DARKNESS IN CHIMA

Part Three: The Next Phase

Chapter VIII

Unfortunately, the trip to Eagle Spire was fruitless. Though the library amazed the Guardians, none of its many volumes contained any information about power lying dormant in Chima.

Disappointed, Laval, Eris (who joined the party on their way out of the palace), and the Guardians started the trip back to the lion city. The Guardians had borrowed Speedors for the trip, so as to not exhaust their powers by traveling on their dragons in case their powers might be needed to fend off another attack soon.

They returned to the palace late in the afternoon, just in time for dinner. As they ate, the rest of the Fellowship joined them.

"So, nothing at the library?" Cragger asked, incredulous.

"Nothing," Eris replied. "I can't believe it either."

"You know what, I've been thinking," Laval said. "We've been walking around in the dark for too long. I think there's only one person—or people—who can help us at this point."

The Guardians waited for Laval to explain, become more curious when they saw the Fellowship take a collective deep breath.

"How would we even reach them?" Eris asked. "They flew off into the sun."

"Sorry to interrupt," Mack spoke up, "who are y'all talking about?"

"The Phoenix," Laval replied. The Guardians were shocked. "They came down to their city on Mount Cavora, and they used their knowledge and power to help us defeat and redeem the Hunter Tribes."

"Then," Eris continued, "they flew off into Mother Sun, and that was it."

"Mother Sun?" Mack repeated. "You said they flew into the sun?"

"Yep," Cragger nodded. "That's where they're from."

"Holy crap," Kai exclaimed. "Phoenixes are real? That's awesome!"

"Hang on," Mack puzzled. "If they came from—and returned to—the sun, it's possible this 'Mother Sun' is a pocket realm."

"Pocket realm?" Laval repeated.

Razar giggled. "Imagine how rich you could get if you could carry a whole realm in your pocket…"

"A pocket realm is just a realm that sits completely in the borders of another realm," Mack explained. "There's one in Ninjago called Cloud Kingdom."

"I see…" Laval considered the information. "In that case, you should be able to go there, right?"

"It might not be that simple," Mack warned. "It's not possible to teleport into a pocket realm, you have to enter it directly. So, to get there we have to…"

"Fly into the sun?" Lloyd finished where Mack trailed off. "Well, you and I should be able to do that."

"Kai too," Mack added. "No heat can harm him. Let's go outside before the sun starts going down. We need to have a look before we try to do this."

And so, after everyone had finished their dinner, the entire party went outside the city gates. It was fortunate that it was summer time, so they actually had a couple of hours of sunlight after dinner was done.

Mack squinted at the sun. "Something doesn't add up here."

"What's up?" Laval asked, concerned.

"There's a realm there, but it's not the sun. This world orbits a star just like all others, and that's where the heat and light come from; but there's a portal high in the sky that seems to follow the sun's perceived motion across the sky. I haven't seen anything like that."

"So, we can all go?" Cole asked, excited at the idea of meeting a Phoenix.

Mack shook his head. "No. Even though we don't actually have to blast off to the sun—which is good, I'm not sure how we would've done that—I still sense an intense heat coming off that portal."

"In that case," Laval said with resolve, "you three need to get in there and ask the Phoenix for help. They've helped us before, so hopefully they'll do it again."

With haste, Mack, Lloyd, and Kai summoned their elemental dragons and flew in the direction of the sun. They felt the heat grow more intense as they rose, but the Element of Fire in each of them allowed them to withstand the temperature.

They rose until suddenly, there was no more sky or land, but only light. After a moment, the Guardians' eyes adjusted to the light and they saw a brilliant city before them. The whole city seemed to be made of the most exquisitely polished gold, its skyscrapers gleaming in the light of the sky, which appeared to be a sparkling dome that radiated brilliantly from all directions. Red and orange birds flew between the buildings, and all was in harmony.

As the Guardians were hovering on their dragons, taking in the sight of the city with awe, a band of a dozen Phoenix surrounded them.

"Halt," one of the birds bellowed. "Your presence in our realm is not sanctioned. You have been summoned before our Sovereign Elder. Prepare yourself to stand before him."

Without another word, the Guardians were teleported to a golden room lined with mighty pillars and having a throne at its head, upon which sat a Phoenix with deep crimson feathers. His face was regal and radiated authority and wisdom. There was a smaller throne beside him, but it was empty, implying this Phoenix had a child whom he sent out while he handled this business.

As the Phoenix stood, the birds cleared the room. The Guardians noted that they could feel no connection to their elemental powers, which they found disturbing.

"You stand before Fluminox, the Sovereign Elder of the Phoenix Tribe," the Phoenix boomed in a deep bass voice. "Until today, no mortal has tread in my realm without the power of the Phoenix. Your power must be truly great to withstand the glory of our city.

