Hope you like it!
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On the Destiny's Bounty. Raya is lying on her stomach in the girl's room on Nya's bed. A soft knock is heard.
"Come in." Raya shifts to sit up and continues to hug the pillow as the door opens, revealing Nya before she pulls Kai with her.
"Hi honey." Nya greeted gently as the siblings walk further into the room.
"I have so many questions." Kai said, looking at his now teen daughter.
"I missed everybody so much." Raya said, looking at Kai, then turned to Nya.
"Lloyd said you've been angry with him." Kai states, making Raya nod.
"Not completely. But he promised to find mom, and he still hasn't."
"Raya, you can't be angry with him for that." Kai told her. "I mean yes, he did promise. I can't stop thinking about your mother." He said, making her look at him. "I want to find her too. But we have to believe she's ok. Your mom is a strong woman as she's an Elemental Master."
"It's not just mom. But it's everybody else. Where are they? Are they ok?"
"Honey, we have to believe that they're ok." Nya said gently. "We have to have hope. They're all pretty strong on their own."
"I understand that."
"Raya, what happened to you?" Kai asked. "After the Merge?"
"Lloyd saved me after I lost my grip on the Mast, he took me to a safe area then went back to the Bounty. That was seconds of the Merge erupting. This blinding white light." Raya explained. "The light faded." Her voice shook. "And … and the Bounty along with all of you disappeared."
"Raya." Kai wrapped his arms around his daughter. "I'm so sorry."
"It took me a long time to find Ninjago again." Raya said, she took Nya's hand, squeezing it gently. "When I finally reached the city. Everything was different, everything was changed." She closed her eyes against her tears. "Dad, The Noodle House."
"I know." Kai said softly. "It's destroyed."
"I couldn't get upstairs, that secret door you put in." Raya trailed off.
"I couldn't get up there either."
Nya chewed on her lower lip. "Kai, w - where's Sebastian?"
Kai blinked a few times, trying to get his brain to think. "Two days before the Merge, Skylor had me meet her, she said that you and Will wanted to regain custody of Sebastian."
"I wanted to." His sister nods. "I wanted to talk to you first." She smiles. "I wanted to thank you for taking care of him while I had merged with the Endless Sea."
"Well." Kai shrugged casually. "You were the easiest to raise." He had to tease with a smile, while Raya bowed her head as her tears slid down her cheeks. "No diapers to change and no 2AM screaming wake up calls."
Nya smiled a little, then it faded when Raya started crying.
"Raya." Kai tightened his hold on her. "Everything's going to be ok. I'm back now, and so is your aunt." He soothed gently.
"But so much time has passed." Raya sobbed. "And, and what I said." She stutters with a sob. "Just seconds before the Merge."
Kai tightens his hold on her. "We were both angry that day." He said softly.
"I tried to talk to Dr. Borg."
"Tried?" Nya asked. "But Dr. Borg."-
"The security wouldn't let me through."
"What!?" Kai asked with shock.
"Yeah. They wouldn't even confirm or deny that he was in his office. I couldn't even make it through the lobby." Raya added. "I did find Chantal."
Kai blinked, while Nya smiled.
"You did?"
The red head nods. "Yeah. She and Lloyd's son have been living in a shack inside the city, near the interstate. Just trying to survive after the Merge."
"Well now. My interest is peeked." Kai said with a smile. "We'd need to go see what that place is all about."
Raya shook her head. "It's not pretty. It really is a dump. Before the Merge, they've always been clean people because of Master Wu. But Chantal did make it somewhat comfortable and homey."
"That's good." Nya smiles. "Do you know where she currently is?"
"Lloyd told her to stay in the Monastery when the Destiny's Bounty was hurling from the sky." Raya answered. "I bet she's trying to bring the Monastery back to what it use to be, before the Merge."
Kai smiled. "Sounds like chores to me."
Nya rolled her eyes. "Sounds like you."
Raya nods with a smile, she turns and hugs Kai tightly. "Daddy." She whimpers, snuggling into his chest.
"Daddy here, daddy's here." Kai soothed gently, holding her close.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX
"Our little guy's still asleep." Arin said after he checked on Riyu. "Totally exhausted."
