It has been 3 months since the tragic deaths of beloved tech prophet, one Cyrus Borg, and century old hero who had been around for as long as anyone could remember, Sensei Wu. The duo, who once symbolized the unity of past and present values, now served as The Overlord's greatest triumph. Grief stricken, Garmadon turned to solitude inside his monastery, leaving Harumi to wonder how far the mighty Garmadon could continue to fall, all while their enemies gain strength in the shadows.
"No, no. I don't think that'll really help."
Harumi was at the long wooden table that lined the gathering hall of the monastery. Where pristine and prestige had marked the walls of the sacred learning palace, there instead stood the gloom of longing and desire, for a second chance. Harumi sat alongside the other ninja, who, like her, were misguided without Wu to supply them with the wisdom of the ages.
She herself was rather moved by the event. Her lust for power and control over her own destiny outweighed her desire to do right by her father. And she found herself slipping into a stronger, almost manipulative personality, growing her hair out and methodically calculating her sentences to her own benefit.
"Then what can we do? This isn't fair! Why couldn't we have been fast enough to get there in time!?" Kai angrily slammed a fist on the table. The ninja might have all had personal connections to Wu, Harumi might have been his step-niece. But Kai only ever had one father figure up until then, one who disappeared when he was very young. Wu entered his life with a lesson about mastery, and ended without having been able to give his final teachings. But was the circle truly complete? Could any of them truly replace Wu?
"It was an unfortunate accident. We need leadership to combat whatever threat could arise next?" Zane said, puzzled. Wu had a bad habit of leaving out the important details of his life whenever a new threat would arise. No Wu meant no foresight. There was Garmadon, but at the same time, there wasn't Garmadon.
"I recommend we ask father to be the new sensei." Harumi chimed in. "He's already experienced enough to teach us, and he fought alongside Wu in all the same wars. He could be good for us." Truely, an inspired choice.
"For once I'd agree with you. If he'd show up to these meetings more often.." Kai grumbled. Garmadon, Lord of Shadows, The Creator of Chaos, and as of now the local shut-in wouldnt be of much use. In fact, nobody had seen him for a couple days, as his room had been locked and he had given little in the way of response.
"He'll come out when he finds a way to be useful like before. When he's processed what happened.." Harumi countered.
"He's had 3 months! Do you know how long it takes for something bad to happen in Ninjago? Not long! It's like we've been cursed!"
"Oh we got cursed alright…" Harumi mumbled. Kai had been "encouraged" to ease back on his newfound speech habits by Jay, who'd much rather have a clean mouthed Kai for whenever his parents visited the school or the monastery. Besides, as he put it, it was a sign of poor vocabulary. Frankly, it was a change everybody could get behind
"Look. I miss Sensei a lot. We all do. But we counted on Garmadon to help us figure things out and he closed himself off! Even from you!" He looked back at Harumi as he said this.
Harumi looked down. Garmadons absence had hurt her deeply. "I know.. And I know it isn't healthy for him to have done so. But new leadership won't work. We need someone who has the vision to achieve what Wu couldn't." She said hopefully.
"Well isn't that just peachy? No Wu, no Garmadon, sooner or later we might as well ask DARETH to be the team leader!" Jay said. Of course, Dareth wasn't invited to any of the meetings, though that did not stop him from showing up anyways at times. This was not one of said times.
"Now isn't the time for jokes Jay! Someone needs to come up with something good, or we won't be able to get anything done." Kai replied. Misako walked in carrying a giant stack of ancient scrolls and texts.
"Any luck mom?" Harumi asked hopefully. Misako shook her head in response.
"I'm afraid not.. I've looked through every prophecy or foretelling scrolls I could, but none of them have any relevant information. It's like Lloyd's death threw everything off. And with Wu gone, I-" She stopped herself in grief and confusion. If it were to spill out now, nothing would ever be able to be accomplished.
"That's not good enough. There has to be something we are all missing." Kai continued. Nya looked at him thoughtfully.
"Jeez Kai.. At this point, why don't you become the leader? You'd be able to get all the things you want done, you wouldn't have to wait around for people to tell you what to do, and you might be able to inspire Garmadon to come back out and talk to us?"
"Huh.. That's not actually a bad idea sis. What do you all think?" Kai asked the group. Zane nodded in approval, Jay shrugged his shoulders, Cole was oddly distant, and Harmui was entirely unsure.
Of course, it needn't be said amongst the ninja that the tension between Kai and Harumi had grown exponentially in the months following Wu's death. But it wasn't about Lloyds death anymore, but the growing suspicion within Kai regarding Harumi. From her odd pastimes, to her fantasization of "Lord Garmadon", not "Sensei Garmadon" that made him worried. For what reason would the universe give her this power, if she was so intent on believing in a man who no longer existed?
"I'm not sure Kai.. You don't really seem to be in the right mindset to lead."
"Who else is gonna do it? You? You're the smallest one here!"
"At least I have a mind for logistics. If I had my way this whole city would be under our protection. We wouldn't need useless cops."
