Chapter 1: The Invitation
Deep within the jungle, Nindroids were spotted as they have taken control of an area of that jungle. As one passes by some flowers, In the middle of them, a single eye blinked. Soon the owner of that eye quickly moved before one of the Nindroids was quickly pulled down and vanished. Another one was kicked when somepony swung his way before two more were kicked down.
The rest were struck down by shurikens, pulled away from behind as a white silhouette flew over the last one's head before kicking him down.
Lloyd panted as he rushed further into the jungle. He soon came across a cave with lasers blocking his way. He quickly and carefully maneuvered between them before lasers beams were shot him. Approaching were more Nindroids, Lloyd dodged the laser fire and blasted them with his light energy.
He turned to see more coming. "NINJA, GO!" he yelled, doing Spinjitzu, punching and kicking the robots caught in his Spinjitzu Tornado before flinging them against the walls. He then turned to see a large boulder coming straight at him. He ran and grabbed a rope, tied it around his waist, and jumped down a hole with a beam of light pulsing in it.
He stopped falling just a few inches from the floor when he looked up, seeing the Golden Armor of Disaster, except it had a more platinum appearance. He swung closely to it but just when it was in reach, it vanished as he slouched in disappointment.
"You got closer than I thought you would," Lloyd turns to see Borg, Wu, Cozy and Celestia, revealing the mission to be a virtually simulated training exercise. "But then again, I didn't think you'd be quite so rough on my security droids," Borg mentioned as he looked towards some of his destroyed droids.
"If I can't steal the Golden Armor, I'd be surprised if anycreature else could," Lloyd said as he pushed Borg's wheelchair. "It's secure, but where is the real one, along with the Elements of Harmony?"
"Some secrets are best kept safe," Borg told him as Wu walked up to Lloyd.
"Lloyd, where are the other Ninja?" he asked. "I asked for all of you to take part in this test."
"Uh, they, uh, they really wanted to be here, but they, uh…" Lloyd stuttered as he tried to come up with an excuse. "All had other plans."
"We understand perfectly well," Celestia spoke up. "The loss of a friend can affect those who live on, in so many different ways."
"Yes, especially when that friend is Frost," Borg added. "I haven't heard word from my assistant Pixal or Gear since his memorial. It's all heartbreaking," he said, bowing his head in guilt.
"If we dwell too long on what's missing, we fail to see what can be gained," Wu told them. "The absence of Frost will either tear you six apart or bring you closer together."
"So, what you're saying, it's up to Lloyd… and to them," Cozy concluded.
Celestia nodded and turned to Lloyd. "Lloyd, see if you can convince your friends that you must carry on… without Frost," she said with some regret.
Lloyd sighs. "I'll do the best I can," he says, looking down. "But it won't be easy."
"The greatest lessons never are," Celestia told him.
"Most Ultimate Extreme Ninja Challenge Ever!" a crowd of creatures cheered as Thunder wearing a game show host outfit with his mane done up walked out, in front of an obstacle course.
"I'm Thunder Crack, Equestria's most lovable Ninja, here before the Gauntlet of Humility to see who will be Equestria's next hero and whose dreams will be gone…" he spoke into a microphone before he paused for a dramatic effect, "in a flash!"
He tossed away his microphone before he concentrated and used his lightning power to lift himself off the ground. He then flew his way over to the first platform where a mare in a jumpsuit was seen standing. Another microphone was tossed to him, which he grabbed as he turned to the crowd. "I'm here with Jewels, tireless mother of four, pillar of Trottingham's PTA, and returning contestant." He then turned to the contestant. "Tell me, Jewels, after being humbled by the Gauntlet the first time, what makes you think this'll be any different?"
"Because Ninja never QUIT!" Jewels yelled in determination as Thunder winced from the feedback.
He then chuckled. "Okay, Jewels. Start the Doomsday CLOCK!" he declared as the timer started.
Jewels started moving through the Gauntlet. She got past the ropes, moving onto the rollers. She started running and dodging the boxing gloves. She had almost reached the end… until a boxing glove punched her off and onto the ground. The crowd and Thunder gasped as the show host rushed to Jewels who got up and simply laughed while rubbing her head. "I got further than last time." The crowd cheered Jewels for her good try.
Later, Thunder was in his dressing room, as he sighed into his mirror and turned to a photo of him and the others. "Ninja never quit, huh Frost?" he asked, looking at Frost in the picture.
"The team needs you now more than ever."
Thunder jumped and looked behind him to Lloyd. He gasped, "How did you get in here?!"
"Teleportation spell Twilight gave me, and you are wearing the make-up Rarity gave you," Lloyd states with a smirk.
Thunder brushes him up while showing him a make-up plate with Rarity's symbol on it. "It's concealer, a time-ordered tool of the Ninja," he states before frowning. "And what do you mean 'team'?! I refuse to fight beside Landrush! There's nothing you can say to get me back with that mare-stealing, black-hearted, rock-pounding-"
"Thunder, you know Landrush isn't interested in Aqua and she still thinks of you," Lloyd reminded Thunder as the blue stallion sighed and went back to his mirror. "You don't belong here Thunder, this isn't you. You're the Master of Lightning, not the Master of Lighting."
Thunder looked down sadly. "You know where I'll be if you change your mind," Lloyd told him before teleporting away.
Thunder then puts on some concealer before looking at himself, and then throwing the brush at the mirror and marching out the door.
In Fillydelphia, Gaia was at a garden party on behalf of her mother, wearing a green gown. A waiter offered her a drink. "Thank you," she said, taking the drink and sipping it.