"I'm not surprised." Raya replied, and Lloyd nods.
Saving a kingdom of magical mud-eating rock monsters will do that."
"So you're telling me this dragon, like . 'Sparks' or something, then Sora can use her elemental power?" Kai asked.
"If I even have a power. It might be all Riyu." Sora replied. "You saw how he powered up that mud field."
"We've been over this." Lloyd said, turning to her. "You have a power. Riyu just … soups it up."
"'Souping up'" Nya repeated, a raised eyebrow. "Isn't how dragons work, is it?" She asks. "That's weird, right?"
"Everything's been weird since the Merge happened." Lloyd replied.
"Yeah, normal isn't normal anymore." Raya added, then perked up. "Arin taught himself Spinjitzu!"
"Wait what?" Kai asked with shock, looking at Arin. "You learned Spinjitzu by yourself? No Master Wu morning breath?"
Lloyd leaned to Nya. "And he didn't have Kai putting him upside down in a barrel."
"If you hadn't snuck aboard, then my brother wouldn't have had to do that." Nya replied with a grin.
"Well, it's kind of shaky, basic Spinjitzu." Arin replied, gaining their attention again.
"But still better then any of us could do when we started out." Lloyd said.
"I just trying to do the moves you do." Arin told them. "I'm … kind of a Ninja fan."
"'Kind of'?" Sora repeated with a chuckle. "He once asked a barber to give him "the Zane". It did not go well."
"Of course not." Kai agreed. "He should've gotten 'the Kai'." He smoothed back his hair.
"Please. You shouldn't even get 'the Kai.'" His sister said dryly.
Kai made a face at her. "Oh yeah?" He wraps his arm around Raya. "What do you say Raya?"
"I tried to do 'the Kai'." She revealed, making her father beam.
"Ha!" He held her closer.
"I've said it before." Lloyd said. "Raya's a perfect blend of Kai and Skylor."
Nya smiled. "We've all said it." Her smile haded as she turns to him. "And you think all this is tied to these Merge Quake things?"
"Maybe. MergeQuakes are like aftershocks of the original Merge, where two realms try to occupy the same space. Elemental powers shut them down, but they're happening more often."
Kai removed his arm from around Raya. "That's why I went searching for help." He explained. "If we don't stop the MergeQuakes, they could destroy everything." Behind him, Arin accidentally punches himself in the face when he tried a few moves.
"Wow. So we've really got our work cut out for us when get to Ninjago City." Nya replied.
"Speaking of cites." Lloyd said, trailing off as they approached the Cloud Kingdom.
"Whoa!" Both Arin and Sora breathed.
"The Cloud Kingdom." Kai breathed. "Who."
"Why wasn't this here on our way out?" Sora asks.
"It's a floating kingdom." Lloyd answered. "Maybe it drifted into our path?" He asked.
Raya suddenly beamed. "Dad, Rain lived here!" She asked, turning to Kai, who blinked. "She must've woken up here, right?"
Kai rubbed the back of his head. "Well … it is possible."
Arin sighs. "Looks relaxing here. I could really get used to this." He smiles.
Lloyd guides the Destiny's Bounty down towards a spot to dock.
"Anyone else feel that?" Kai asked when he felt a violent shake.
"Yep. Felt something." Raya answered as she stood next to him. The shaking caused a a tower of break in half and drop down towards the Bounty.
Lloyd's able to turn the Bounty to the side just in time, but the broken piece of the building crashed down
"Help!"
The Ninja turn to see the broken tower to see two Cloudians, dangling off the tower.
Raya jumps into the air, using Airjitzu in a red aura. "Whoa!" Kai gasped with shock, then smiled. "That's my girl!" He then does the same.
The father and daughter land on the ledge. "Don't worry." Kai said as he carefully leaned down to grab the man's wrist. "We g."- He didn't get to finish as the tower started to crumble and the four all went down.
On the deck, Arin pulls out his grappling hook, then swings out. His free arm hooking around Raya's waist and he flew them back to the Bounty, where they all fell hard on the deck.
Riyu squealed before bouncing on Arin's back, making the teen smile at the baby.
"Way impressive, Arin." Kai complimented after pushing himself to sit up. "Very Ninja."
