murtessa argued kindly. "I too am sorry."

"For what?"

"You Geckles value family, like Munce. You work hard, like Munce. You honor Milly, like Munce. It is possible...we are not so different?"

"I...was a fool. I saw only the things that made us different, not the things we had in common."

"We were all foolish."

"We have a common enemy. Let us stand together and face him as allies."

"Agreed!" Murtessa exclaimed as she stood up with her Geckle counterpart. "Let us put aside our differences and face him together!"

Kai sighed. "This is so beautiful! Two peoples, coming together in peace, love, and harmony."

"We are not at peace!" Gulch exclaimed as if he was offended, and Murtessa looked to him in a similar manner.

"But, I thought you-"

"It must be declared...formally. By you! You are the chancellor," Gulch explained.

"Oh. Uh, okay. Uh, then, by the power vested in me as Geckle Chancellor, I hereby declare peace with the Munce!" Kai announced, and he soon had rocks thrown at him by the two nindroid brothers.

"By my power as queen, I declare peace with the Geckles!" Nya agreed in a similar announcement.

"Now we are at peace," Murtessa smiled as she shook Gulch's hand.

Just then, the stone door broke down and Grief-Bringer appeared, roaring as loud as possible. The entire skeleton army marching a few steps in before stopping with a big bang of their staffs. The Skull Sorcerer leading it all.

The ninja, Gulch, Murtessa, and Echo all ran up to face them with various weapons. They looked determined to take them all down one by one, but as Lloyd saw these determined looks and the size of the Skull Sorcerer's great army, he realized that they really did stand no chance. They were outnumbered. Most of the Geckles and Munce couldn't fight, and if they tried to fight him off, the creatures they came down the mountain to protect would all be killed.

With a heavy heart, Lloyd looked up to the Skull Sorcerer and said, "Wait! We'll do it! We'll take your deal!"

"What?" everyone asked at once.

"Your offer. We turn ourselves in, you let them go," Lloyd explained, ignoring his friends, "but not back to the mines. You let them free. If you swear to that, we will surrender without a fight."

He looked back to his friends and nodded, and they did back, knowing this was truly the only way.

"Hmm...agreed," the Skull Sorcerer replied without hardly any hesitation.

The ninja all set down their weapons and followed the skeletons through the caves to their new home.

"Once again, outsiders have risked everything," Gulch said remorsefully.

"Now, leave us in peace, as you promise!" Murtessa said to the Skull Sorcerer.

The winged man in front of them waited a short while longer until he was sure the ninja were out of earshot and turned to them saying, "Oh, that. You didn't really believe that, did you?"

I hope you all liked that chapter. Next chapter should be out on Monday.

Have a great day/night!

#God'sNotDead