She then turned to an ice sculpture and sighed sadly, reminding her of the Master of Ice. She looked down with a sad look before going out to the patio for some air. She then looked up into the sky, thinking about how things could have been different.
"You know, it's okay to talk about your feelings."
She gasped sharply and turned around quickly, seeing Lloyd on the roof with her. "Oh, it's just you…" she said, not sounding too happy to see him. "What is it that you want, Lloyd?"
"The team needs you now more than ever," Lloyd told her before he jumped down from the roof and landed next to her. "Look at you, Gaia. You used to hate this lifestyle before you became a Ninja. You're the Master of Life. Running wild and free. If Landrush were here to see you like this-"
"Don't you dare bring him up near me!" Gaia scolded him. "It was obvious he didn't feel the same way when I told him my feelings, so I want nothing to do with him!" she then frowned and looked away. "In this life, where my path is chosen for me, I never have to feel the pain of losing ever again."
"He never said he didn't like you, and even if he did, he's still your friend. And you are losing something important in this life, Gaia: your freedom," Lloyd reminded her as the mare took a sip of her drink. "If you change your mind, you know where to find me." Lloyd then threw down a smoke pellet and vanished. Gaia let out a frustrating sigh before she looked back at the ice sculpture inside. She then furrowed her brow and trotted to the exit.
In the Whitetail Woods, some lumberponies were hauling some wood while Landrush was swinging an ax on some branches.
"The team needs you now more than ever," Lloyd told him as he was hanging upside down by a rope.
"I thought I was good with a scythe," Landrush starts before striking the branch. "Turns out I'm even better with an ax!" He strikes the branch again and sighs. "I'm tired, Lloyd. Tired of skeletons, tired of Serpentine, tired of Samu-Taurs and Darklings, tired of Nindroids, tired of… Thunder." He then looked down at his co-workers. "Out here, nocreature knows who you are, nocreature expects anything from you."
"But what would Frost expect?" Lloyd asked. "You're the Master of Earth, Landrush. You don't belong in trees. Your hooves should be planted on the ground. You can't hide who you are." He then flipped down next to Landrush.
Landrush just sighed. "Well, maybe being in the trees is the only way I feel like I can be with…" he said as Lloyd knew who he was talking about. "Never mind. Anyway, sorry Light bulb, but this is my life now," he said holding up his ax.
Then one of the stallions standing on the logs noticed the crane dropping another close to him as the others started to come loose. "Oh, cracked stem! She's falling hard!" he warned the other lumberponies.
Landrush saw the logs rolling to towards them as he jumped down quickly and used his powers to stop them.
The lumberponies all cheered for Landrush. "Who is he?" one asked.
"Not one of us," another answered as Landrush sighed and decided it was time to leave.
He then looks up to see Lloyd. "If you change your mind, Landrush, you know where I'll be," he told him before taking flight. As he left, Landrush remembered a promise he made long ago, a promise he vowed to never break. He then sighed and continued walking.
In a biker bar, many creatures (including a number of Serpentine) gathered around a pit where a Hypnobrai host, Mezmo, was seen in the center. "Welcome to the Yang Slither Pits Final!" he declared to the crowd. "In the left corner, we have Trail Blaze, the Flaming Shogun!" he just turned to Trail, now wearing a red, yellow, and black wrestler outfit and a red mask over his face.
"And in the right corner, we have Kruncha!" he pointed towards him, who was getting a little message from Nuckal.
The crowd cheered as this was going to be an interesting fight before the bell dinged. Kruncha was then pushed forward as he approached Trail. "NINJA, GO!" Trail declared as he did Spinjitzu and easily defeated him by scattering his bones.
"Didn't your mama ever warn you not to play with me?" he asked with his hooves crossed.
"No," Kruncha winced as the bell rang and the announcer walked to the center.
"Victory of the Slither Pit, and undefeated Champion," he started, raising Trails foreleg. "Trail Blaze, the Flaming Shogun!"
Trail then pulled away and stormed off. "The 'Red' Shogun! RED Shogun!" he corrected while kicking Kruncha's head.
Nuckal then picks up one of Kruncha's hooves. "Some fight that was!" he stated.
"Let's get out of here!" Kruncha suggested only to see Nuckal stroking his hoof and laughing. He then kicked him in the face. "You said to go down in the first!"
"I said 'Don't be the first to go down!'" Nuckal corrected him as he dragged his partner's pieces away while kicking his head.
At the drink stand, Trail was slurping down some cider.
"You shouldn't drink so much cider."
Trail looked around for the voice until Lloyd appeared beside him. "It's filled with a lot more stuff you'd rather not find."
"Oh, it's you," Trail said dully before turning away.
"The team needs you now more than ever," Lloyd tells him, placing a hoof on Trail's shoulder.
Trail just scowls and shrugged him off. "Who says the Light Ninja needs a team?" he asked bitterly. "You seemed to be holding down the fort on your own."
Lloyd shook his head. "I get it, Trail. You've run out of bad guys to fight out there, you gotta come to place like this," he said, gesturing to the bar. "But where's the honor in that? Where's the Master of Fire?"
Trail then turns to Lloyd. "It's the Red Shogun now! And where's the Master of Ice, huh?! He's gone! But I'm still here," he states before looking down sadly. "Who care about honor? It should've been me. I should've taken the Over-"
"You always thought you should've been the one," Lloyd interrupts him. "First it was being the Light Ninja, now this. When are you gonna start thinking of someone other than yourself?"