"And Kai rarely admits to being impressed." Nya added as she, Lloyd and Sora jogged up to them.
"What's happening here?" Lloyd asked.
"The beast is smashing everything!" The woman answered. "How was this unforeseen?"
"Beast?" Nya asked, just as Kai stood up and a large tentacle comes up to the side. "What beast?"
"Agh!" Kai yelled as he was sent flying.
"Daddy!" Raya cried, running towards him when he landed on the other side of the deck. Nya and Arin turn around to see a giant starfish monster with tentacles and a large one emerge from the rift.
"Oh, that one." Nya said flatly.
Kai pushes himself back up, as Lloyd runs past him and up towards the balcony to grab the helm. And the Destiny's Bounty moved to the side.
"You wanted to know more about MergeQuakes, Nya?" He asks. "Today's your lucky day. This monster's realm must be merging here."
Suddenly two dragons fly over head and attack the monster.
Sora ran up to the side of the Bounty. "There are dragons here?"
"They came from one of the lands we crossed over and thought this would be a safe place to live." The female Cloudian told her.
"Everyone, save the people!" Lloyd orders. "I'll try to close the MergeQuake." He lands the Bounty.
Kai, Nya, Raya and Lloyd use Airjitzu to land on the ground, while Arin slides down the chain from the anchor. A tentacle reaches up towards the Bounty, swinging again, Riyu yikes and runs to a safer place on the Bounty.
Sora jumps into her Mech. "Let's see if this thing still works the old fashioned way, with no elemental powers." Her machine activates. "Yes!"
Lloyd leaps higher up on the Bounty and shoots his powers into the portal while the others helped the people.
Raya turns and looks at her hands, then holds out her hands and a puff of fire came out.
"What?" Kai gasped with shock. "No way!" He walked up to Raya with his arms dangling at his sides. "Raya?"
"I." She trailed off, looking at her hands. "Are you made?"
Kai grins. "No." He places a hand on her shoulder. "But your fire needs work." He turns around, with his fire flaming in his hands and shoots out his powers, but it didn't even hurt the beast. "A fireproof monster? I hate fireproof monsters!"
"Prepare to be impressed again, Kai!" Arin's voice had the father and daughter turn to see Arin, who attempted to do Spinjitzu, but the beast grabbed him. "Never mind!" He said in a strangled voice.
"Arin!" Raya yelled. She, Kai, and Nya watch as Sora tried to fight the beast, but she too was grabbed.
"This just went from bad, to super bad." Kai said.
Nya looked from the monster to the portal, then to Lloyd. "Lloyd! Don't close the MergeQuake!" She calls to him.
Lloyd raises an eyebrow and stops what he's doing. "Have you lost your mind? I need to close it!"
"Not yet!" Nya turns to look at Kai. "We can't hurt this thing, but we can force it back into the MergeQuake, right?" She, Kai and Raya use Spinjitzu to slam the monster back a good number of times. After the fourth slam, the monster stumbles back.
"It's working! If the creature's near the Merge when I close it, I think it'll get pulled back into its realm!" Lloyd exclaimed, before using his power on the portal, and the monster started to glitch, before throwing Arin and Sora.
The Smith family return to the on the deck of the Bounty. "Let's kick this thing back to wherever it came from" Kai said.
Kai, Nya Raya and Lloyd succeed in closing the rift.
"Yaya!" Kai cheers as he and Nya high five each other. "Way to go us!" Hearing a noise above them they look up to see the two dragons circling Bounty before flying off to perch.
The Destiny's Bounty flies off to a different section of the Cloud Kingdom, never noticing the rift started to reopen.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXx
The Bounty Lands. Lloyd and the Smith family leap down. "This is pretty far out form the original Merge for a MergeQuake." Lloyd said.
"So they're getting worse, and happening in more places. Just like you were afraid they would." Nya said.
"Master Wu was studying the Merge before it happened. He called it the "Coalescence" or something. He had a ton of scrolls about it." Lloyd replied.
Raya beams. "Great! Then we just use them to figure out how to stop these things."
Lloyd shook his head. "Not so great. Most of the scrolls and his notes were lost in the Merge."
