Up on the surface, guards were flying by the palace with one stopping by some windows to wave at 'Lloyd', 'Gewuji', 'Blake' and Dragon, who wave back before flying away.
As it turns out, Maggie, Dragon, Hayden and Vania were tricking the guards with crudely painted cardboard cutouts of the Ninja. Vania, who was wearing a clean kimono and hair bun straightened, was holding the Lloyd cardboard, Maggie was holding the Gewuji cardboard, and Hayden was holding the Blake cardboard. "Princess Vania." Dragon said before walking away from the window. "Are you sure this is necessary?" He takes the Lloyd cardboard and puts it aside while Maggie grabs the Nya cardboard and Hayden grabs the Geoff cardboard.
"My father is a good man, but very strict." Vania replied, grabbing the Zane cardboard before peeking out the window, but turns back Dragon while Hayden waves at a passing guard outside. "If he knew the Ninja has defied him and gone into the mountain, he would be quite upset." She heads over to the bed to put the Zane cardboard against the Lloyd cardboard.
"Hmm, perhaps you're right. Best he does not know then."
"How long do we keep this up?" Maggie asked, putting the Nya cardboard aside to grab the Jay cardboard. "My arm hurts from all the waving."
"Only a few more minutes. Be patient, Maggie." He turns back to Vania. "Give Cole another appearance, would you?"
Vania grabs the Cole cardboard and looks at it. "Oh, I do hope the Ninja are okay." She said.
"Relax." Hayden replied, putting the Geoff cardboard aside before peeking out the window without any Ninja cardboards to wave at a guard. "They know what to do."
"Are you sure we shouldn't go after them?"
"Positive." Dragon said. "As Hayden said, the Ninja are quite capable."
Vania heads to a window while having the Cole cardboard in front of her. "With Cole as their leader, I suppose they must be well trained." She waves to a passing guard.
"Did Cole tell you he was the leader?"
Vania turns to Dragon, still holding the Cole cardboard in front of her. "I assumed it." She moves it aside. "Based on how courageous and daring he is." She moves it back in front of her. "Isn't he?"
"They are a team. And rest assured, they'll be fine." Dragon starts to rub his beard a little while Hayden grabbed the Kai cardboard to wave out the window. "I would be very surprised if they hadn't found Cole already, and were on their way back, victorious."
In the mines, the Ninja, Geckles and Munce were hard at work with the excavating until Lloyd manages to break off a piece of strange rock that was glowing on some parts. Geoff soon picks it up to look at it. "What is this stuff we're mining for?" Lloyd asked as Nya came up to him. "It looks familiar."
"It's Vengestone!" Nya replied.
"So that's why our powers failed." Geoff said. "But, why would they want Vengestone for?"
A nearby skeleton swung its whip at a horned creature in front of them as it roared in pain. "Hey, leave him alone, you big bully!" Cole yelled, throwing his pickaxe at the whip before it sticks to a wall. The skeleton turns around to them before grabbing another whip from a nearby skeleton and kicks it aside, making it come apart, and starts to move towards them. "Okay, um, I didn't think that through." The skeleton swung the whip at them, but Lloyd and Geoff manage to jump out of the way before it prepares to swing the whip again, only for it to be caught by Nya, who immediately started to pull it back, but the skeleton tries to pull it back itself.
As it was busy playing tug a war with Nya, Geoff comes up behind it to tap its shoulder blade, making it turn to him before he kicks it forward, making it fall down. It looks up to Geoff approaching it, holding up his ball. "Hold this for me, would you?" He sarcastically asked before dropping it on its skull.
The others start come up to them as some Geckles and Munce, including Murt, were amazed by their bravery. "All in a day's work." Pretty soon, they all hear snarling and turn to see some skeletons charge at them before they hold their spears out to them.
Within minutes, everyone was back in their cages for the incident. Zane sighed because of it. "That accomplished very little." He said.
"Yeah, but it was worth it." Cole replied.
"No one should treat a Mino like that anyway." Geoff said.
"Mino?" Gewuji asked, confused.
"That thing we saved."
Pretty soon, the horned creature comes up from behind their cage and licks Cole's back, making him fall forward. He immediately got up to see it growling in appreciation. "Oh, you again." He said before petting it.