Trail did not answer and then turned to see Lloyd was gone. "If you change your mind, you know where I'll be," Lloyd said from somewhere. Trail stood there for a moment, before pulling off his mask and leaving it on the table.
"All right, troops! Let's go over our training again and see if any of you have learned from last time!" Flash ordered as he marched in front of some armored Royal Guard pony recruits. Twilight and the Serpentine Kids watch from the sidelines as he picks up a spear. "Sentinel Star, you're up! Rule number one?!"
"Yes sir!" a unicorn mare picked up her own spear for combat against him. "Keep your guard up when facing an enemy!"
"Good!" Flash lunged forward and Sentinel blocked his attack with her own spear. "Rule number two?!"
"Keep your center balanced!" she pushed him back before he used his spear to stop himself.
"And rule number three?" he asked before she had a look that tells that she was trying to remember. Flash then spun his spear around to cause a mini tornado that pushed her into a pile of leaves. "You're always forgetting the last one."
"Always expect… the unexpected… sir-ohhhhh…" she said dazedly before collapsing.
Flash sighed and turned to the rest of his guard. "All of you keep practicing, I need to rest for a minute," he ordered as the guard saluted and grabbed their training gear. Flash then walked away as Twilight looked at him, no longer seeing the stallion she loved in him.
Flash returned to his office, took off his helmet and placed it on his armor stand. He turned to the picture of him, the Ninja, Mane Six and their friends after their first battle with the Overlord. Next to it was a picture of himself but younger, with his brother First Base, their mother, and an amber stallion decked in obsidian and gold armor, his coat slightly scratched up, and a mustache and beard of the same mane color as him.
He sighed and moved to grab his helmet, only to move his head out of the way of a throwing knife and turned to Lloyd standing at the doorway. "The team needs you now more than ever."
Flash just gave an unimpressed look. "You missed," he said before turning back to his helmet.
"So that's it? You're just gonna spend your time here, staying here and waiting for danger to come instead of going out to stop it. Of all the ponies I expected to quit being a Ninja… you are the most surprising one I've seen," Lloyd remarked as he walked in.
"You've managed to do just fine without me or the others," Flash told Lloyd as he looked at his helmet.
Lloyd frowned. "Look, I got a good left wing, but without my right wing I can't fly," he stated.
"You get a prosthetic wing, then you can fly," Flash told him simply.
"Well, maybe I don't want a prosthetic wing," Lloyd argued as Flash groaned. "Come on Flash, what happened to 'Ninja never quit'? 'No Ninja left forgotten', huh?"
"Clichés," Flash said, rolling his eyes.
Lloyd rolled his eyes as Flash took a sword. "Come on, dude, stop being this guy. Be that other guy!" he said, grabbing Flash's sword before he snatched it back.
"What 'other guy'?!" Flash asked frustratedly as Lloyd grabbed his helmet.
"The guy who was born to be a Ninja. The guy who soared through the skies, afraid of nothing!" Lloyd remarked as Flash pulled his helmet away as Lloyd then grabbed his shield. "The guy I looked up to when he was the Master of Wind!" The two pulled on the shield before it slipped and Flash managed to grab it and placed it down firmly. "Come on! Where's that Flash Sentry?" Lloyd asked with a frown.
Flash had a crushed look on his face. "That Flash Sentry… died with Frost Gear," he said sadly.
"Look Flash, I miss Frost too, more than anything," Lloyd told him. "But I know that all this won't fill that painful void in your heart. If you ever change your mind, you know where I'll be," he threw down a smoke pellet and vanished before Flash let out a sigh and leaned back in his chair.
Just when he was about to get back to work, Twilight entered the room with a concerned look on her face. "How much did you hear?" he asked.
"All of it," she answered before she walked over to him. "Flash, I'm a little worried about you. You're not acting like your usual self ever since… you know."
"Look, it's not that I want to be a Ninja again, it's just…" Flash closed his eyes shut. "I can't stand the thought of losing anypony close to me, especially you and the Kids."
He went towards his family photo, picking it up in his hooves as he looked down on it. "I spent my whole life trying to follow in my father's hoofprints, to one day become Captain of the Royal Guard like he was. But then Wu shows up, telling me I have to be a Ninja, a Master of Wind! And then everything happened: Garmadon, the Serpentine, the Dark Island and Frost," Flash continued as Twilight looked at him sadly.
"And during each of those things, I wasn't strong enough to make a true difference, and our last battle got so bad Frost had to give up his life just to save us. And now… now I'm just worried about the next time we face something like that. Because, what if…" Flash trailed off as his eyes turned wet. "What if I can't protect you?" He then takes some shaky breaths and covers his eyes while tears slide down his face.
Twilight looked at him tearfully before walking behind him and hugging the back of his neck. "I know how you feel," she whispered. "Nightmare Moon, Tirek, Chrysalis, Sombra, everything that my friends and I had faced, I was so afraid of failing and losing those I cared about. I knew that if I slipped up just once, everything we all cared about would be gone in an instant. But the difference between you and me… is that I'd never let the loss of a friend get to me and keep me from my other friends."
She then turned to leave before she stopped and looked back at him. "I think you should go and see what Lloyd wants to talk about. And I'm not telling you as your marefriend, I'm ordering you as your princess." She then let him be as he let out a sad sigh. He then gave one last look at the photos before he took off the rest of his armor and went out the door.