"Great." Nya sighed.
"Listen, King and Queen of Buzzkill, I'm gonna go talk to these cloud monks. I'm sure they're dying to tell us how awesome we just were." Kai said with a grin, then wrapped his arm around Raya. "And not to mention, my baby has her dad's powers." He starts to turn her around. "Come daughter, let's get worshipped." He said as he guided her along with him.
"I know I really wanted your power daddy." Raya started slowly. "But I've been finding myself wanting mom's power."
Nya giggled when she saw Kai trip, she turned to Lloyd who was trying to keep his laughter at bay.
XxXxXxXxXxXx
They meet up with monks who are standing in the open and in a circle.
"Hello, fabled Ninja." The lead Writer greeted, turning to them. "I am Suetonius, the current Master Writer of the Cloud Kingdom. And you're welcome."
"Did he just stay what I think he just said?" Raya asked, Riyu sitting on her shoulders.
"Yeah!" Kai exclaimed. "Is this backwards day? Who's thanking who?"
"Yeah, the Ninja saved everyone while you all stood here writing." Sora replied.
"Of course. Because here in the Cloud Kingdom, we are the Writers of Destiny."
"Writers of Destiny?" Raya repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Who are you jokers again?"
"Oh, right. I forgot." Kai said with his arms folded. "In the Cloud Kingdom, they believe everything they write in their scrolls is immediately what happens in real life."
"Not belief." Suetonius scads. "Fact. I instructed my scribes to write that you would be victorious, and you were. Fact."
"Why doesn't that sound quite right?" Sora asked.
"Because it isn't." Lloyd said, looking at her. "The Cloud Kingdom claims they're responsible for fate, but when something they write doesn't happen, they ignore it."
"I admit that, on occasion, events somehow manage to defy destiny. But that is exceedingly rare."
"Can you write that my parents come back?" Arin asks. "They were lost in the Merge. And Raya's mom too!"
"I can find my mother without these pencil pushers!" Raya huffed, folding her arms.
"Sadly, no, my son. Because."-
"Lemme guess." Lloyd interrupted. "The Merge 'defied destiny."'
Suetonius looked back at Lloyd. "The Merge did catch the Cloud Kingdom by surprise, like it did everyone else. But I've instructed the scribes to write that a MergeQuake like we just experienced will never come again. So, problem solved."
"No, not solved!" Raya exclaimed. "We, the Ninja solved your problem! You, you monk!"
"Wait." Nya placed a hand on her niece's shoulder. "You write down everything that's happened everywhere, right?"
"Aunty, please don't encourage him." Raya whined.
"Everything that has happened and everything that will happen." Suetonius responds.
"So if there's any info about how to stop MergeQuakes, it could be in your archives?" Nya questions.
"Huh." Lloyd smiles at her. "Smart thinking, Nya."
Suetonius gave them an annoyed look. "Did you not just hear me say "problem solved"?" He asks.
"Yeah, we're ignoring you." Raya replied simply.
"We do encourage all truth seekers to study our learned writings. Show the ninja to the library Rainn."
Lloyd, Nya, Kai and Raya gasp as Rainn walks around her post and removes her hood, revealing herself to her friends.
"This way, please." She tells them, walking up to them.
Lloyd turns to Arin and Sora. "We'll check this out. You three stay here and keep watch."
Arin frowns. "You just want us to wait?" He asks as he watches Raya walking between her aunt and father.
"We're in unfamiliar territory. Anything could go wrong. Call us the second you need us."
Arin smiles. "Will do!"
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Rainn leads the Smith family and Lloyd towards the Cloud Kingdom archives. "Rainn, did you wake up here when the Merge happened?" Kai asked.
She nods. "Yeah. I did." She frowns. "My home is so different then what I remember."
"Is Jay with you?" Raya asks. "And Toby?"
Rainn shook her head. "No. Neither of them are here, I woke up here on my own." She answered sadly.
Lloyd placed a hand on her shoulder. "We're here now." He reassured her. "Come back home with us. The Monastery is so empty without everyone."
She smiles at him. "I would love nothing more then to return to Ninjago." Her smile fades. "But Suetonius."
