The end had long since been avoided. Avoided, until now.
Years of fighting between the forces of creation and destruction had led up to this point. People of all types had long claimed power over Ninjago. Tyrannical Serpentine Generals, treacherous Elemental Masters, and destructive Oni.
But one stood above the rest. Watching from places unknown, waiting for the perfect time to strike. And now that he had returned to the island his nemesis had hid from him, he would bring its swift end.
Lloyd, the chosen hero of Ninjago, hobbled up the stairs. In his last fight with The Overlord, he had been badly bruised. His leg ached with each step he made up the large tower. His family, friends, and the rest of Ninjago watched from far below as the brave hero rose above the skyscraper, and came face to face with the large beast before him.
The Overlord had metamorphosed into a large dragon. His fathers body had been twisted and battered by the transformation, leaving no room for The Helmet Of Shadows that Garmadon had previously worn. His giant wings masked the gray skies behind him, as his two purple eyes glared into Lloyds soul. A brief moment of silence followed. They both knew that one of them wouldn't leave that building alive.
"You cannot defeat me! Where there is light, there will always be shadow!" Exclaimed The Overlord.
He had long resented The First Spintzu Master for casting him into exile within The Dark Islands ruins. As his half of Ninjago sank below the depths, he waited patiently for the day that Garmadon, The Master's son, would arrive to trigger his master plan.
He knew little of the boy they called Lloyd. But he grew to see him as his new adversary. And would stop at nothing to bring about his demise.
"Unless my light is bright enough!" Yelled Lloyd, as he summoned a burst of energy from his fingertips, for what might've been the last time.
He loved Ninjago with all of his soul. And would give his life to stop The Overlord from destroying it. Even if his father couldn't be there to fight by his side. As he ejected the energy from his hands, watching it wash over The Overlord, he was filled with fear when it failed to even stun him. The Overlord's deafening cackle brought nothing but uncertainty to his approach.
But, reaching deep within himself, he summoned more energy, just in time to block a barrage of dark fire coming straight for him. The fire slowly pushed him closer and closer to the edge of the building, as he looked down in fear.
But as he looked down upon Ninjago City, and back to his friends, he mustered the golden power from within, and rose from his feet, slowly hovering above the open air like a golden ghost of pure energy. The Overlord shielded his eyes in disgust at the sight. Lloyd felt his leg heal, as he stared the beast down.
"I am The Ultimate Spinjitzu Master!"
"You cannot defeat me.." The Overlord repeated. But his confident demeanor was slowly draining, as he tried desperately to swipe at The Golden Ninja, only to be met with overwhelming force. Knowing his demise would come quickly if Lloyd used the full extent of his grandfather's power, he used his fallback plan, covering the area around him with darkness. If Lloyd didn't destroy him in time, Ninjago would fall. Either way, he'd have won to some degree.
As Lloyd's Golden Dragon emerged, he was surrounded by the darkness, looking around in fear of what The Overlord had concocted. The Overlord's giant dragon head could be seen emerging from the thick fog, as it opened its mouth to cackle, before swallowing Lloyd and his dragon hole in one gulp.
Lloyd was losing consciousness and visibility quick. He could barely see through the large jaw he had been consumed from, as he desperately casted Golden Energy inside, hoping to destroy The Overlord from within the core of his final attack. As soon as The Overlord realized this, he spat out Lloyd, whose dragon disappeared. Lloyd floated out into the massive black void, as The Overlord breathed more fire upon his exposed flank.
"The islands of Light and Dark will be united once more.. But this time, you won't be getting rid of me that easy!" The Overlord yelled. Lloyd saw his massive claw take a swipe at him, but it was too slow to slice him up, missing.
As The Golden Ninja looked around for an escape, he realized The Overlord's entire body had been transported to the black void along with him. If the rest of him is here, I could strike at his heart. Maybe I'd be able to-
Lloyds thoughts were interrupted as he dodged yet another strike. As he summoned more golden energy, he casted it deep into the dark vortex, purposely aiming diagonally, as it revealed the rest of The Overlords torso. A precise strike at his heart could be enough to take him down.