"The prophecy did once say that the green ninja was meant to one day rise to the occasion, and would lead the rest of us in the coming events." Zane said, looking down at one of the scrolls Misako had brought in.
"Yea, 'that' green ninja. Not her." Kai retorted. Harumi disapprovingly eye rolled at his backhanded comment.
"Oh I'm sorry Kai? Is there something you want to tell me?" She glared and blurted to him.
"We aren't about to be led by you for what it's worth. Unless you have a reason for me to trust you."
"I'd love to see if you'd say the same if I were to beat you in a 'friendly' spar."
"Don't start something you can't finish kid."
"Both of you- calm down! This isn't helping anyone!" Nya yelled out. Truthfully, nobody remembered at what point in the conversation "help" was ever achieved.
"Perhaps you all would find it easier to figure things out after a break? You've all been here quite a while, and it's getting late. Garmadon will want to lock up soon… If he decides to come out today." Misako said, gathering up the texts again.
"Guess your right.. Same time tomorrow guys." Kai said, having calmed down only slightly, getting up from his seat and walking outside. Soon the rest of the ninja, plus Nya and Misako followed them, save for Cole, oddly enough. Harumi and Cole were not as close as they ought to have been given the time she had spent in training with him, but she took the chance to approach her friend due to his distance during the meeting.
"Hey Cole, you ok? You haven't been saying a lot."
"Huh? Oh hey Harumi.. Yea I'm fine. Just- worried I guess." Cole said, waking up from his thoughts.
"That's a first for you. But I'm worried too.."
"It's not even Wu being gone. I mean, we all had lives before we became ninja. We've had time to bounce back. But nothing has changed between you and Kai since then. I don't want this to end up becoming a problem."
"It won't- I promise. I just don't understand him sometimes. It's hard to really understand him when he has an issue because he'll try to hide it instead of addressing it. It's his ego, and- somehow I damage it." Harumi said thoughtfully.
"Don't let him get to you. All I'm saying is, I don't think we need a leader if it means we're gonna be stuck fighting each other in these meetings forever."
Harumi sort of shrugged. She had no issues with serving some sort of higher power, so long as it meant nobody innocent would get hurt. It's part of why Garmadon used to be so appealing. He, (at least to her knowledge), never directly hurt people who weren't in his way. His only real motivation was to reshape Ninjago into his image. "Why not?"
Cole looked down thoughtfully. "When Wu first recruited me, he wanted me to lead the rest of the ninja. He hadn't found Jay, Zane, or Kai yet, so I guess the assumption was I'd just be able to handle it, no problem."
"What changed?"
"Well, when I got introduced to the others, I was so worried I'd let them down somehow or that I'd have to make all the tough calls. But they helped me accept my weaknesses. I didn't feel pressured anymore. And by then, we all just got used to doing whatever it is Wu needed us to do. It wasn't being a leader that was the problem. It was the expectation."
"Right.. And you dont think Kais responsible enough to handle them?"
Cole turned back to Harumi. His stern and calculated demeanor masked his light exhaustion. "I don't think any of us are. And that goes for Garmadon too. Sorry Harumi.."
Harumi clenched her fist. Her disappointment was immeasurable. His name, which once brought shudders of unlimited potential and prowess, now left an indescribable sourness in Harumi's mouth. Her own father had become her ideological opposite. "Right.. Dad." She muttered.
"Get some rest ok? Maybe we'll have some better ideas tomorrow, genius." Cole finished, playfully punching Harumi's shoulder, before running out to find the rest of the ninja.
Harumi turned to the exit. This had gone on for far too long. She needed to voice her frustrations with Garmadon directly. From the conference room to Garmadons quarters, she stomped her way through and up to his door. The light was off, as could be seen from the bleak shadow that lined the bottom of his doorframe. Harumi prepared her words carefully, as she had grown accustomed to doing.
"We need to talk, father."
There was no response from the other end of the door. Harumi continued.
"I miss you. I really do. And.. it hurts, not having you outside more often. Mom agrees with me."
There was still no response. Patience and time were wearing thin like the fuse of an explosive. Destructive and ornately unearthly.
"Itd help if you came outside more. You haven't been out for a week, and everyones worried about you. What- could you have possibly been doing here?"
There was even still no response. Harumi could practically sense apathy incarnate from the doorframe. It was not sleep that hid her concerns from him. No. he was ignoring her. That had to be it. She continued to spiral into her frustration.
"You know, I used to think about what it would be like to meet you. Ever since what happened, I always thought about how cool it'd be to even have a fraction of your power. I thought this would be the chance to make a difference."
Nothing…
"They didn't even know who I was, you know. They weren't able to identify me until 3 weeks after the fact. I was just the 'Quiet One.' And you, so powerful.. Used the powers of creation to destroy The Devourer. You saved so many people."So many times, her face would be forgotten amongst the sea of others because she had remained quiet. But it is that name. That insult. 'Quiet one'
The shadow in the door frame remained constant and stagnant…
"But then you changed. It wasn't about determination anymore. It wasn't about control. But laziness. You built this temple to sit and cry in, so that you wouldn't have to go outside and face the world like you did before. Lord Garmadon, the fiercest enemy Ninjago had ever seen. And you're in this room, crying. Is that it? Or are you 'too ashamed' of me to come outside and stand face to face with me?"
