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Chapter 2: A Worthwhile Endeavor

*5 YEARS AGO*

Dark matter smog blackened the skies over Ninjago City. The Dark Army's various factions had recently ensured complete dominance over the city with Luke Cunningham's team having captured the last of the dissidents in the sewers. Among them were the Chief of Police, his top men Tommy and Simon, and the infamous Hounddog McBrag.

As foot soldiers patrolled the streets, slums and greater areas of the once lively metropolis, their faction leaders had begun to gather in the Royal Palace to convene their Master's Council. The bells at the gate had rung thrice, signaling the occupants that the council's final arrival, the Ice Emperor Vex, had arrived.

"*Scoff* Finally. Zugu'rai, Eyezor'rai! The Overlord'sss final councilor has finally deigned to gracccce usss with hisss presssenccce. I will be joining the ressst of the Ssserpentine leadership in the throne room, you watch over the foot sssoldiers." Chen's top two Anacondrai lieutenants nodded as they slithered away, leaving Chen on the balcony overlooking the city. A sudden poof and orange mist in the air behind him alerted him to another presence.

"Hmmmm, it's about time, isn't it?" The smooth voice of the Djinn Prince didn't even cause Chen to turn his head. "About time for what, Nadakhan?"

He floated around him, mere inches from his face now. "You know precisely what I speak of, master of manipulation. I would ask your sorcerer Clouse directly, but he only ever confides in you and our Master these days. Are we not all allies?"

"Ha! You assume there is a spell? Is that what it has all been about?"

The Djinn looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Besides the realm crystal, we Djinns and Dragons are the only natural sources of realm-travel across the ethereal divide. My kin have remained... cut off from me, and I would know if any of them were within this realm during my imprisonment. As for the dragons... I find it difficult to believe that any of the old creatures willingly helped you in your deception."

Chen nodded with a grin. "You are right about that. But there are other waysss, Captain Nadakhan. Cloussse's magic is but one of the many waysss you could leave a realm. In fact, you would be better sssuited then mossst for the journey, though I ssstill do not understand why you care."

"So long as the Cursed Realm is stabilized in its current state, Djinjago is safe. But I am would not welcome home until I prove my nobility to my father, the King Khanjikhan. I fear my joining the Dark Army has not helped me in this endeavor."

Chen bit back from laughing at his compatriot's self-inflicted misfortune. "Yesss, you really screwed yourssself there, eh? But you ssstill haven't anssswered my query."

"You and I were both independent leaders, Chen. We led our armies to conquer what we could, but it was never enough. We only ever did what came naturally to us, and we were damned for it. It was only after joining The Overlord that our true potential was met!" He hovered to Chen's side, so that they both watched over their conquered city.

"But you, my scaly friend, did not stop making trouble for the do-gooders in your exile. Your little deal has had ramifications in ways you could not have possibly foreseen threatening all of the realms. If I were to put a stop to it, my father would not only welcome me back, but have Djinjago willingly join our forces as well. The Overlord would reward those who helped me in such a worthwhile endeavor... would he not?"

"Hmmm." He stroked his scaly mustache. Nadakhan was clearly playing to his ego, but he liked that about the Djinn. Besides, he only promised her that her own allies would never follow; he didn't make any such promises about himself or a Djinn Prince. "Yesss, perhapsss you are right. Once we have completely annihilated Lloyd and his pitiful band of rebelsss, I ssswear to you, you will have what you seek."

*NOW*

"I'm sorry, you need what?"

Chen stood in the center of the room, now chained up in heavy-set vengestone cuffs around his wrists and ankles. Jay stood silently behind him as his prisoner explained their conundrum to Zane and Pixal.

The old man smirked at the nindroids, basking in the modicum of power their confusion afforded him. "You heard me, traitor."

Pixal's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me? I was hardly a willing servant of the Overl-"

"DO NOT SPEAK HIS NAME!" He lunged forward with his hands aimed at her mechanical throat before his entire body was shocked by a jolt from Jay's elemental blade. Zane quickly moved forward to hold him down before realizing the old man was no threat in his current state.

