Chapter 10: Island of Darkness and Last Hope

Cinder sat quietly as he saw two stone warrior swordsmen walking along the beach. They have finally made it to the Dark Island a few hours ago and were hiding from them. Cinder took to the trees and was watching for any stone warriors to not come close to their HQ. Once the two warriors went away he flew back down towards to the others to report on the lookout. He soon see his brother, Jay, Kai, and Zane out to watch as well.

"It's clear for now. No stone warriors came close to our hideout."

The four ninja sighed in relief

"That's good, but the whole island is swarming with Garmadon's indestructible Stone Army." Kai said

"Ha! Good thing we're ninja and we know how to hide." Jay said nervously

"Who wants to hide when you can fight? I'm getting tired of having our heads buried in the sand. I wanna fight these guys." Cole said annoyed and antsy

"But Cole, they have no apparent weakness. It would be unwise to start a fight we cannot finish." Zane said logically

"That is why we must find the Temple of Light." Said Wu

"Come."

They went back into the Bounty, where Misako explains the scrolls.

"The scrolls say there is a hidden temple on the island. If you find it, it will give the ninja pure elemental powers, powers that can destroy the indestructible army." Misako explains

"So you're saying we get to fight? Whoo-hoo! I've got happy feet!" Cole said happy and Cinder giggled

"And you, my son, here it is written: "For once the Green Ninja finds the instrument of peace, he will strike it and know the power of the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master." Misako said

"Ultimate Spinjitzu Master?" Lloyd asked

"It means you will be able to invoke the power of the Golden Dragon, an ancient fighting style only practiced by the First Spinjitzu Master." Misako explains

Cinder's eye ridges rose up in surprise by that piece of info. While he was focused on this everyone looks at Lloyd surprised.

"Hahaha. Jealous?" Lloyd said smirking

"Uh, wait a minute. This all sounds too good to be true. What's the catch?" Kai said suspicious

"The catch is, the Temple could be anywhere on the island, and all we have is this." Wu said and gives Dr. Julien a medallion with three holes.

"A medallion. It's like a compass. When the three holes match up, the medallion will reveal where the temple is hidden." De. Julian said

"Uh, how'd you know that?" Jay asked

"Oh, I did a lot of reading in my spare time." Dr. Julian Chuckles. "Adventure stories were my favorite."

Cinder grab the medallion from the builder and gives it to Zane

"Then what are we waiting for?" Zane said and the five ninja get up to leave but Wu stops Lloyd

"Not you, Lloyd."

"Ah, seriously? Are we still doing this?" Lloyd said annoyed

"Wu is right. If you were to come across your father, it could prematurely start the Final Battle. We need to be at full strength before we take any risks." Misako cautioned

"Hahaha. Jealous?" Jay said mockingly

Cinder then spoke up from his listening to the conversation.

"Well, if Lloyd can't go. Can I go with them?" He asked

"Mhhh.. I don't know, you still have some bruises and haven't fully trained on your elemental powers." Wu said

Cinder sighs

"I get that, but these four can't fight against these indestructible warriors. But with me, it would only slow them down enough for a getaway."

"Hmm... alright you may go. But be careful and you aren't able to use your elemental powers, retreat from them and return here." Wu said

Cinder nodded and head to his room to get his gi. Once there he grabs it, shift to human form, change into gi, and shift back to dragon form and headed back to where the others were at. He return and waited near the door, ready to go.

"Remember, Garmadon doesn't know we're on the island. It's imperative that you stay out of sight." Wu advised

"Of course, Sensei. Don't worry. Have you ever known us to veer from a plan, huh?" Cinder, Lloyd, Wu, and Misako looks at them, not amused.

"Ninja—" The four ninja yell but were shushed

"Shh! Not so loud. Are you trying to get us caught?" Wu said irritated

"...go." The four ninja whispered and headed out. Cinder waved goodbye and left as well, finally getting to do something helpful with the team.

Cinder looked around as the four ninja spy on Garmadon from a distance. They have been searching for the Temple of Light for a few hours and we're having no luck finding it. Unfortunately they have stumbled upon Garmadon's camp with the warriors but were far away from it at a distance to not get spotted. Cinder stretches quietly as his bones pop from stiffness and warbles happily. His injuries were mostly healed and he can fight and shift back into human form but he will be exhausted if he pushes on for too long. Right now he was laying down while listening to his brother and others talking.