"So, why have you come here?"

Mack refused to show fear. "We need your help—we need you to return to Chima."

"No, Chime needs your help," Fluminox quickly retorted. "That is why you were brought here."

"What are you talking about?" Lloyd frowned.

"You're not gonna help us?" Kai asked, becoming irritated.

Mack was also frustrated by Fluminox's cryptic response but tried to keep a level head. "Laval said you helped them the last time Chima was in trouble."

"We have a hidden city atop Mount Cavora," Fluminox explained. "Its location makes it highly defensible, but this is not the true reason we built it there. The central temple is built around a natural portal leading to Earth, and we thought it prudent to establish a presence to protect it.

"I sensed that a great darkness was to come upon Chima, so I sent a Chi through that portal. I knew, Guardians, that you would find it, follow it to Chima, and defend it from the darkness descending upon it."

"How did you know we were there?" Lloyd asked, stunned. "How do you even know who we are?"

Kai continued: "And why didn't you just come to Earth and ask for our help? It would've saved us all a lot of time and confusion."

Fluminox squinted. It was hard to read his expression, but he seemed frustrated by the onslaught of questions. Nevertheless, he explained: "The Phoenix are the guardians of the Realm of Chima, but we are the watchers of all the realms. We are tasked to protect Chima as necessary and as we are able, but we are forbidden to enter any realm other than Chima or our home world, the Realm of the Mother Sun, where you stand now.

"I knew that the Phoenix had no power to stop the current threat to Chima, so I had to somehow summon the ones who defeated the Queen of Darkness before she could reach the height of her powers and banished the Overlord into oblivion. I knew that those warriors would be Chima's best hope."

Mack was growing more frustrated as the Phoenix seemed reluctant to offer any helpful information. "We're willing to do whatever it takes to help protect the people of Chima, but I need to know more about what we're up against."

"I do not have the knowledge you seek." Mack thought he detected some discomfort in the Phoenix's voice as he made that statement. "Whoever your enemy is, he has mastered the art of evading Ethereal Gazers."

"Ethereal Gazers?" Lloyd gasped. "Legendary people who can see other locations in their minds?"

"Great," Mack snapped. "We're down there getting our tails handed to us, and one of our own betrays us to the enemy. We're clueless, so we seek out the most powerful and wise being we can find, but he's the one who called for our help, and he doesn't know anything about our enemy."

As Fluminox began to slowly walk toward the three humans, Kai put his hand on Mack's arm, trying to deescalate the situation. "Calm down, man."

But Mack continued to fume. "No, I will not calm down. We're no closer to helping the people of Chima than when Jay and Nya found that Chi in the creek."

By that time, the Phoenix was only a couple of feet away from the Guardians. He held up a hand in a non-threatening way. "Peace, Green Ninja.

"You will not solve anything with your mind so scattered. Now, I am disturbed that your enemy has amassed an abundance of Chi. What is more disturbing: I sense they have designs with that Chi that are beyond what you or I have seen before. I have not been able to theorize what exactly their plans may be, but I sense a great deal of hatred and wrath that surrounds the Outland Tribes and their hidden leader. I believe that a great plan of revenge is in motion."

"They're planning to destroy Chima by bringing down Mount Cavora," Mack informed the Phoenix, trying to keep his emotions in check. "That much we know."

"I see…" Fluminox considered this for a moment. "But I suppose that knowledge only brings more questions."

"Why don't they just use the Chi?" Mack asked rhetorically. "If they want revenge on the Chima tribes, they could easily overthrow all the tribes with what they have now."

"But could they overthrow you?" Fluminox asked. "Even with all that Chi, the Crawlers are no match for the power of the mighty Guardians. But they have discovered a way to use the Chi ways heretofore unimagined, a way to infuse it with…"

The Pheonix suddenly just stopped talking.

"Infuse it with what?" Mack asked, feeling that Fluminox was playing games.

Fluminox only stared off somewhere behind the Guardians. "What, indeed?"

That was all Mack could take. He no longer had any interest in being civil. "You're holding back, why aren't you telling us what you know? We need your help, damn it!"

Fluminox's feathers bristled, and his face hardened. "I will summon you soon to discuss this further, but I must be sure I am right first. For convenience, I will again move my tribe to the city atop Mount Cavora. In the meantime, Green Ninja, there are things you must explain to your friends without any further delay."

Mack looked stunned. He knew that Fluminox was referring to the breakup with Anna that he had yet to discuss with his dearest friends.

Before Mack could respond, the Phoenix shouted "Begone!" and waved his hands. A flame engulfed the Guardians, and they were teleported back to the spot from which they previously mounted their dragons and flew to the Realm of the Mother Sun.