Lloyd closed his eyes, summoning a continuous blast of energy onto The Overlords heart. Being caught off guard, the dark fog that was encroaching upon the rest of the city slowly receded, The Overlord not being able to continue its constant flow.
Lloyd tried desperately to pierce the thick hide of the beast, but no matter how hard he struck, or how much energy he exerted, it wouldn't break. As The Overlord slowly started to regain composure, Lloyd knew he had to make a choice.
"I'm sorry father… If you're in there, I hope you can forgive me." Lloyd said, creating distance from him and The Overlord's heart. As the large beast looked down in confusion, Lloyd received the perfect angle to strike from.
As he flew the fastest he could, he pierced the flesh of The Overlord, striking deep into his heart, flooding his veins with the power of creation.
"GRAGH! You stupid boy! You'll take us both down!" The Overlord exclaimed, pained and unable to stay afloat within his black void, Lloyd closed his eyes for the final time, as his energy consumed The Overlord, destroying him. For now…
As the feeling of danger and fear began to leave Lloyds body, he found himself in a state of tranquility and peace. He looked around, only seeing a variety of floating islands, and a bright blue sky. He was flooded with confusion, talking to himself, hoping someone could hear. "H-hello? I-is anyone here? Where am I?!"
As soon as he said this, he heard footsteps far off into the distance. They would slowly get closer, or further depending on where he looked.
Eventually, he came face to face with a man in a humble robe, and a straw hat. He had his arms folded, and stood several yards away from Lloyd, looking into the sun.
"You have done well, Lloyd."
"Huh?- I don't understand! Who are you?" Lloyd asked the stranger.
"The one who started it all. Created to bring balance to both Oni and Dragon, and stop The Overlord from destroying either. But I only prolonged the fight. You? You finished it. And fulfilled the prophecy of The Green Ninja."
"If.. The prophecy is fulfilled, does that mean im-" Lloyd said, looking down at his hands. He wasn't sure what to make of any of this. And the off putting voice of the strange man, despite making him slightly more comfortable, was doing much else to help.
"Unfortunately, yes. You are departed. It was never supposed to happen this way, but, in the end, your sacrifice was made for Ninjago. The rest is out of our control."
"What about my friends? My uncle, my mother? My… My father?"
"Your father, my son, will be alright. Come with me. There are many people here who would be happy to meet you in person." The man said, as he began to walk away. Lloyd took a couple steps in the same direction, but stopped.
"What about The Overlord?"
"You defeated him. He no longer exists, for now."
"For now!? If I'm not there to stop him if he comes back, how will my friends protect Ninjago!?"
The man lowered his head. "Do not worry, your power will be given to another. Unfortunately, there is no way of choosing, nor knowing whom it will be given to."
"I guess.. I'm ready then." Lloyd said, as he and the stranger walked into the sunset of The Departed Realm. He would miss his friends and family dearly, but he was still happy Ninjago could enjoy a much needed break from tyranny and destruction.
From back in the realm of Ninjago, Wu looked in fear at the giant black vortex. But, before it could reach any of the people below, it was suddenly engulfed in a very bright, golden light.
Soon after, the darkness that had enveloped Ninjago began to fade, as light was restored to the city. The rest of The Stone Warriors, under Dareths control, slowly began to lose consciousness, as they flooded to the ground.
"Lloyd has done it! The Overlord is no more!" Shouted Wu, as he ran to the destroyed ruins of the tower, he saw the unconscious bodies of his ninja, save for one. As he ran over to them, they slowly started to get back to their feet.
"Agh.. My head. Sis? Sis!" Kai yelled, as he saw Nya get to her feet, no longer under The Overlords control. He ran over to her side, giving her a big hug. As Cole and Jay reunited with their parents, and Zane with his creator, Misako stood beside Wu in concern.
"But where is my son?" She said, combing the area, searching for him in the chunks of rubble. But no matter how hard she searched, she couldn't find her son. Lloyd Garmadon, The Golden Ninja, and savior of Ninjago, had fallen.
And while The Overlord had been defeated in the process, it meant he and his namesake, Lord Garmadon, were now lost forever. Misakos eyes teared up, as she cried into Lloyds shoulder. Everyone turned around to see the two, realizing Lloyd was missing.