Flash was seen walking through the park of Equestria City. Ever since the Golden Master incident, it was no longer the high-tech city it had once been, instead opting for a balance between nature, magic, and technology. Flash walked up to the statue of Frost, moss having grown overtime. He saw a couple of birds flying down and resting on the shoulder of the statue before Frost's Falcon flew down and cawed at them to make them go away. "Really miss you, pal," he said to the statue before he continued onward, having paid his respects.
The sounds of festive music could be heard as Flash made his way to a noodle house where above the door was a large animatronic bearded male unicorn statue, holding a bowl of rainbow noodles. "There's only one Master Chen's Equestria's number one Noodle House,"a recording played as he entered the restaurant.
He looked around. "Flash! Back here!" Lloyd calls as Flash approacheed him.
He was then surprised to see the other Ninja there too. "Gaia? Guys?" he said as they turned to him.
"Oh, you too?" Landrush asked, leaning on his hoof.
"Great, full party," Trail huffed.
Gaia scowled. "The little scoundrel deceived us all."
"Just hurry up and take a seat," Thunder told Flash.
Trail noticed some food and tried to grab some, only for Lloyd to stop him. "We talk first, then eat," he said.
Landrush sighed as he turned to Flash. "Seriously, do you know what kinda restraint I had staring at all this noodle goodness?" he asked. "You're late."
Flash just sighed and took a seat next to Trail and Landrush. "Just make this quick," he said.
"I know without Frost things have been different, but we have to move on," Lloyd told them. "The reason I brought you all here is because…" he scratched the back of his head, knowing what he's going to say next is not going to make them happy. "Maybe we should add someone new to our team?"
"A new Ninja?!" Trail exclaimed.
"Are you crazy?!" Thunder shouted at Lloyd.
"I knew this was a bad idea!" Gaia shouted.
"Never in a million years!" Flash scolded Lloyd.
"Come on, Frost's irreplaceable!" Landrush shouted.
"I didn't mean replacing Frost, but defending Equestria will be difficult with just the six of us," Lloyd tried to explain before looking down. "Look, I cared for him too, but now it's time to care about this team," Lloyd explained to them.
"Maybe without Frost, there is no team," Trail told him before he looked away with his hooves crossed.
"At last, something we agree on," Gaia stated as Flash, Landrush and Thunder nodded. Lloyd looked down in defeat.
Then, the door opened as a trio of punk ponies, led by one with a black mohawk and blind eye, walked in.
Thunder saw them. "Oh, don't look now, but we got trouble," he told the others.
The three punks walked up to the cashier and he immediately handed them all the cash he had. But the leader gestured to him to give more, but the cashier shrugged, indicating he did not have any more. The three then grabbed him and put him on the food bar, blocking the food riding on it.
"Okay, now they're our problem," Landrush stated as they got up and marched towards the laughing punks. "Excuse me, it's not polite to touch somepony's food!" Landrush stated with his forelegs crossed.
"I'd listen to him if I were you," Flash warned. "He's not nice to be around when he's hangry."
One of the punks tried to deliver a punch to Landrush before he quickly caught it in his chopsticks. He then taunted the three punks to come after him before that punk tried to kick him. Like before he caught it in his chopsticks before he made the punk turn around. He then dodged another punch before he made a goofy smile on the punk's face with his chopsticks. Trail and Flash then got onto the conveyor belt to deal with the other two punks just as the first one made the conveyor belt go a little faster.
Trail and Flash started kicking food at the two punks. "All right, I admit. We make a good team," Flash confessed.
"Right back at ya!" Trail said as he kicked another dish at one of the punks, but he dodged at it flew towards Landrush still fighting with the leader.
He saw the food and grabbed it with his chopsticks and ate it. "Mm, everything's better on a full stomach," he said, eating the food flying by before the leader smashed a plate. "Hey! I was gonna eat that!"
Landrush then threw the leader on to the conveyor belt and he fell down face first in a bowl of noodles. The other two punks chased Flash across belt, until he kicked one causing him to tumble into his buddy and they crashed on the leader. "Bon appétit!" Flash quipped as he jumped off the punks and over to the others.
"How can you walk away from this?" Lloyd asked as the leader lifted his head to show sushi stuck to his eyes and carrots in his mouth. A filly saw him and screamed in fear before her mother frown and whacked the punks with a plate, scaring them out of the restaurant…or so it seemed until the Leader shot the Ninja a smirk before rushing out after his cronies.
"Hey! Get back here you scoundrels!" Gaia demanded as they rushed after them.
But when they got outside, they were shocked to find they were gone. "Where'd they go?" Trail wondered as they looked around, but then cough sight of table with candles, six fortune cookies and scroll with the image of a familiar cutie mark on it.
"What's this?" Lloyd wondered as they walked up to the scroll.
Once close enough, they were able to recognize the mark. "Frost's cutie mark," Trail gasped.
"What does it say?" Landrush wondered as Lloyd took the Scroll in his magic.
His eyes widened when he read what was on it. "It says… he's alive," he tells the other Ninja as they gasp in shock.
Flash the realized something. "I don't think those thugs were delivering a message to the noodle house," he started. "I think they were delivering a message to us!"
"But what does it mean when it says 'He's alive"?" Thunder asked.
"Yes, we all saw him blown up," Gaia reminded them.
"Hey, I'm just telling you what it says," Lloyd retorted.
"Why would those thugs lead us here?" Trail asked.
"You know, this has to be a cruel joke," Landrush spoke up, "and I'm not laughing."
"Look," Gaia pointed out the six fortune cookies. "I think this was meant for us as well."
"Fortune cookies?" Thunder asked as they each took one. "Very peculiar."