Mack, Lloyd, and Kai felt their power return to them upon arriving back in Chima. The sun was setting, and the Fellowship and the rest of the Guardians had returned inside since it was hot outside.

Now over the shock of Fluminox knowing details of his personal life, the Green Ninja continued to express his frustration. "Who does he think he is? That sanctimonious son of a—"

"Mack," Lloyd interrupted the rant, "you really need to calm down. I know you're upset, but we need your leadership if we're gonna make it through this."

Mack took several deep breaths. He knew Lloyd was right; his anger was helping no one. And he also knew Fluminox was right, and he had to talk with all of the ninja as soon as possible.

"Mack?" Lloyd said after a few moments.

Mack nodded. "I'm good—sorry. Get all the ninja together. We need to talk."

As the sun dipped below the horizon, all of the Guardians along with Nya and Morro met at the Forever Rock, which Laval explained was a great symbol of friendship in Chima, especially the friendship shared between the Fellowship of Chi.

Kai started a fire in the pit. Absently, Mack noted that he was unsure whether the friends he saw at this rock in his dream was the Fellowship or the Guardians.

Once everyone had gathered and sat down around the fire, the Guardians who had visited the Realm of the Mother Sun told their peers about the frustrating meeting with Fluminox. Once that had some time to sink in, Mack changed the subject.

"Listen, there's something else we need to talk about. I didn't want to bring it up until we were done helping the folks here, but… I was wrong; I think y'all should know before we do anything else."

"Mack," Morro frowned, "what's the matter?"

Mack took a deep breath. "It's about me and Anna. Since we returned to Earth after defeating Rikayla, I knew something was different between us. It was like any time we were together, she was wondering if I would have to leave and fight again. I sensed that it wore on her greatly, but I knew mentioning it would only add to her distress.

"The day we came to Chima, she came over to the Hut unexpectedly. She said she couldn't take the limbo—not knowing if the peace would last, not knowing if or when I would be called to stand against the darkness again.

"I didn't explain that the Overlord was sealed away, or that his most powerful ally was dead. I didn't explain anything. I just listened to her grief, and when she was done, I told her I understood and that she didn't have to worry for me anymore should she choose not to. She asked me not to call her, said goodbye, and walked out. And that was it."

Then, Mack let out a small laugh. "I guess she was right. I mean, here we are."

"Wait," Nya said after a moment. "When I ran into Anna leaving the Hut, that's what had just happened? Why didn't you tell me then?"

"I wanted to tell all of you," Mack replied with a guilty look on his face, "but I thought it would be better to wait until we were all together. Of course… we got busy."

"There's never a right or wrong time to talk, Mack," Lloyd said with a kind firmness he was known for. "It doesn't matter that other stuff is going on."

"Yeah," Cole agreed, "we're here for you, bro."

"Always," Morro added.

Mack smiled. "I know. I'm sorry I didn't tell y'all sooner."

"Don't be sorry," Zee said. "Just remember, we're right here for you any time."

Lloyd, being right next to Mack, hugged the Green Ninja's shoulders with one arm. "Just because you're our leader doesn't mean you have to handle everything on your own."

"Thanks," Mack nodded. "Thank you all."

After they were finished talking, Mack, Kasey, and Nya teleported back to the lion palace to take their patrol shift, which Laval and Cragger were kind enough to cover so that the team—the family—could all talk together. The rest of the ninja stayed at the Forever Rock and talked for a while before putting out the fire and heading back to the palace.

A much-needed quiet night would follow, and the lion city would sleep soundly for the first time in what seemed like a long time. The next day—Monday the seventeenth of June on Earth and Ninjago calendars—was also uneventful, with repairs proceeding to the point that by the time the sun set that next day, the lions finally felt that their city was defensible again.

With defenses restored, Lagravis relieved the Guardians of their patrol shifts, thanking them for the service they rendered while the city was vulnerable. The Guardians, of course, appreciated the relief as it allowed them to rest more and prepare for whatever might be coming next.

Tuesday June 18, 2019…

First thing the next morning, an Eagle Tribe messenger brought an urgent communiqué from the Spire: the eagles had located the Outlanders' fortress by tracing the bats' flight patterns to some cliffs in the far reaches of the Outlands.

"At last," Laval exclaimed. "Let's go kick some Crawler ass."

The Fellowship of Chi chorused their agreement, but Lagravis spoke up to interrupt the excitement.

"Wait," the king said, "before we commence with the ass-kicking, we should send scouts to see what we're up against."

"I guess you're right," Laval grumbled. "

"Let us scout it out," Mack offered. "We don't know what defenses they have. If we get into trouble, it's much easier for us to escape with out teleportation powers than it would be for your men."

"I'd say that's a good idea," Lagravis agreed.

"It looks to be a massive fortress," the eagle messenger added. "It might be best for the whole Guardian troupe to go."