"No games, Chen." He ignored Jay's warning as he stared daggers towards Pixal. "You... you helped release him from his digital prison. You helped him construct his nindroid forces, laying the groundwork for the Dark Army! And then you left him, left the promise of his power... for what? For him?" He gave a violent nod towards Zane while maintaining strict eye contact with her. Jay started to walk forward to shut him up before Pixal held her hand up to stop him.

"Not just him, Chen. I left the Overlord and his promise for Zane's promise. A better one."

He sneered. "You could have stood right beside Harumi. You would have been his other hand, the voice of cold calculations to match her voice of unity. You would have had everything you ever wanted!"

"I have everything I could ever want. And that deal didn't work out so well for Harumi in the end..." She knelt down to pull him up by the collar. "Now, you're going to explain to us why you and Jay need us to build The Destiny's Bounty."

Zane helped her hoist him up and turn him towards a patiently waiting Jay. Behind him, the door slid open for Cyrus Borg to wheel in.

"*scoff* So much for "No allies," eh Jay? Fine." He turned his attention to the eldest inventor.

"Jay and I have a deal. I show Jay the way to his missing mommy, so long as I do it on my terms. One clue at a time, one step at a time; and my first clue: We will require The Bounty."

Cyrus did not look convinced. "Surely, Jay, you wouldn't need to rely on such an old design! Your own forces have introduced a plethora of new technology to Ninjago. We have airships that would expedite your journey-"

"NO, Borg. Just as Jay is without any cosmic power anymore, he mustn't rely on the gifts of his "space police;" This journey could only be done by a great ship of Ninjargon design from the Age of Piracy. If not The Bounty, the another relic from its time

"You will forgive me if I am not jumping at the idea of trusting your word, Chen. You have done nothing to earn it." Zane nodded as he stepped beside his Jay with Pixal.

"And there are no other ships, just as The Bounty is no more. It was destroyed on the eve of the Overlord's return."

"Yes, by your brother. The one who called himself Echo Zane, if I recall. The one you killed."

The Master of Ice winced as his other half stepped forward. "Don't forget your daughter, Chen. Kai was not so forgiving towards her, either-"

"ENOUGH."

Thunder boomed from a distance as the Master of Lightning's eye lit up briefly before returning to their cobalt blue. Even without the powers of the Overlord and the Realm Crystal, he still commanded the storm. Chen winced slightly, remembering his visitation from earlier in Kryptarium.

"Harumi. Echo Zane. Even Skylor. He's pulling you back into the worst parts of your past." He eyed Chen slyly, while the others shook their heads in disbelief at the realization. "I told you... you can try all you like with me, but no games for them."

Chen huffed in defeat as he walked slowly towards a lone seat by one of Borg's desks. "You're no fun. Fine, then; but the point still stands. To get to where we need to go, we require a great ship of Old Ninjargon design and make. That's how she started, after all."

"And our point also still stands... there are none left. The last two were our own Destiny's Bounty, and Nadakhan's Misfortune's Keep. Both of which were destroyed."

The old man's expression lit up. "Buuuut... The Dark Army collected every scrap and every body from the Bounty's destruction. Captain Nadakhan had them placed in his treasury. And just as your forces seized our treasure holds, you collected the remnants of the Misfortune's Keep in the aftermath of our defeat. Ergo, you have all the pieces you need to either reconstruct them both or make an entirely new one of their old design."

Cyrus's eyes bulged. "But to properly mimic the designs of an old Ninjargon ship out of these pieces, even with my equipment, would be impossible! The only way it could be done would have to be manually, and that would take months."

Chen only shook his head. "For all your genius, you are so narrow-minded."

Jay looked to Zane before daring the question. "You have a better idea?"

"Oh yes, great Master of Lightning. Just as technology is an unnatural affliction on Ninjago, magic is a natural remedy. What seems like cheating to some could be a saving grace for others."

Pixal was losing her patience. "What are you trying to tell us, Chen?"

"It's simple, really. You just need to gather the pieces, and with the help of an old comrade of mine, all it takes... is a wish."

Thank you guys! I will be back soon with a new update! Happy New Year!