"Minos tend to lick those who protect them." Pretty soon, the Mino licks Geoff, who squeals in surprise.
Murt soon came up to their cage with a cart of bowls full of glop. "For you." He said, handing one to Lloyd. "Murt bring food." He gets out two more to hand to Gewuji and Blake, who look at them with curiosity.
"Thanks... Murt." Gewuji replied.
"What is this stuff?" Blake asked.
"It's glop." Cole replied. "Only thing we have to eat, since we're stuck here."
Blake starts to eat his when the Geckle with the eyepatch soon knocks it out of his prosthetic hand, making it drop to the floor. "Hey, I was about to eat that!"
"Don't trust Munce bearing gifts!" He said, turning to glare at Murt.
"Don't trust Geckle blade stealer!" He replied.
Lloyd puts his bowl down. "Guys, come on!" Lloyd yelled, putting his hands up. "Why the hell do you hate each other so much?" Murt and the Geckle simply ignore him and snarl at each other.
"Yeah, I wanna know about this 'blade stealer' thing." Cole said, hoping to resolve the conflict. "What exactly happened between you?"
"Yes, I too, am curious." Zane said as the Geckle turned to him. "Please explain the origin of your mutual mistrust."
"Huh?" The Geckle asked.
"He means, why are you blaming each other." Gewuji replied.
"Oh, very well. I will tell you of the Two Blades. One was the Ivory Blade of Deliverance. The other was the Shadow Blade of Deliverance. They belonged to a mighty warrior called Gilly."
"Milly." Murt said, cutting in.
"Not Milly, you fool! Gilly!"
"Milly."
"Skip the damn name, it doesn't matter!" Cole said. "Just finish the story, please."
"The warrior came to our mountain, 25 years ago. In those days, Geckles and Munce lived in fear, for there was a terrible dragon the heart of the mountain."
"Meif-Bringer." Murt explained, making the Geckle turn to him, annoyed.
"Grief-Bringer! Grief-Bringer!"
"Oh, boy." Cole sarcastically said to himself. "Here we go again."
"Meif-Bringer!" Murt yelled.
"Grief-Bringer!" The Geckle yelled.
"Meif-Bringer!"
"Grief-!"
Gewuji immediately stood up and came between them. "Both of you, shut up!" She yelled before turning to the Geckle as Murt tries to look in front of her. "Carry on."
"For many days and nights, Gilly battled Grief-Bringer. In the end, Gilly won. Geckles and Munce were safe again. Gilly returned to the surface. But before she went, she gave to us a parting gift. One was given to the noble Geckles. The other was given to the stinking traitorous Munce." Murt moves to the side to growl at him in anger. "A gift to help us, if ever another evil should return to our mountain."
"Most intriguing." Zane said. "But I fail to find the source of your strife."
"Our source 'strifed' when the Munce snuck into our cave and stole our blade because they wanted both!" The Geckle points at Murt in an accusing matter.
"Geckle stole blade!" Murt yelled. "Not Munce!" Murt and the Geckle start to growl at each other again before Gewuji came between them again.
"Okay, break it up!" She yelled, pushing Murt back with her arms between the bars while moving the Geckle back.
"They each think the other stole their blade." Lloyd said to the others.
"What if neither of them stole the blades?" Nya asked. "What if someone else took both blades?"
"Three guesses who." Cole replied, knowing who it would be.
"The Skull Sorcerer, I bet." Blake said, partially stating the obvious, turning to look at the cave.
"Indeed." Zane replied. "There is an ancient Ninjago proverb that says, 'An enemy divided is more easily conquered.'"
"If the Munce and Geckles are fighting each other, they can't fight the Skull Sorcerer." Geoff said.
"Cole, do you think we can broker a truce between these guys?" Lloyd asked, referring to Murt and the Geckle, who try to get at each other while Gewuji kept trying to keep them away from each other. Cole simply scoffed in agreement. "Not forever, just a temporary one. Make a deal. Tell them if they can keep it together and not fight, we might be able to break out of here and find their blades." Pretty soon, Murt and the Geckle force Gewuji aside and start slapping at each other.
"And how are we gonna do that?" Kai asked.
"I'm working on a plan. But first, I need them to stop fighting."
"I'll do my best." Cole said.