The cries echoed through one end of the room and came back unresponsive…
"They want to make Kai the leader. Do you know what will happen if they do? Don't you care about any of this? Why don't you care anymore!? What happened to you!?" Harumi had reached her breaking point. Garmadons absence, the stress of a lost leader, and the words of The Overlord still corrupting her childish mind clouded her judgment.
The room was empty and entirely unfeeling…
"Are you going to say anything, or will I have to come in there and make you talk?"
The room… was empty?...
Harumi, in a fit of frustration, slashed the hinges with her blade. The sound of metal against Deepstone filled the hall, as she walked in, only to be disappointed. Garmadon was nowhere to be seen. Almost immediately Harumi stepped in a bizarre pile of miscellaneous colors. It took her a while to register through the darkness. They were the plates of food that Misako had slipped under the door. "Impossible! How come none of us noticed?-"
Upon further inspection, it appeared that Garmadon had not been present here for at least 3 days. It was uncharacteristically chilly, with the bitter smelling food drowning out the rest of the warmness that would've been embodied in the room. Of note though, was a piece of paper pinned to a small, broken shuriken on the wall. Harumi picked it up and scanned its contents. It was a number.
"Some sort of clue?.." Harumi picked up the phone nearby, dialing in the number, and was immediately blasted by an obnoxious level of noise and fanfare from the other end. A high pitched, accent heavy voice came through.
"Hello caller! You have reached Master Chen's luxury noodle house! Unfortunately we cannot take your order just this moment. But never fear! Master Chen never leaves a customer unsatisfied! Please wait on hold for an employee to pick up your call!"
"The hell?- err.. " Harumi crumpled her face up in confusion. Why would Garmadon leave without informing anyone, only to leave the number of a second rate noodle joint? Suddenly. A new voice came on, far more sinister and conniving. Harumi could instantly tell that whoever this was likely didn't work for the restaurant.
"Looking for someone?" The man said.
"It would appear so. Where is Sensei Garmadon?"
The voice laughed from the other end. "Ahh, yes. I thought that's why you might've been calling. I do not take you for a fan of high class noodles."
"Why? Why him? What'd he do to you? And who are you?-"
"It figures that he wouldn't have lectured you on our existence. He and his brother always had a bad habit of leaving out the important details. It is no wonder such foolishness led to an easy capture, like this. Wouldn't you agree?"
"Stay on topic, stranger. What'd you do with my dad?"
"You'll find Garmadon in the 3rd docking bay of Ninjago docks. I'd recommend you come alone, or else I can't guarantee he'll make it out of the exchange.. 'Unscathed.' you might say.."
Harumi grumbled. "I will find you. You aren't going to get away with whatever it is you're trying to do here. I'll make sure of that."
The man, using only his words, grinned from deep Ninjago city. "I'm sure you will, Quiet One."
Harumi stopped breathing at that moment. The final words caught her off guard as the line cut off. "What- how did-" But there was no more time to process. Even if the mysterious man had not threatened to hurt Garmadon further, she wouldn't have been able to get the help of the ninja, who had already left. She gathered her coat, sheathed her blade upon her belt, and vanished from the grand temple.
The journey to the city was rather difficult, considering the monastery was a good way away from the city. However, once she made it to the city proper, she was in for a disheartening sight. The streets of Ninjago were cold and lonely, and littered with disgruntled people.
Harumi had forgotten how badly the previous attacks had influenced the city's infrastructure. Though her heart was continuing to venture into the dark natured future destined to her, she almost shed a tear passing by the unfortunate citizens left homeless in the cities afterglow.
When she arrived at the docks, she was taken aback. A large steamboat of some kind had emerged from distant lands. Atop the plank connecting the first floor to the pier stood a tall, elegant man. He stood at attention, aware of Harumi's impending arrival. The two stood feet away, as large, bulky men ran up to surround him.
"Ahh, young Harumi Garmadon. It is a shame I cannot call it a pleasure to make your acquaintance." The man said.
"Cut the small talk. Bring me my father or I'll sink your boat with you and your crew tied to the hull."
"Creative, aren't we? You have such ambitious threats, yet you came alone, just like I asked of you."
"I don't need the rest of the ninja here to be a challenge."
"If you insist." The man pulled out a spellbook from his cloak. From its enchanted pages a spell was read, and Harumi found herself growing sleepy. The docks around her would grow thinner and thinner, as her vision would be replaced with the cold embrace of an old, rotten cabin. Harumi was now a prisoner aboard Master Chen's prized vessel. The conflict begins anew as Harumi and her captors drift towards the shores of Chen's island prison.
(Thank you so much for reading the new chapter after the long pause! With school over, I can begin work on the next chapters of Master of Jade, and can branch out into new genres and subjects with this newfound time. A special thanks to everyone who read the story during the absence in chapters. Have an amazing day!)