"Look, this must be Garmadon's camp." Jay said

"No, you think? I thought it was a takeout restaurant. It looks like he's building something." Kai said sarcastically

J"Building what?" Jay questioned

"Quiet, you bozos. We still need to find what the medallion matches up to." Cole said looking through the medallion

"Let me see." Zane said and grabs it from Cole and looks through the medallion. "Hmm, nothing matches... wait?"

"You found the Temple of Light?" Jay gasps and grabs the medallion.

"No, but look!" Zane said and pointed to see the Falcon.

"Your Falcon. I thought it got shot down and was lost for good." Kai said surprise

"Not if I can retrieve it and get the pieces back to my father." Zane said

"Wait, Zane. You're veering from the plan. We're supposed to be finding the Temple of Light and staying out of sight." Cole said

"If I were any of you, I'd do the same. I have to get my friend back." Zane said and before he left Cinder intervened

"Wait Zane! Let me go grab him."

The others looked at the young dragon with shock.

"You would do this for me Cinder?" Zane asked

"Of course! He was the only thing connecting you to your dad. So I'll do this for a brother." Cinder said

"Are you sure bro? You're still not fully healed." Cole said concerned and Cinder waved it off.

"Thanks for worrying over me bro. But I can get the falcon and be out without them knowing."

"But how? You would be spotted immediately with you flying over them." Kai said concerned but Cinder smirks.

"Oh I'm not flying and dive bombing into their camp. I got something under my scales to get in."

"How?" Jay asked confused

"Like this!" Cinder said as he ran towards a tree but suddenly his body suddenly went into a shadow and disappeared. The four ninja stare wide-eyed at the purple dragon's display.

"Okkkkkkk, when did he learned how to do that?" Kai asked shocked

"I don't know man?" Jay asked also surprised "Cole?"

"I didn't know about this? Maybe he learn this from one of the elements he controlled?" Cole said

"Looking what he did, he used his Shadow element to fazed through shadows and be somewhere else completely from a different shadow." Zane explains

"Well then, that will come in handy in the future, now we just wait for Cinder to return. The more of us that goes the more chance we'll get caught. We just have to stay here and hope he doesn't get seen." Kai said

"Aww, I wanna fight." Cole complained

Cinder appeared out of a shadow near a barrel and snuck quietly over to where the falcon sat. He waited patiently for them to not pay attention to the entrance and ran under the table silently. He listened to them talk in their language, wondering what Garmadon is planning to take over Ninjago, and how? With a quick glance he grabs the falcon and parts and left. Then he leaves under the table and left the building but a shout was heard and saw a Stone Warrior looking at him with contempt. Cinder back up slowly, with falcon in hand, and realized he was being cornered and whimpered.

"Well well well, the young ninja dragon is here? Ha ha ha ha ah, seize him!" Garmadon shouted

Cinder look down at the falcon and at the warriors and hugs the robotic bird.

"Hang on bro!"

Cinder watched as Cole, Jay, Kai, and Zane ran over the warriors and land in front of him. Then he ran off with the others behind him to escape,

"They're getting away. Nooooo! Do something!" Garmadon yelled and Cinder and the others ran towards a wall and were dodging weapons being thrown at them.

"Remember when Sensei asked to stay out of sight?" Kai said

"Yeah, that was good advice." Cole said and they try to climb over the fence but the Army throws spears at them.

"Why didn't we listen to him?" Jay said

"Why don't we ever listen to him?" Zane said

"But at least we got something that's very important to us." Cinder said and the others nod in agreement

"Look! The gate! The way out." Kai said but a plank breaks under him.

"Hurry up. We're halfway there." Cole said but however, the Army is closing in on them from both sides. Cinder whimpered, scared of the situation they were in.

"We've been in situations like this a hundred times. Quick, who's got an idea?" Kai asked quickly

"Uh, we jump into that hole." Jay said pointing down below them a pit fill with some material. Cinder shivered at even seeing it.

"Next idea." Kai said noticing the young dragonet shiver.

"I say we fight." Cole said

"With what? We don't have powers." Kai sighs "What about you, Zane? What do your computers say?"

"I got us into this mess with allowing Cinder to go in. I know how to get us out." Zane said as then the bridge breaks from the weight. "Grab a plank! Ninja, go!"

They do so and use Spinjitzu (Cinder hanging onto his brother). They use the planks to sled above the trees.