"Wait.. Where is Lloyd?" Zane asked, confused and disheartened at his absence. But one look from the grief-stricken Misako said it all. The Ninjas each game to grasp the death that had befallen their ranks.
While each of them were saddened, Kai was hit with an even worse feeling of guilt. Little Lloyd had been like a brother to him. And in a way, he watched him grow up into the hero he deserved to be. Kai buried his face into his hands, as he closed his eyes, holding back as many tears as he could.
"H- Hes… really gone…"
Suddenly, a hand popped out from the rubble. An old, wrinkled hand, with small scars. While it wasn't the hand of Lloyd, it was the hand of his father. Out from the rubble emerged Garmadon. Not the evil creature that sought to destroy the realm his father created, nor the child who grew up idolizing all that was good. Simply the man who wanted nothing more than to hold his son in his arms.
But before anyone could even inform him of his son's death, he already knew that it was too late. Misako looked up from her tears, as she saw the face of the man she fell in love with.
"Garmadon!" She yelled, running up to him and hugging him, as they met in a loving embrace.
"My Misako… It's been so long. I can't begin to express how happy I am to see you with my own eyes again!"
"That may be.. But our son. Hes-"
"I know. I felt his sacrifice from deep within The Overlords' control. His power freed me from my corruption, and vanquished The Overlord. I only wish things could have gone differently.. Lloyd deserves to be here right now." He said, looking down in shame. As Wu stepped up to his brother's side, he put a hand on both his and Misakos shoulder.
"The loss of Lloyd is terrible.. But without his sacrifice, we wouldn't be here. Come. There is much to rebuild." He said, as the group slowly wandered off to search for survivors of The Overlords rampage across Ninjago.
(Three months later, in The Ninjago City Orphanage. . . )
"Would you hurry up with those dishes already!?"
The booming voice of an angry caretaker could be heard. More problems that arent my own. Thought Harumi. While she had nowhere else to go, she still lamented her life here.
It hadn't been a year since The Great Devourer separated her from her parents for good. Since she had no relatives to return to, she was put into a local orphanage.
Harumi was a quiet child. She would rarely ever be asked to do chores, mostly because none of the staff could find her most of the time. She enjoyed her time alone, thinking to herself about times long past. Even when she was caught in the open, she would complete whatever task was given to her without much complaining.
She had no intention of being adopted however. No family could replace the one The Ninja failed to protect. She had even avoided the wandering eyes of The Emperor and Empress of Ninjago, who were searching for an heir to raise.
Instead of taking her, they instead took another girl in the orphanage, named Paige. She wasn't too close to her, so didn't really care about her departure from the orphanage.
What struck her as odd, is that shortly after she had been brought into the orphanage, she felt an extra feeling of energy within her. Sometimes, cuts and scrapes she accidentally sustained from tripping on the carpet would heal in a matter of minutes, or light bulbs would glow brighter than they did before she entered a room. However, she didn't pay much attention to it.
Eyeing the rest of the dishes, she quickly washed the crumbs and stains off the spoons and bowls, before removing her rubber gloves and exiting the kitchen. The orphanage was a quiet place, rarely ever would the children pose an issue to her.
As she avoided large groups of people, she made her way to her room, closing the door behind her. While she was still quite young, she was resourceful, and had found a way into the attic from her room.
As she climbed on top of one of the bunkbeds, she moved the bit of wood that was blocking the hatch that used to lead up there. The attic was a large chamber with several entrances, however they were no longer used, so Harumi could climb up there and get away from everyone else. Entering the hatch, she put the wood slab back to cover it back up, before huddling up in a corner by the window. Pulling out a picture, she began to draw.
Harumi had gotten better at drawing since her earlier childhood. She would draw plants and animals, but the one thing she liked to draw more than anything was her hero, Lord Garmadon.
Garmadon had been the only thing keeping The Devourer from her throat. And so, once she learned it was him who had destroyed it, she began to idolize him. But she would never express her love of the fierce lord to other children, and would keep all her drawings of him up in the attic, where nobody would find them.