"Should we?" Lloyd asked before Landrush already ate his.
"Uh, you do realize there's a fortune inside, right?" Flash asked Landrush as he broke his cookie in half and showed the small piece of paper inside.
Landrush let out a loud gulp after hearing that. "Oh, so that's why they're called that," he said as the others broke their own fortune cookies and took the fortunes out.
"As clueless as ever," Gaia sighed before they looked at their fortunes.
"Listen to this," Lloyd says as they turn to him. "'Master Chen has personally invited you to participate in his tournament of elements.'"
Landrush blinked. "Hold on, are you telling me, that Mister Chen, the same guy whose been filling my belly with delicious goodness, is actually Master Chen?" he asked.
Flash then read his fortune. "'It is a large competition where you will meet those like you who have been gifted by the Elements of Equestria.'"
"'You will all compete where no two fights will be identical in nature, '" Gaia read her fortune.
"'Secrecy is of the utmost importance, tell no one or suffer the consequences,'" Trail read his next.
"'If you ever want to see your friend again, meet on the Manehattan pier at Midnight, and leave any weapons behind,'" Thunder finished as they all turned to each other.
Then one by one, their fortunes poofed out of their hooves. The Ninja turned to Landrush, who remembered he ate his fortune and then let out a yelp as his fortune exploded in his belly. He then belched out some smoke and turned to his friend with a grin. "At least I know I was invited," he joked as they all laughed.
Lloyd then looked concern. "You don't think-"
"I know, this sounds just too good to be true," Flash answered.
"Yeah, this could be a trap, a lie to lure us into an even greater plot," Trail theorized.
"Yeah, but what if it's not?" Thunder argued. "What if Frost really is alive?"
Lloyd turns back to the scroll. "The Tournament of Elements. I'm starting to think that this Master Chen makes more than noodles."
"Indeed. If what this says is true, is it possible that there are other ponies, or other creatures, out there with powers like us?" Gaia questioned as she conjures up some leaves in her hoof.
"If there are, why haven't Wu, Garmadon or the Royal Sisters ever told us?" Landrush wondered.
"Come to think of it, we never really wondered why we even have these powers in the first place," Flash said as the Ninja realized he was right. They had spent so much time practicing to control their power that they never thought about where they came from or how they got them. "But I think this Master Chen could give us some answers."
Trail nodded and turned to Lloyd. "You can forget about bringing in a new Ninja, Lloyd. Let's go see about an old one," he said as they all nodded and then left to prepare for this tournament.
Meanwhile back at Garmadon's Monastery, Garmadon and Luna approached, Aqua, Wu and Celestia looking over some blueprints.
Garmadon hummed, recognizing the design. "Are you planning on rebuilding the Destiny's Bounty?" he asked.
"Indeed," Celestia confirmed. "With the materials Dr. Borg provided to us, this new Bounty will be much stronger than the original."
"I'm thinking of renaming it the Harmony's Bounty," Aqua added. "Of course, we could use some help."
"We'll see if Lloyd's up to the task," Luna said as she and Garmadon left to Lloyd's Room.
In his room, Lloyd was packing up for the tournament before he walked over and was about to grab a weapon to take with. He suddenly stopped when he remembered that the invite said to bring no weapons or entrance will be denied. He then heard a knock at the door before Garmadon and Luna walked in. "We were just on our way to help Aqua and the others restore the Bounty," Garmadon told his son before Luna noticed he was all packed.
"Are you going somewhere?" she asked him.
"Uh yeah, the guys and I are going fishing," Lloyd lied to them. "Team building exercise."
"Hm, good to hear the team's back together," Garmadon mentioned with a smile.
"Dad? Our elemental powers…" Lloyd spoke. "Are there others out there with powers like us?"
"Why would you ask?" Luna asked with a raised brow.
"No reason. It was just on my mind," Lloyd explained before both Garmadon and Luna noticed a noodle box with a very familiar symbol on it. A symbol they knew all too well about. "See ya," he told them as he picked up his bag. "Early bird catches the worm." As soon as he left his room, Garmadon and Luna noticed that he did not take his fishing rod with him.
They both gave one last look at the takeout box on the floor as they both had a very angry look on their faces. "Chen," They both growled.
Meanwhile, Flash had on his old Master Gi as he was all packed. Just when he was about to head out, he bumped into Twilight and saw Applejack standing next to her. "Oh, usually I'm the one bumping into you instead of the other way around," Twilight giggled.
"What's with the getup, partner?" Applejack asked as she noticed he was in one of his old Ninja outfits.
"Oh this? This is…uh, just for a team building exercise me and the others are doing…" he lied to them. "We figured we needed it to help rebuild our little team…" Applejack raised a brow in suspicion as she noticed him sweating a little. "Well, gotta get going!" he quickly ran away from them, leaving Twilight confused.
"What do you suppose that was about?" Twilight wondered.
Applejack furrowed her brow. "I don't know, but let's grab the girls and find out," she suggested as they trotted away.
At the Manehattan pier, the Ninja arrived each wearing different robes. Trail wearing his first suit, Thunder wearing his ZX suit, Landrush wearing his Dragon suit, Gaia wearing her Stone Armor suit, Flash in his Master suit, and Lloyd still in his Techno suit.
When they arrived, they saw how they each wore something different. "Gah, I told you we shouldn't have worn them," Thunder complained.
"If this is a tournament, we can't afford to let any of the other competitors know we're working together," Flash told him as he looked at the different creatures surrounding them. "Do you guys think every creature here has powers like us?"