All agreed that, since the city's defenses had been restored, it was a good move to send all the Guardians to investigate. After all, when conducting reconnaissance, more perspectives provide a more comprehensive report.

The messenger pointed out the direction of the enemy fortress, and the Guardians—along with Nya and Moro—mounted their elemental dragons and immediately departed for the Outlands, planning to set down a mile away from the fortress and approach on foot to avoid being spotted.

The eagle messenger also departed, but instead of the Spire, he made for a shortcut that would take him right through the Outlands…

About fifteen minutes later, the dragons set down in thick brush a mile from the fortress. Morro used his powers to elevate himself above the brush to see if there was any response at the fortress indicating they had been spotted. He also used his powers as a ghost to remain invisible.

Morro touched back down and gave the all-clear, and the ninja were on the move.

They negotiated with the brush around them for twenty minutes before, rather suddenly, it thinned out and the shadowy enemy fortress loomed above them.

"Whoa," Jay could not contain his fearful awe.

"Guys," Mack said apprehensively, "There's no one here."

"What?" Lloyd retorted.

"That fortress is empty."

The Guardians were surprised, but they still felt they needed to investigate. Since there were three major wings, the ninja split up into three groups to explore the fortress. The groups would meet back at the main entrance after investigating their assigned wing.

"Be vigilant," Mack added after assigning the groups. "I don't like that the fortress is empty; we could very well be walking into a trap."

Mack, Lloyd, Kai, and Pete explored the central wing, and the last spot to be inspected was at the end of a long hallway faced by a door. Mack put his hand on the doorknob but froze, at once experiencing the whole of his haunting dream in a time-defying flash.

"Mack?" Lloyd snapped the Green Ninja out of his momentary trance. "You good?"

Mack nodded. "This room… something dark happened here. Be ready."

Mack opened the door, and the Guardians walked into a lab. All the equipment was trashed, and a foul stench filled the air.

"The darkness in this room is… heavy," Mack said softly, with an air of warning.

"Not to mention the smell," Lloyd tried not to gag. "What is that?"

"Guys, I got a body over here," Kai called from a corner of the room. "Looks like a white raven."

The corpse was in the early stages of decay, but still had enough feathers so that its species was still recognizable.

"Jesus," Pete gasped, "that's Reegull, right? Raven/eagle hybrid—went missing when the bats raided the ravens."

"You're right," Mack agreed. "Razar said he worked with Chi, but we never could guess why the Outland Tribes want Chi at all. The way Laval tells it, they swore off ever using it again."

"Well," Kai said, "they didn't use it when they attacked the lions, and we know they had some from their raid on the Crocodile Tribe."

Mack turned his attention to the destroyed machine on the lab's central table. He could just make out a warped and bent harness that was the right size to hold a Chi.

"Clearly, they're doing something to it," Mack observed, "which means they do plan to use it—otherwise, why go to the trouble? And they have pretty much all the Chi in the realm, so whatever they're doing to it, it's on a massive scale."

"You say doing," Pete interjected, "but I think they're done. All this equipment is totally destroyed, and the Crawlers and the Chi are all gone."

"Maybe," Lloyd theorized, "they evacuated the fortress because they knew the eagles found them, and they murdered Reegull and trashed this lab because they didn't want anyone to know what they were doing to the Chi."

"Which begs the question," Kai posed, "where did they go?"

"That's the million-dollar question," Mack replied. "Let's regroup. Maybe the others will have found some more clues."

Deciding they had learned all they could from their wing, the four Guardians made for the main entrance to rejoin the rest of the team. They were the last group back, which made sense as they had the largest wing to cover. There was a distress on the rest of the ninja's faces; it seemed they had already discussed their findings with each other.

"What did you guys find?" Mack asked the group at large.

"The fortress is empty, and the whole place is trashed," Morro reported. "But… Jay, Cole, and Zee found something."

The four who had explored the main wing looked at that group expectantly.

Unsurprisingly, it was Jay who spoke up. "Remember the eagle who told us where the fortress was? Well, we found his body hanging by his wings from the rafters in one of the corridors."

At that moment, everyone present realized where the Outland Tribes had gone.

"We've been fools," Mack stated blankly before he shook his head and became more animated. "We have to go back, now!"

With the Guardians lured away by his faithful spy (who had been rewarded for his services with deliverance from the coming apocalypse) Tenebris marched his entire army against the Lion Tribe, Scorm at his right hand.

Finally, there was no more hiding. As the army broke the tree line and the lion city came into view, the dark commander relished in the fact that Chima would now put a face to their scourge. They would no longer fear an unknown shadow, but they would fear Tenebris, commander of the Dark Tribe.

Tenebris was also eager to unleash Milites, the suit of armor once animated by Rikayla, but now by the mysterious power Tenebris had discovered upon coming to this realm.