"Get them!" Garmadon yells

"We're falling!" Jay yells as they ran out of trees to hop on and heading towards the ground.

"Use your hood as a parachute!" Zane shouted and they glide down towards the ground, Cinder using his wings to glide behind them with the falcon in his talons.

"Whoo-hoo!" Jay shouts excitedly

They all landed onto the ground and put their hoods away, with Cinder handing the falcon over to Zane, and they ran back towards the Bounty.

They arrive back at the Bounty, the others saw them.

"Hey, they found the Falcon." Dr. Julian said

"Why are they running?" Lloyd said concerned

"Prepare for battle. We've got company." Zane said

"You were spotted? By one? Two?" Wu said

"How about...all of them?" Kai said

"Did you locate the Temple of Light?" Misako asked

"It's at the top of the mountain. I hope those vehicles are ready because we could sure use them now." Kai said

"Guess you're gonna have to figure this baby out on the fly." Dr. Julian said showing a driller fitted with 14 seats in it.

"We've also packed another surprise in the back. Perhaps it can be of use." Nya said and kisses Jay.

"Another Nya surprise?" Jay said happily

"You'll have to go too. Be safe." Misako said to her son

"We will." Lloyd said

The five ninja climb into the Earth Driller. Cinder was going to go into the Bounty but Cole grab him.

"You are apart of this to bro. You're coming along."

Cinder grumbled but got in and sat down.

"Whatever you do, do not stop until you get to the Temple of Light. Our survival depends on it." Wu said

"This time, we'll stick to the plan." Kai said seriously

"Good luck, ninja." Wu said

They drive off away from the Bounty. Cinder turn around a few minutes later and saw Stone Warrior vehicles following them. Cinder continues to watch as his brother moved the driller around like a pro as he swerved and dodged the enemy vehicles.

"You do know how to steer this thing, don't you?" Jay asked concerned. Then Cole turn the wheel hard right to avoid a few Stone Warrior bikes and head straight towards a rock. The driller went up it like a ramp and got air. Before them the Stone Warrior General's vehicle stopped to intercept

"Whoo-hoo!" Cole said as he turn the drillers' drill on and start digging underground towards the mountain. Once the driller breached the surface a few miles later it stopped and everyone got out. "Well, that's about as far as this baby will go. We'll have to do the rest on our own."

"But we'll never make it up the mountain before they arrive." Lloyd said

"Well, then let's see what my sister packed." Kai said and activates the item from the driller and it pops out. Unfolding to reveal a Mech. "Oh, I love my sis. Leave this to me." The red ninja got in and jog over to a few stone warrior biker man that were coming up to them.

"Hey, buddy, you just had to be first. And guess what you win? A little of this!" Kai said and his mech throws the Warrior into the jungle. "Who's next?" The fire ninja said and smashes their vehicles.

"These guys just don't stop." Jay said worried

"Climb on." Kai said to the others and they did so. Cinder spread his wings and flew up the side of the mountain. He soon was up on a ledge and waited for the others to get up here. Soon Kai's Mech came up and got onto the ledge and the other ninja got off.

"Oh! We made it to the top! But where's the Temple of Light?" Jay said confused

"Are you sure you used the medallion right?" Lloyd asked skeptical

"Oh, of course I used it right. It said it should be right here." Jay argued

"Well, until we find it, I've got to find a way to slow them down." Kai said and used his Mech to hit some boulders that went down and pushed the Army off. "That should buy us a little time." They climb up some more. Cinder noticed a flash of gold and saw Lloyd noticed it too. Both dragon and ninja got up onto another ledge to see what was in front of them. A temple with while walls, red trim, and gold accents was set into the mountain just like the Temple of Fire did. It look magnificent.

"The Temple of Light." Lloyd gasps

"Oh wow, this looks incredible." Cinder whistled in astonishment. Soon the five ninja and dragon enter the temple. Cinder looked at what was inside the temple with curiosity. Inside was a giant bell surrounded by four columns with drawings on the walls

"Guys, check this out. It's us." Jay said surprise and amazed as the blue ninja looked at a drawing

"Impossible. It's everything we've ever done." Kai said amazed

"Finding the Bounty, facing the Devourer, even right now." Cole said

"I'm here as well too." Cinder said surprised

"How could it all be here?" Zane said

"Destiny." Lloyd says and sees a drawing of five symbols under the bell. "I think I know what we need to do." The green ninja wipes the dust off the floor and finds a symbol meaning Energy. "Look." The others do the same thing. Cinder, on the other paw, was looking around at the drawings when he felt something under his front paws. He dusted it off and was surprised to find a sixth symbol away from the others. The symbol was a dark purple hook-alike outlined by light gray and then surrounded by light purple.