"When I asked my dad and Princess Luna about it, they got really suspicious," Lloyd told them. "Like there is something they're keeping from us."
"You told them?!" Gaia exclaimed quietly.
"The fortune cookie said 'Tell no one or suffer the consequences,'" Landrush reminded him.
"Don't worry, we're cool," Lloyd assured before they turned to see a steamboat chugging into port. Once the boat stopped along it, a gangplank was lowered onto the dock as a black-maned mustached indigo unicorn stallion dressed in red and purple walked out. Standing next to him was a crimson-maned dark purple unicorn mare wearing the same outfit but with the colors reversed.
"We don't know yet if this is a trap," Flash whispered to the others as all the competitors got in line to climb aboard. "Wherever they take us, we have to stick together."
"Watch your step, madam," the stallion said as he and the mare stepped aside and let the first competitor climb aboard.
Said competitor had an orange hood up before she turned to look at the others. Trail was in awe at the site of a red-maned, amber unicorn mare before he had a dopey smile on his face and sighed.
"We can't let anything distract us," Gaia whispered harshly to him. "You hear me, Trail?"
"Huh? Uh, yeah," Trail responded. "Uh, got it. Whatever you say."
The mare up front turned back and walked on board with the other competitors following close behind.
"Master Chen will be charmed to see you've accepted his offer, Ninja," the mare said as Thunder walked forward. "A Master of Spinjitzu shall fare favorably in his tournament."
"Hey, we're not here to fight," Thunder assured the two. "We're here to save a friend."
"Don't be so petty, Master Thunder," the stallion told him before he pulled out a pair of nunchucks from Thunder's bag. "Everyone here has something to fight for."
"Chopsticks. I'm a big eater," Thunder said with a nervous chuckle before the stallion threw the nunchucks into the water. Thunder let out a loud gulp before the two gestured him to climb aboard.
"Lloyd, wait!" Lloyd heard his father call out before you turned to see him, Luna and the Mane Six have arrived. "If you get on that boat, you may never return."
"Garmadon? Girls, what are you doing here?" Flash asked when he saw them.
"We were here to see what's really going on before we ran into them," Twilight explained before she gestured to Luna and Garmadon.
"Boys listen to me when I say, Master Chen is a dangerous stallion who should never be trusted," Luna warned. "Whatever he promised you, do not believe a word of it."
Twilight approached Flash. "Flash, I don't know what's going on, but I can't shake this feeling you're walking into a trap," she said. "Please, come back with us."
Flash shook his head. "I'm sorry, but we have to. He says Frost is alive and-"
"Frost is alive?!" the girls shouted in shock.
The sound then caught the attention of the mare and stallion as they turned to Garmadon and Luna. "Lord Garmadon, Nightmare Moon. It's been a while," the stallion said when he saw them.
"Oh brother, I think you mean Sensei Garmadon and Princess Luna now," the mare smarmily corrected the stallion. "Although… I guess we should just call her 'Little Luna' from now on, considering she retired. It's so hard to remember with those two."
"Dark Grimoire and Charm Binder," Garmadon spoke in a harsh tone.
"Y'all know those two?" Applejack asked them.
"In a way…" Luna responded before looking back at the two. "I'm surprised that you two and Chen are still around, after all these moons."
"It's a wonder what one can do with an immortality spell," Charm said before she used her magic to pull out what looked to be an old page that was ripped out. "Did your teacher need this? No, I didn't think so," Luna gritted her teeth after seeing that page.
"Well, I can see that Master Chen still has playing fetch for him, like the dogs you are," Garmadon snarked as the simply huffed and walked back on deck.
"We have to go dad. This is about Frost, it's about family," Lloyd states. "If we're ever gonna be whole again, we need to get on that ship."
"Last call. Are you in or out?" Grimoire asked.
"We're leaving with or without you," Charm told him as Lloyd boarded the ship.
Garmadon sighed. "If we can't stop you, son, then we will join you," he said as he, Luna and the girls approached the ship.
"Terribly sorry, Sensei, but no room on the ship," Charm said with a disdainful smirk as they retracted the plank, "for you or her Highness~"
Luna simply raised a brow. "No room, hmm?" She then flipped over the gap, landed behind two stallions, and bucked them into the water before creating a bridge for Garmadon and the Mane Six.
Charm looked quite surprised before turning with a slightly intrigued smirk. "Oh, I stand corrected. We have room now."
"Of course, Master Chen will have concern if we bring along… uninvited guests," Grimoire told them, eying them suspiciously.
"Hey, tournaments need spectators, right? Plus, having royalty in the crowd would be like a real treat for Chen," Rainbow told him.
"Either way, we're not here to compete," Garmadon assured before holding Lloyd's shoulder. "Only to look out for our interests."
Grimoire simply raised a brow and turned. "Let's ship out!" he ordered as the boat left the pier and sailed out to sea.
The group decided to look around the ship, watching as many creatures from far and wide were harnessing their own Elements. They could see a Yak with big metal horns ramming a barrel as he juggled it into the air. A Whitetail Woods deer hovering above the ground with a few crates hovering behind him. There was even a short earth pony playing a guitar as they could see reverberating wavelengths every time he played. They then looked over at Grimoire and Charm walking by with three goons behind them.
"You both know them and said their names are 'Dark Grimoire' and 'Charm Binder'," Lloyd said to Luna and Garmadon.
"Don't be fooled by their attire or their looks," Garmadon told them. "They are twins, brother and sister. Masters of the dark arts, and Master Chen's number two and three respectively."