"Don't worry about pencil sharpener." Kai told her with a smile. "We'll knock him out with ease. Piece of cake!"
Rainn giggled, turning back around to lead them to the library. "Raya, you look just as beautiful as Skylor."
Raya smiles. "Thank you."
They reach the library. "Here we are."
Kai's eyes nearly bugged out. "Ok, this might take awhile."
A worm comes up to them.
"What is that?" Raya asks.
Rainn picks up the worm. "This my friends. Is called a Scroll Worm.
"Input search request."
"For the Cloud Kingdom. It's kinda like using the internet." Rainn smiled, she looks at the worm. "Worm, bring me information on Raya Smith." The worm turns green before flying away. "The worm will pass the request along, and soon, you have a team searching for your information."
"Wow, these things are great." Lloyd smiles as they watch a number of the worms fly around.
"A lot faster then what I use to be able to do." Rainn replied, as the worm comes back and she picks him up.
"Information obtained. Smith, Raya. First born to the Red Ninja. Has a small crush on new member, Arin."
"What!?" Both Raya and Kai exclaimed.
"Raya!" Kai turns to her.
"I'm old enough now, aren't I?" She folds her arms.
"Here Nya." Rainn hands her the worm. "Ask away."
"Alright, let's give this a shot."
"Input search request."
"Search for info on how to prevent MergeQuakes." Nya requests, the worm turns green, hops out of her hand, then speeds off.
"A crush!?" Kai turns to his daughter. "Since when are you crushing on boys!?" He demands. "I don't approve!"
"Of course he doesn't approve." Nya sighed with annoyance. "Kai, calm down before you destroy something again!"
Rainn laughed. "Oh, it's so good to be around you guys again! I missed it so much."
"Once we're finished, you'll definitely be coming back home with us." Lloyd assured her with a smile.
The Scroll Worm returns, and Rainn picks it up.
"Information obtained. MergeQuakes can be permanently prevented via usage of the thr."- Suddenly it stops mid sentence and turns red.
"Ok, this is new." Rainn cried, dropping the animal. "I don't know what's happening!"
The Scroll Worm suddenly spits silk from its mouth.
"Ugh, gross! What part of the worm is that string coming from?" A freaked out Kai asked. The other Scroll Worms turn red and join in to attack the Ninja.
XxXxXxXxXxXx
Outside, the ground shakes again. Arin, Sora and Euphrasia stumble and turn to see the beast from before remerges from the rift, glitching and a tentacle slams down on the ground.
"Remember how Lloyd said to call him cause anything could go wrong?" Sora asks, grabbing Arin's shoulder. "I think this counts as "anything."'
Arin quickly puts on his hood. "Lloyd! Kai! Nya! Come in! Hello? Come in!"
In their circle, Euphrasia angrily turns around. "Master Suetonius, you said this couldn't happen again!"
"Destiny is clearly testing our resolve, Euphrasia!" He said calmly as he walked around. "Keep writing! Write that this MergeQuake ends!"
XxXxXxXxXx
Arin turns to Sora. "The ninja aren't answering! I have to go find them!" He rushes into the Cloud Kingdom archives. He runs down the hall and into the library. "Lloyd? Kai? Are you - whoa." He finds four cocoons hanging from the ceiling, pulling out his grappling hook, Arin shoots down on and runs up to it, he opens it to find Lloyd. "Lloyd!"
"Behind you!"
Arin turns around just in time to see the red Scroll Worms start to attack.
XxXxXxXxXxXx
The starfish monster attacks the circle of Monks. "Keep writing! Only the words of destiny can save us now!" Suetonius orders, Euphrasia stares at the monster.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXx
On the Bounty, Sora continues to repair her Mech. "Ugh. Useless hunk of junk!" She yells, throwing her wrench, then turns to Riyu, who squeaks. "I know what you're thinking, Riyu. But I can't control the powers. I'll just make this all worse."
Riyu squeaks and coos, before the monster tries to strike the Bounty. Sora ducks, covering her head, but suddenly a big gust of wind pushes the tentacle away.
"Time to make our own destiny!" Euphrasia calls, flying with the help of her powers, she turns and pushes the monster back, as she tries to push the monster back, another one emerges from the rift, and grabbed by a tentacle and is moves towards the beast, she screams.