"Hey! I found another symbol over here. But this one isn't in Ninjargon. I wonder what it is?" Cinder questioned as he stood on it.

"We'll have to wait if we can get this working." Kai said as he and the others stood on the symbols as well.

"Okay, now what?" Lloyd said uncertainty. They could hear the Stone Warriors close to them.

"Why does everything have to be so hard?" Cole said frustrated

Cinder watched Lloyd, he could see him thinking about something he remembered and realized what he needed and looked up.

"The bell. It's an instrument. Are you guys ready for this?"

"Bring it." Cole said

Lloyd runs up to one of the columns, jumps up, wall jumps, and kicks the bell making it ring. Cinder cringed from the noise but before he or the others could move Lloyd was surrounded by light.

"Whoa! What's happening?!" Lloyd shouts

"No one moves!" Zane shouts and everyone stands still as the light surrounds Lloyd.

Cinder watched as beams of light started criss-crossing over and hitting the columns. Then each column beam out onto Cole, Kai, Jay, and Zane as they got new gi's and weapons. Cinder watched as more light beams came out and then came over around him. Suddenly he felt himself rising from the ground (Lloyd as well) and the four ninja's weapons activated into blades of their elements. Cinder then felt something within him unlock and immense power flow throughout his body. It felt so ancient and vast, like he was in space with cosmic energy touching him. He felt like he could change everything in the world... no universe with this power. But he restrained himself from doing so. Cinder then hears whispers going around him, making him lose his surroundings from the world and awareness to the others.

"Guys, send him your powers!" Kai shouted and all four shot their element at Lloyd. Once after that Lloyd falls. Cinder also drops to the floor as well.

"Lloyd! Cinder!" The four ninja shouted

"Let 'em have it!" Lloyd shouted but Cinder was unresponsive

"Now we get to fight!" Cole said with a grin

"Cool. Whoo-hoo!" Kai said as he uses his Blade on a stone warrior and traps a few in a circle of fire. The other ninja used their powers as well on the Army. Jay had a few in a chain line and electrocuted them. Zane climbs up one of the columns and froze a couple of stone warriors in a pillar and breaks it. Then Cole buries the Warriors in dirt and the black ninja laughs before immediately turning around to do the moonwalk. He jumps on three Stone Warriors before landing in the middle "Hee, hee." Cole spins and lands on his toes. Turning to see that Cinder was still standing on his symbol, non responsive to his surroundings, but was encased in a dome of purple energy. Cole, worried for his brother, ran over to see if he's ok but stopped when feeling the power radiating off of him. It was immense and powerful. Turning around the Earth Ninja stands to guard his brother from any of the stone warriors and stands a few feet behind Lloyd.

"My turn." Lloyd said and green energy came out of his hands and it glow brighter and brighter as it then turned gold. Then the green ninja released a dragon out of golden energy and it charged the army. Lloyd has summoned the Golden Dragon.

"Retreat!" The general shouted and he and his army tried to get away but there was another noise.

"ROOOOOOOOOOAAAAARR!" Cinder said angrily as he jumped over the ninja and hit the army with a massive explosion of purple energy. Once the smoke and energy dissipated and the army's screams faded the ninja could see Cinder standing before them, arcs of purple energy arched over his body and eyes glowing an eerily purple. They then saw the stone warriors falling down the mountain from the attack.

"Cinder?" Cole asked walking carefully over to him when the energy fully dissipated off his body and the glowing eyes fading. Cinder shook his head slowly to regain his surroundings and look around to see the others looking at with concern and shock?

"Uuuuugh... guys? What in Ninjago happened?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Zane asked

"The last thing I remember was standing on the symbol, then feeling a huge amount of power in me built up and then blank until now." Cinder said still confused and exhausted from whatever he did

"Well, you have purple energy arcing all over you and your eyes are glowing an eerie purple." Jay said

"Wa- wait, What!? I did what!? But how? I never did that before and somehow did that." Cinder asked surprised and worry

"Well, that's the thing, we don't know. You were inside a dome of purple energy swirling around you, then you jumped over us and did some sort of an explosive attack that threw the stone army clean off the mountain." Cole said

"Yeah, now we should get back to the Bounty now to tell the others the good news." Lloyd said

"Ugh alright, we should... WAIT! Let me try to get a picture of that symbol. Just so that we can show Sensei what this means." Cinder said

"Let me look at it, then we can use the computer in the Bounty to print it off from my memory banks." Zane said and walked over to the symbol and looked at it carefully. Then he turns back to the others. "Got it. Now let's head back to our base everyone."