His exile was about to become his revenge, but Tenebris knew he could not accomplish his goal of bringing Cavora down to the land below without channeling his power through the sacred lion temple.

So, he would drive the lions out of their city and make the temple his very own base of operations. He would conquer Chima, make them believe they were defeated, and pretend to rule the realm until he built up the power to destroy it.

It happened so fast. One moment, the Fellowship of Chi were in a room in one of the courtyard's walls discussing plans to attack the Outland fortress after the Guardians returned; and the next, the unmistakable lion battle roar rung out across the city.

The Fellowship looked out the window to see the dark army approaching. They quickly made their way to the courtyard, ready for a fight.

When they arrived in the courtyard, they saw a dark figure leading the army, and they all knew this was the shadow whose identity they had been burning to know.

The shadow pointed to the main gates, and a menacing suit of armor walked up to it. The suit of armor reared back and punched the gate, and it flew into the courtyard, killing three lions.

The dark army poured in, and fierce fighting ensued.

Laval noticed something unsettling: the Crawlers were using Chi. But there was something wrong with it. Instead of light, the Chi radiated darkness.

The Pool had managed to produce about sixty Chi over the last few days, so each member of the Fellowship retrieved one. They plugged their Chi and joined the fight, hoping to tip the balance with their inspiring presence.

Cragger charged with a lion soldier at the shadowy leader of the Crawlers, who was using a sinister broadsword. They engaged the shadow, but even though they both had Chi and he didn't, they were still overwhelmed.

Tenebris grinned at their paltry attempts at power while he ran the lion through with his sword. The crocodile yelled and charged him, but Tenebris ripped the Chi out of his harness.

Cragger watched in horror as the faceless shadow crushed the Chi in his hand, resulting in an explosion that allowed the crocodile to escape. Laval saw this and realized at that moment the battle would be lost.

Laval sounded a roar that would command the tribe to evacuate the city.

The Guardians on their elemental dragons emerged from the Outlands and, though miles away, could already see the smoke rising from the lion city. They knew that they had been too late, and the city had fallen.

As Mack was considering their next move, he saw some kind of craft descending from the direction of the afternoon sun to a spot in a clearing about a mile from the lion city, where Mack then noticed a large mass of lions congregating.

Mack turned to the other ninja and pointed to the spot, and the dragons descended to it, landing at the same time as the crimson craft.

To the surprise of the Guardians, Fluminox walked out of the craft.

"Lions," the Phoenix bellowed, "though your city has fallen, do not despair. The Phoenix Tribe will house and protect you in our city atop Mount Cavora."

He then turned to the Guardians. "Ah, the whole team. We must speak in private immediately. Find the lion king and prince and the prince's best friend and join me on my ship."

"No," Mack defied the Phoenix. "We have to help these people—they just lost everything and we weren't there to defend them."

"You were deceived," Fluminox replied, compassion in his voice, "as the darkness deceives us all. And I am helping these people. The Phoenix will transport the entire Lion Tribe to our city, which defies the laws of the universe to provide unlimited housing and resources."

The Green Ninja reluctantly agreed to depart with Fluminox, especially after seeing several Pheonix teleporting out of the area with up to a few dozen lions at a time. Their version of teleportation appeared to be considerably much more powerful than his own, as he felt a strain when teleporting more than five people at a time, but here were the Phoenix repeatedly teleporting much larger numbers.

The Guardians boarded Fluminox's ship along with Lagravis, Laval, and Cragger, and the ship set course for the Phoenix city. The rest of the Fellowship members (miraculously, they all survived the battle in which many lions were killed) departed for their own tribes, each with a squad of Phoenix warriors for support, in suspicion that the Crawlers would target other tribes next.

Fluminox escorted his guests into a splendid temple at the center of the Phoenix city.

"Welcome, friends," the Phoenix bellowed, "to the Flame Temple.

As the group moved into the circular, domed room, a giant animal came out of each of the eight openings on the walls. They were a lion, an eagle, a crocodile, a wolf, a raven, a rhinoceros, and a bear.

"Lagravis," Fluminox spoke again, "enlighten the Guardians as to the identity of these great ones."

"These are the Legend Beasts," Lagravis said, awe evident in his voice and on his face. "They have incredible powers that sustain the flow of Chi from the mountain under our feet."

"And," Fluminox added, "they are straining mightily against the dark power the Outland Tribes have brought to bear."

"Awesome…" Jay gasped.

Mack approached the Legend Rhinoceros and the beast let him pet it. "Just being in their presence, I can sense their power. And…"

"And what?" Lloyd asked when Mack hesitated.

"And I've sensed this power before," Mack finished his statement. "Calling out to me from across the realms."

Laval frowned. "The Legend Beasts called out to you?"