Suddenly Sora comes flying down in her Mech, saving her.
"Thank you."
"So much for turning our backs on our elemental powers." Sora replied. "Let's do this!" She said, together the girls attack together. "We've got to shut down that MergeQuake before more of these things come through!"
"We can help with that!" Lloyd called as he ran along a tower with Arin. Lloyd does Spinjitzu and shoots his powers at one of the beasts, but his power bounces off the large eye.
"Whoa!" Arin attempts to do Spinjitzu, but a tentacle swats him away and hits the window of Sora's Mech, he opens his eyes. "Hi." He greats weakly, then looks around at the Mech. "Did you." He trails off.
"It was kinda necessary." She shows him her glowing right hand. "Where've you been?"
"I released the Ninja from the evil worm cocoons in the cloud basement."
"Yeah." Sora started, not believing him at all. "That's a nonsense jumble of words and you know it."
XxXxXxXxXxXxXx
The Ninja continue to fight the monsters. The second monster hits a tower, and debris crumble and fall down into the circle of monks. But Nya uses her water to save them before she, Kai and Raya leap to join in the fight.
Suetonius runs over to them with a large smile. "Thank you for writing that the Ninja would save us!"
"But, Master Suetonius, none of us were writing anything." A monk told him, making Suetonius frown and turn to the battle.
XxXxXxXxXxXx
The Ninja work together to push eh now three monsters back into the rift, once the three are in the center of the rift. Lloyd, Kai, Nya and Raya use their powers to seal the rift.
Raya breathed heavily, never using that much power so early. She collapses to her knees.
"Raya!" Kai races for her and she falls into him.
"Did we win?" She asks weakly.
"Yes." Kai smiles. "We did."
"So." Lloyd turns to Euphrasia. "So, you're the new Elemental Master of Wind, huh?"
She blushes at the attention. "That's what it looks like, I guess."
"I knew the last one. I already like you more." Lloyd told her.
XxXxXxXxXx
The Ninja approach the cheering monks. Suetonius walks up to meet Euphrasia.
"Master, I knew what I did goes against everything we believe in. But after the Merge, I ... discovered I was an elemental master. I tried to deny it, but when I saw I could help save our kingdom, I just couldn't hide who I was any longer. I realize this means ... I will be exiled form the Cloud Kingdom." She explained nervously.
"Perhaps it's time for us to admit that the Merge has changed a few things."
"You mean … I can stay?"
"I'll require someone's assistance updating how we do things around here. Maybe that could be you."
Euphrasia smiles, while the monks again cheer.
"And it seems that you are not the first to go against the rules." The Head Writer turns to Rainn.
"I hold no guilt." Rainn said as she walked up to stand with the Ninja, leaning down to pet Riyu, who coos. "I made that choice long before you arrived here." She stands up. "My home is with the Ninja."
Rainn walks over to Nya.
"So, you have no idea why the Scroll-Worms acted like that?" Nya asks as she, Kai and Raya stood around each other.
"Not a one." Rainn frowns with a shake of her head. "But it's possible the worms were cursed when certain information was requested from them. Forbidden information."
"Cursed by who?" Kai asked.
"I don't know." Rainn answered, shaking her head.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Later, the Ninja except for Nya is getting ready to leave on the Bounty. Raya hugs her aunt tightly.
"You sure about this, Nya?" Lloyd asks.
"If there are answers in the archives about the MergeQuakes, someone needs to keep searching for them. It won't be easy without the Scroll-Worms, but ... Ninja never quit."
Kai jumps down to join the girls. "You know where to find us when you have something, sis." He said and the siblings hug.
Lloyd smiles, turning to Rainn. "What do you say Rainn? Ready to head home?"
"More then ready!" She beams.
"Then let's go home!" Raya exclaimed, she turns back to Nya. "Wish you would come back home. There's so much I want to show you!"
"I'll come back home eventually." Nya smiles. "You can show your dad."
Raya nods. "Ok." She hugs Nya again. "I love you aunty."
Nya smiles as she hugs her niece. "Look after your dad for me."
Raya laughs. "I will."