"Huh. I thought Master Chen's number two and three with an egg roll and fried rice, and a spicy noodle bowl with pepper crisps," Landrush joked.
"That page Charm showed off, was that some spell that Star Swirl made?" Twilight asked Luna.
"An immortality spell," Luna spoke up. "He spent months trying to perfect it before we found out it was stolen. To think that Charm would steal such a valuable spell and was able to perfect it."
"On another note, why haven't you two or Wu and Celestia ever told us there were others with powers like us?" Trail asked the two.
"Because there are some things we don't want you to know just yet," Garmadon answered. "You twelve and Frost were led to believe you were special, yet you never questioned where your powers came from."
"Um, are you implying that I'm not special?" Thunder asked in insult.
"Well, we're asking now, so please tell us," Gaia asked.
"Every competitor on this vessel is a descendant of an original Elemental Master," Luna told them.
"Elemental Master? Who were they?" Lloyd asked.
"They were the guardians of your grandfather, the First Spinjitzu Master," Garmadon answered. "Each endowed with an elemental power that has been passed from parent to child for generations."
"Wait, so if that logic also extends to us, does that mean…?" Flash trailed off in realization.
"Indeed, Flash. Each of your powers were inherited from one your ancestors as well," Garmadon told him. "Yours in particular, came from your father"
Flash's eyes widened. "My… my father was the Master of Wind before me?"
"Well… not exactly. Your father, and every pony on his side of your family, were descendants of the first Master of Wind, even though they never showed their ancestral power," Luna explained. "But sometimes an Elemental Master can pass on his or her powers to some creature they've deemed worthy, such as Frost for example."
"If that's true, then Aqua would've inherited power too," Trail realized. "But she's never shown that she can do what I can."
"Now that I think about it, my grandfather was able to get past miles of jungle with ease. Meaning he was the Master of Life before me," Gaia spoke up. "But how come I inherited his powers but my mother did not?"
"To answer your question, Gaia, sometimes elemental powers can skip a generation, or the power that sleeps within you needs a little push to be awakened," Luna explained. "It happened to you when you were a filly."
"As for your sister, Trail, can't she?" Garmadon asked with a raised brow. "Like Luna said, power lies in all of you. It only needs to be awoken."
"Yes, but unlike the six of you, the fighters here serve no master and have managed to unlock their own True Potential," Luna told them before she gestured to a Diamond Dog that looked to be wrapped in bandages while he was wearing sunglasses. "For example, that Diamond Dog, Pale Hound, is a distant relative to the Master of Void. Watch closely, and you'll see how he and his ancestors stayed hidden all these years," They watched as that Diamond Dog suddenly vanished before their eyes.
"Whoa," Pinkie gasped before blur zipped right by them. "Whoa!"
The blur revealed to be a white Griffon with red highlights along his wingtips and head feathers, wearing sunglasses and a tracksuit. "Then there is Grieval Turner, Griffonstone's 'Galloping Griff'," Garmadon continued as Turner did some moves, "and grandson to the Master of Speed."
"Come on, you can't lay a claw on me!" Turner boasted zipping around the Ninja and Mane Six and around the boat. "I'm faster than fast, swifter than swift! Where I run, I bring home the gold! Medals, that is!"
"Master of Speed?" Thunder scoffs. "That's not an element."
"What a show off," Rainbow brushed off.
"So says the Master of Lightning and the self-named 'Fastest Pony in Equestria'," Luna snarked as they walked past the two.
"Oh snap, she got you there!" Landrush joked.
Applejack then noticed a green, brown-maned unicorn, wearing medieval like clothing, twirling energy in his hoof. "Who's that?" she asked.
"Maximum Powers," Luna answered, "descendant to the Master of Energy, who was one of the strongest Elemental Masters in existence." As the others moved on, Applejack continued staring at Maximum before he glanced at her and then she blushed and moved her hat down and continued walking.
The group then rested on the top floor and Trail noticed the orange mare leaning against the rail. "And uh, who is she?" he asked.
"We don't know. Most of the creatures we've never met before," Garmadon told him. "But they will all be gunning for you."
"You are Ninja. You serve with honor," Luna told them as the Yak with the metallic horns walked over to the mare. "Here, that means very little." Trail noticed that the Yak was pestering the mare and would not take 'no' for an answer.
"Well, maybe honor means something to me," Trail said as he made his way over to the Yak, who noticed the pony approaching before he growled and stood his ground.
"It's okay. I can handle myself," the mare told Trail.
"This not pony business," The Yak growled at Trail. "Yah-Karlof cold. Yah-Karlof just wants pony cloak!"
"You look like you got enough body hair… and fat," Trail joked as he gestured to Yah-Karlof's heavy coat and physique. "Why not just leave the gal alone?" the mare was surprised by this before she looked away.
"Yah-Karlof not fat! It all muscle!" Yah-Karlof told Trail. "Yah-Karlof use muscle to smash red pony!"
"Ha, I'd like to see you try," Trail taunted him in a smug tone.
"Save it for the tournament, Trail," Luna spoke up.
"Red pony not think Yah-Karlof afraid. Yah-Karlof mighty Yak Master!"
"No, you don't think much at all, do you?" Trail asked sarcastically before he was picked up by Yah-Karlof. "Ohh! Just jump in whenever you feel like it!"
"Red pony say Yah-Karlof not smart?" Yah-Karlof demanded.