"I think so," Mack replied. "But also… something else. A different presence with the same power."

"There is no entity with the same power," Lagravis huffed, finding it offensive that anything could be considered equal to the Legend Beasts.

"Actually, Lagravis," Fluminox gently chided the lion king, "each realm has a nexus of Ethereal Power. Ours rests within Mount Cavora, shared between these beasts and between the tribes of Chima in the form of Chi.

"In Ninjago, the nexus lies buried beneath the Sea of Sand, the power stewarded by the Spinjitzu masters throughout the ages. Each realm has a nexus that draws power for that realm from the Ethereal Divide. This Ethereal Power is the physical manifestation of the essence of what it is to be en evolved life form."

"That's incredible," Mack remarked.

"Indeed," Fluminox nodded before gazing upward, where the others in the room only saw a ceiling, but Fluminox could see innumerable stars, galaxies, and civilizations near and far. He whispered, "The universe is endlessly compelling in its mysteries."

"How do you know so much about other realms?" Lloyd asked.

"Ah," the old Phoenix snapped out of his trance. "Aside from my power of Ethereal Gazing, the realms have more common history than you might think. Before the formation of the Ethereal Divide, the realms were one. Few peoples remain who were extant in those times, the Phoenix being among them… along with the Serpentine of Ninjago."

"You know the Serpentine?" Jay gaped.

"Yes, we were allies before the Ethereal Divide separated the realms. It was a savage time…"

Whatever memory came to Fluminox must have been an unpleasant one, as for a moment his eyes seemed to glaze over before he came back to reality.

He then led the group from the Legend Beast chamber and into a den of sorts. It was a large room with intricate murals on the walls and even on the ceiling and floor. The murals appeared to tell the history of a people; perhaps the Phoenix Tribe, or perhaps the Realm of Chima at large.

"Fluminox," Mack addressed the Sovereign Elder of the Phoenix Tribe with a reverence that was lacking the first time they met, "I need you to know that I'm sorry for the impatience I brought with me when we first met."

"Be at peace, my friend," Fluminox said in a low voice that carried no malice. "As I sense you now understand, the time was not yet ripe for the Phoenix to intervene. Our presence in Chima would have drawn the attention of the Outland Tribes, and the lions would not have been able to evacuate to the Crescent."

"I do understand." Mack said. He was grateful that he could put the unpleasant first encounter with the Phoenix behind him.

"So," Fluminox addressed the group, "what have you learned about the enemy?"

"They have a new power," Lagravis growled, "something I have never seen or heard of before. It seems to corrupt the power of our Chi into something twisted and dark."

Laval picked up the story: "And their leader yanked a Chi out of Cragger's harness and crushed it in his hand. I thought that was impossible!"

"I'm just lucky the explosion knocked gave me a moment to get away," Cragger shuddered at the memory, "or there's no telling what he would've done to me."

"Wait," Mack interjected with a hint of desperation, "you saw their leader?"

"Yeah," Cragger replied. "He was like a shadow. He had a weird helmet with a big red crest. Black armor, red cape, broadsword, no face, glowing purple eyes…"

Cragger trailed off as he noticed the look of shock and fear on the Guardians' faces. "What?"

The Guardians were all thinking the same thing, but Lloyd said it aloud.

"Tenebris."

All present, not just those who knew the name, felt a cold chill at the name.

"Who is Tenebris?" Lagravis asked cautiously.

"The Commander of the Army of Eternal Darkness," Mack answered quietly.

"But," Cole shook his head, "they were all destroyed along with the Hammer of Night… right?"

"Apparently not," Kai replied.

"I think I should mention," Laval interrupted, wanting to make sure all available information was on the table, "there was a huge suit of armor with him. It tore right through our gates, and it seemed to be alive with the same power that corrupted our Chi."

"You know," Kasey thought aloud, "we never did find Milites after the battle last year."

"Damn," Morro muttered under his breath. "We thought this was over."

Laval put his hands up. "Okay, can someone please explain what's going on? I'm lost."

"Several months ago," Mack explained, "we fought a war against the forces of darkness, led by Rikayla, who rightfully called herself the Queen of Darkness.

"Well, her second-in-command was a dark creature called Tenebris. She had a weapon, called the Hammer of Night, that contained the power and essence of a dark spirit called the Overlord. She used that power to create an army.

"We destroyed Rikayla and banished the Overlord at the end of the final battle, during which Tenebris killed one of us. His name was Danny, and he was the Guardian of Ice before Pete."

Laval was horrified that the leader of their enemy could kill one of the mighty Guardians.