She pulled out her favorite pen, slowly drawing the outline of his signature helmet, circling twice to create the double ended bone that rested atop his steel helmet. She peacefully hummed as she admired the quiet.
However, something caught her eye from outside the window. She saw a school bus pull up to the orphanage, as an old man and woman walked out. The old woman had a tan outfit on, while the older one had robes. Harumi paid them no mind at first, before her eyes shot open, and she turned back to look down at the two.
"T-that's him! That's really him!" Harumi exclaimed out to nobody in particular. She recognized the uncorrupted form of Garmadon. And while she knew that he had sworn off violence in his oath to Ninjago, she was a bit too young to really have the difference between "Lord" and "Sensei" Garmadon drilled into her head.
So, putting her art supplies away, she dashed down the hatch, and out of her room, watching from behind the guardrails of the second floor, as Garmadon and Misako entered. A gray haired man with a clean haircut approached them. Shaking both of their hands.
"Thank you so much for coming Mr, Garmadon sir. I assume you read the full letter?"
"Yes." Garmadon nodded. "You said you were concerned one of your children was exhibiting signs of Elemental Powers?"
"Correct. One of the children we picked up from the whole Devourer stuff before. Her name is Harumi."
Harumi smiled. Her fantasy was coming true. If things worked out, she could be adopted by her hero. She slowly went down the stairs, and approached the trio.
"A-are you the real Garmadon?- The one from the TV?" Harumi said, looking in awe at the legend before her. She had never gotten the chance to see him in person. Before Garmadon could answer her, the gray haired man, one of the orphanage officials, spoke instead.
"Ah. Here's the child. Mr, Garmadon, this is Harumi. Harumi… Oh dear. I seem to have forgotten your last name. What was it again?"
"Oh! It's Jade. Harumi Jade. It's so good to finally meet you!"
"I've heard a lot about you in the letter this man sent. They say you have a strange set of abilities. Do you mind if you tell me and my wife some things about yourself?"
"Of course!" Harumi would go on to detail most of what she remembered about her life. Growing up in Ninjago, losing her parents, and being sent to the orphanage. She would keep her idolization of Garmadon a secret, not wanting to embarrass herself in front of him. Upon hearing of what happened to her parents, Misako gasped.
"Oh you poor thing.. I imagine it must've been very hard. I'm so sorry." She said, kneeling down to face Harumi directly. Harumi looked down, trying to hide her sadness when it came to her parents. A single tear fell to the floor, as Misako put a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright. Everything will be ok."
The official frowned, whispering to Garmadon. "This girl has been an absolute curse to keep in check. When she's not off in god knows where doing god knows what, she's causing unexplainable things in my orphanage. We've had to remove the lightbulb from her room, because whatever elemento ability they have is-"
"Elemental ability. Not elemento. But it sounds to me like you'd rather not deal with it, not because you can't, but because you haven't even tried."
"Why bother? She's just a nuisance!"
"Have you ever once sat her down and asked her if she was ok? Have any of your staff ever once given her a hug and told her that she was loved here?"
"We couldn't! She's never around to do so! Look. We were banking on The Emperor and Empress choosing her instead of someone else, because itd mean she'd be sheltered enough to not be a problem for anyone. She's… Dangerious."
"This child is not dangerious. The only danger here has been given to her, not you. I will take this child as my own." Garmadon said, as he turned to see Harumi, who was now clinging onto Misako, crying onto the sleeve of her arm, as Misako gently held the child.
"It's alright Harumi. You're safe here, I promise." Misako said. While Harumi hadn't even known who Misako was until after Garmadons transformation back into a regular human, she never thought of her to be the caring type. But her embrace here meant the world to her. As a soft smile emerged from Harumi's face, as she let go of Misako.
"So you'll take her?" The official asked, as Garmadon walked over and put a hand on her shoulder.
"If that's alright with you, Young Harumi?" Garmadon asked. Harumi immediately nodded excitedly.
"Yes yes yes please!" She said, stars in her eyes. Her dream was finally coming true after all the hardships she endured. And, after grabbing her few belongings, she walked out of the orphanage with her new family, ready to begin her new life.