Applejack furrowed. "I'd say Yah-Karlof is at least smart enough not to start somethin' he can't finish," she said before approaching him and grabbing his hoof. "Now why don't you do the smart thing and put my friend-WHOA!"
Yah-Karlof then knocked Applejack away, and caused her to crash in Maximum before punting Trail away. "Oopsie. Guess Yah-Karlof not smart," he mocked.
Applejack growled and readjusted her hat. "Why you!" she growled not realizing she was on top of a very annoyed stallion.
"Get off me, you bumpkin!" Maximum demanded as pushed Applejack off him. He then stood up and brushed his coat. "Typical country folk, no manners."
Applejack snorted in anger. "Take that back!" she warned.
"You presume to give me orders?" Maximum asked her as they stood ready for a fight.
The Mane Six and Ninja did not appreciate Maximum and Yah-Karlof's behavior to their friends, and were about to jump in but Garmadon and Luna stopped them. "Trail and Applejack started this, they can finish it," Luna told them.
Trail got back and glared at Yah-Karlof as the Yak scrapped the ground. "Fire!" Trail said launching fire balls at Yah-Karlof but the Yak blocked them with his horns before banging them against a nearby metal pole, the vibrations traveling along his body to increase his size and encase him in metal. Trail gasped before the Yak charged at, waving his horns trying to skewer him.
Back with Applejack, she narrowed her eyes at the green unicorn. "You think you can say what you like about us farm ponies? Well, here's my answer for ya!" she snorted and charged at Maxillian but he dodged her. "What the-?" She tried to buck him, but he dodged her legs, before grabbing one and flipping her his head and kicking her away himself. "Ugh, nice shot," Applejack groaned.
"I wish I could say the same of you," Maximum said as Applejack growled.
Meanwhile, Trail continued to dodge Yah-Karlof before Yah-Karlof managed to slam him down to the deck. He then knocked him into the air and over to the back of the ship. As Trail set up and rubbed his head, he saw Yah-Karlof coming towards him before he rolled out of the way just as he slammed his hooves down. He then blocked each of Yah-Karlof's attacks as best he could before he was pushed to the edge. Then took a stance before he stepped aside just as Yah-Karlof lunged forward at him.
Trail chuckled as he thought that was easy before Yah-Karlof grabbed his leg from beneath and pulled him down. They continued to fight as Trail released a fury of blows to his chest before he knocked him back to the railing.
With Applejack, she was still on the offensive, but no matter what she did she could not land a single hit on Maximum. She growled in frustration. "Would ya stop dodging and start fighting back already!" she said.
Maximum glanced at her. "If you insist." He then struck her in the face before sweeping her off-balance and unleash a barrage of punches to her, charged by his powers. And in almost slow-motion, he gave her a powerful energy-charged ax-kick, knocking her down to the lower deck.
"Applejack!" Twilight yelled in worry.
"I've never seen Applejack like this before," Rarity said in disbelief.
"It's a shock to see Applejack pushed so far back before," Flash added before looking at Trail. "And Trail's not having an easy time either."
Trail lit his hoof on fire as he and Yah-Karlof trade blows before he knocked the Yak on to the ship's paddle wheel where they continued their fight until Yah-Karlof punched Trail onto the lower deck next to Applejack as Yah-Karlof and Maximum moved to finish the fight while the two looked worried.
"Enough!" Grimoire ordered.
"Save your energy for the Tournament, you'll need it," Charm told them as Yah-Karlof's metal coat disappeared and he walked away.
Applejack sat up. "Whoa nelly, I ain't never been hit like that before," she said in shock as she felt her cheeks warm up. "It was kinda nice." She then noticed her hat was missing.
Maximum presented Applejack with her hat. "You fight well for a country mare, impressive," he said as Applejack took her hat back.
"Thank ya, kindly," she thanked before Maximum walked off.
The amber mare then walked up to Trail. "I'm sorry if I was cold to you earlier," she said as she helped Trail up, the stallion not noticing red energy flowing from him to her. He smiled as the mare walked away.
"If you all would join us at the front of the ship, for we have arrived at our destination," Charm said before she pointed forward and they could all see a large island just up ahead. "Welcome to Chen's Island." As they were all looking out into the distance, Grimoire went behind some crates and took out a walkie-talkie.
"Master Chen, Garmadon and Luna have returned," he whispered into the walkie-talkie. "Not only that, but so is the Princess of Friendship and the Council as well. They said they would be spectating the tournament and will be looking out for their own interest."
"Interesting," a stallion's voice uttered. "You worry too much, Grimoire. Be more like your sister. Everything will work out. Just wait and see." The stallion speaking into his walkie-talkie then turned it off.
Grimoire had a glare on his face after the call was cut. He then glared at Garmadon and Luna as they were looking at the island. "We swore to never return," Garmadon spoke.
"You know, you should never swear," Thunder pointed out. "It's a sign of weak verbal skills."
"If Frost's on that island, we'll find him," Lloyd assured his friends. "We have to," They now know their goal, find Frost, and rescue him. Even if they have to fight through all the Elemental Masters just to do it.
Meanwhile on that island, inside what would look to be a palace dungeon was a purple-cloaked unicorn stallion stepping in front of a dungeon door. "I hold all the cards," he said with an evil chuckle. Soon that chuckle turned into a maniacal laugh as inside is a familiar unicorn droid chained up, only his entire form is now showing all metal. Not only that, but he had the emblem of ice on the left side of his chest. It was clear that this was not any ordinary unicorn, but the Master of Ice, long thought dead, Frost Gear as he opened his eyes to reveal glowing ice blue eyes.