Mack continued, "Until now, I assumed she had created Tenebris, but the remnants of the army she created disappeared when I destroyed the Hammer… but it seems Tenebris existed apart from Rikayla and the Overlord and their power. He must have escaped the battle; and he must have taken Milites with him, a suit of armor Rikayla had animated with her power before Lloyd drove it out. We never found the suit after the battle, as Kasey said.

"It seems that the war against the darkness never ended…"

Lagravis frowned. "That doesn't explain how this dark creature has the power to destroy a Chi."

"In face, it does," Fluminox spoke up, "and this power might also explain how they were able to corrupt Chi into something truly sinister.

"Before Cavora ascended into the heavens, Chima itself was propelled into the firmament. This event occurred before the First Illumination, before the ground-born tasted Chi—it happened very shortly after the formation of the Ethereal Divide. Before the Divide, when the universe was one plane, the Serpent Tribes—Rattlers, Vipers, Boas, Cobras, and Anacondas—were the rulers of the ground-dwellers, as we the Phoenix were the rulers of the sky.

"After the Divide, when the Serpent Tribes disappeared into another realm, the Dinosaur Tribes became the dominant land-dwellers. Their elemental powers made them the fiercest creatures in the realm. They were so in tune with the elemental veins that still flow in the lands below Chima that they were able to do something no mortal had before or ever will again: create life from nothing.

"Inspired by their previous overlords, they created a serpent with the power to consume worlds. The reason they did this is unknown, but its power was so great that even the mighty Dinosaur Tribe elders could not contain it; realizing they had no control over their abomination, they banished the creature to another realm."

"Yeah, ours!" Jay exclaimed, incredulous.

Kai had his hands on top of his head in disbelief. "You are not telling us that the Great Devourer came from here."

"That is a fitting name for such a creature," Fluminox said. "You encountered it?"

"It turned my father evil with its venom," Lloyd explained, "and then he destroyed it after one of the Serpentine unleashed it on Ninjago."

"I see…" Fluminox considered this for a moment. "I was not aware the creature had such a power as that. In any case, the banishment reverted the serpent back to its hatchling form. After the Dinosaurs banished the blight, an earthquake occurred which sent the continent now known as Chima into the sky."

Lagravis was shaking his head. "I still don't understand what any of this has to do with this 'Tenebris' and his ability to corrupt and destroy our Chi?"

"Elemental power is equal to the power of Chi," the Phoenix explained. "But in the lands beyond and below Chima, the rich veins of natural elemental energy can be tapped for good or evil, light or dark. You see, elemental energy is balanced by a force I call anti-elemental energy, the essence of the power of darkness where elemental energy is the essence of the power of light.

"And the properties of light and shadow dictate that the darkness has an unlimited power potential that can be tapped once a year—"

"The Apex," Mack interjected.

"Yes, the night of the Apex," Fluminox confirmed. "But natural elemental energy does not obey the same laws of balance as the energy found in Elemental Masters."

"So," Mack ventured, "you're saying the elemental veins down there can be used to the full potential of the power of darkness any time."

Fluminox nodded. "And that's how Tenebris can destroy and corrupt Chi. Elemental power may be equal to the power of Chi, but anti-elemental power is quite unlimited in potential. A Chi corrupted and infused with this dark energy would become a Dark Chi, with considerably more power—as much as its wielder has the strength to draw from it. To a master of this dark power, a Chi appears as a paltry weapon."

Lloyd was not quite satisfied with the explanation. "How does the relationship between the elemental and anti-elemental power work?"

Fluminox replied, "For each primary element—Wind, Water, Earth, Fire, Ice, Lightning—there is an anti-element."

"Where the six elements combine, there is light," Mack continued the explanation. "So, where the six anti-elements combine, there is darkness."

Mack did not know how he knew this, but the approving look on Fluminox's face told him he was right.

"The elements meet in Lloyd," Mack gestured to the Golden Ninja, "and the anti-elements…"

"They met in Rikayla?" Zee guessed.

"And where all twelve entities intersect, there is a single point of balance," Fluminox gestured toward Mack with his scepter, "manifested in the Super Bolt and guarded by our friend in green here."

Mack was realizing in real time the implications of what the Phoenix was teaching. Light and darkness. Meeting in the Super Bolt, the balance to be guarded by him. He was immensely uncomfortable with the awestruck expression with which his brothers and sisters were looking at him.

"So," Lloyd said after a moment, "you literally hold the balance between light and darkness in your hands."

Mack did not reply, and instead hoped the Phoenix would speak more. Fortunately, he did.

"Tenebris has tapped the elemental veins below, which means he has disrupted the dinosaurs' connection to it and stolen it for himself. Our only hope is for you to go down to the lands below the known world and return control of this power to the Dinosaur Tribes and take it away from the forces of darkness."

Sensing the group's apprehension about the Guardians being absent and unable to protect the tribes from Tenebris's army, Fluminox assured them:

"Do not fear. The dark ones have no way of attacking us here, and the Phoenix will defend the Crescent as a stronghold. Be assured that the lions will be safe."

"What about the other tribes?" Lagravis asked. "All of Chima can't take shelter up here—tribes like the wolves and ravens won't abandon their territory, and surely Tenebris won't just sit in lion palace and leave the other tribes alone."

Laval raised his own concern, "Also, the longer they have our temple, the more Chi they'll turn into Dark Chi. Eventually there'll be no stopping them."

"There is already no stopping them while Tenebris holds the Dinosaur Tribes' power," the Phoenix raised his booming voice. "That is why it is imperative that the Guardians succeed in returning it to them."

"It's okay, we'll be quick," Mack assured the lions, putting a firm hand on Laval's shoulder. "Fluminox, tell us what we need to do."

"Put simply, return to the Dinosaur Tribes what is rightfully theirs," Fluminox instructed. "But this may prove more difficult to do than to say. First, you will have to discover what is disrupting the Tribes' access to the veins of power."

The Guardians waited for more.

"I'm afraid that's all the advice I can offer."

"Wait, that's it?!" Jay cried. "That's all you can tell us?!"

"We'll figure it out, Jay," Lloyd patted Jay's back. "We always do."

"How do we reach the lands below?" Mack asked Fluminox.

The Phoenix cracked a small grin. "That's the easy part—simply go through and beyond the Outlands until there is no more ground on which to step, and step off into the unknown below Chima."

"Good thing we can manifest dragons, right?" Kai smirked.

Pete snorted. "It's a good thing I finally learned that power last week," the newest Guardian remarked.

"I will provide each of you with a copy of a map from the old days of the world below," Fluminox offered. "While I fetch the map, I suggest you all get ready. I am not sure your teleportation powers will work down there, so I would suggest taking what supplies you need for a month."

"We will, but we don't have a month," Mack replied darkly. "In that time, with all the Dark Chi he can make, Tenebris will have amassed enough power to bring Cavora crashing down on Chima."

With that statement of urgency, Fluminox showed the Guardians to the self-replenishing supply room (the Phoenix would have to explain how that worked another time), and then the elder left to see to the housing of the Lion Tribe refugees. He would meet them at the Flame Temple entrance once they had packed.

"Mack," Laval approached the Green Ninja as he was packing a bag, "I want to come with you. I think you could use my help down there—Cragger and maybe Eris too."

"We absolutely could use your help," Mack replied, "but you're needed up here. Your people are afraid, and they need you to protect and inspire them. We all have our duties, Laval; mine is down there, and yours is up here."

"He's right, son," Lagravis said from nearby. "We need you, more than you know."

Laval took a deep breath. He wanted to explore the lands below his home with the Guardians, but he knew Mack and his father were right.

"Okay," Laval resolved. "I'll do everything I can to keep up morale until you guys get back."

"Be ready for a fight when we return," Mack warned. "Once we take the Dinosaur Tribes' power away from Tenebris, we will help your tribe take your city back."

About ten minutes later, the Guardians were ready, and they assembled along with Morro, Nya, Lagravis, Laval, Cragger, and Fluminox just outside the entrance to the Flame Temple.

Fluminox asked that Morro and Nya stay behind in the Phoenix city to help tend to the refugees, and they gladly agreed. As much as Mack insisted that they were, in spirit, also Guardians, they did not have Golden Weapons or the breadth of power found in those who possessed them; and they suspected that power would be needed to complete the mission before them.

The only Guardian who did not possess a Golden Weapon was Lloyd, whose power of light was the very source of the power of the six Elemental Golden Weapons.

"Are you ready?" Fluminox asked the Guardians.

Each nodded.

Fluminox waved his hands in front of the Guardians, and they were instantly clothed in new uniforms. Their ninja robes and battle armor were gone, replaced by these gifts of the Phoenix.

The tops were orange and displayed each Guardian's elemental symbol in his or her own color, and the pants were black. The tops had no sleeves, and the uniforms were made of sturdy but flexible fabric. There was light leather armor affixed to the arms and chests of the uniforms, and a holder that accommodated each Guardian's Golden Weapon.

Fluminox informed the Guardians that their robes and armor would be waiting for them when they returned to the Flame Temple.

After the Guardians took a look at their new garments, they bade a farewell to the others gathered there and summoned their elemental dragons. They took off from the Phoenix city and did not look back, heading directly for the Outlands.

They flew over the dense woods until they came to the edge. They landed at a rocky area and looked down over the edge into the unknown. The continent they stood upon was high enough in the air that all one could see looking down was clouds.

Without a further word, the Guardians leaped from the edge and summoned their dragons again, now in a nosedive.

They pierced the cloud cover, and the Guardians beheld the world below.

End of Part Three