"Hmmmmm"

Cinder was drawing some of the scenery around the island. After their trip to the Temple of Light the four ninja have regained their elemental powers back and were given elemental blades to use against the Stone Army. While Lloyd has gained the power of the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master, he's still learning how to use the elements. Cinder, on the other claw, was still figuring out what the new power he gained but also figuring out what the symbol in the Temple means.

"Hello Cinder, what's you doing?" Nya asked as she watched him.

"Drawing."

"What's you drawing?"

"That strange symbol that me and the others saw back in the Temple of Light." Cinder said as he drew.

"Hmm, Sensei has looked at it but he doesn't know what it is." Nya said

"Yeah I know, but I really wished for something to tell me. It's adding more to my plate with me not knowing a lot about my elemental breaths AND being a Purple Dragon." Cinder said annoyed

"Wait Cinder, would this new power be connected to being a Purple Dragon?" Nya questioned

"Hmm... That could make sense. But I won't know if I have some info on this." Cinder said sighing and watched Dr. Julien repairing the Falcon with Lloyd watching.

"Every cog, every gear is important. If one piece is missing, or out of place, the invention won't work." Dr. Julian said and closed the Falcon's panel. "Come now, little one. Time to fly." The Falcon flies away while Cinder sat quietly as they talked and then Wu, Cole, Kai, Jay, and Zane came back over from the beach. Cinder continued to sit as everyone talked.

"If we're all gears, what if I'm the gear that doesn't work? What if I don't do my part? What if I can't defeat my father?" Lloyd said sadly

"What if there are no more "What-ifs"? The Final Battle is almost upon us. When that time comes, we will know the answer to whether we like it or not." Wu said

"I know you don't want to face your father, but there is no other choice." Nya said

"But perhaps there is. I used to think it was inevitable, but then I found this." Misako said and showed everyone a scroll.

"You mean Lloyd doesn't have to fight? This I gotta hear." Cole said curiously

"The scrolls say that when the Helmet of Darkness is bequeathed to its rightful ruler, the Celestial Clock will count down to the activation of an unspeakable weapon. The first sign that the Final Battle between good and evil has begun." Misako explains

"Did you just say "unspeakable weapon?"" Kai said with worry

"Uh, I'm still stuck on what "bequeathed" means." Jay said not listening while he panicked

"Go on, Misako. Don't let us interrupt you. How do we stop the Final Battle?" Cole said

"There is nothing here that explains what would happen if the Helmet of Darkness is returned." Misako said

"Interesting. Remove the helmet, the clock starts. Put it back, the clock stops." Wu said

"And the Final Battle never starts." Lloyd said

"Bequeathed, anyone? Is anybody gonna help me out with that?" Jay said, still panicking, but everyone ignores him.

"Uh, that sounds great and all, and I know we have our new powers, but you expect us to get past his whole army of Stone Warriors and pluck the helmet off his head?" Kai said with skepticism

"My brother's right. They're good, but they're not that good." Nya said

"I know. And that is why I am going to do it. I'll just need a little help." Misako says and calls the ninja to the side. "In order to get past their guards, we need to first get control..."

Wu turns to Lloyd

"I'm sorry, Lloyd. This mission isn't for you."

"But I'm all powered up, I can help." Lloyd argued

"We mustn't let you and your father come face to face yet. We're trying to prevent the Final Battle, not welcome it." Wu said cautiously

"Yes, Sensei." Lloyd said upset

"Hey Lloyd, at least I'll be here with you. I will just do more research on what the symbol is." Cinder said

"You still haven't figured out what it means?" Kai asked

"Yes, but I was given some insight into where it came from. So I am trying to think about what it is. It's from my birth world, so I'm hoping to get a hint of this mystery." Cinder said

"Alright then, that's fine. Team, let's head out." Cole said and the four ninja, Misako, Nya, and Sensei left. Cinder heads off to go relax to take his mind off from this "project" and pray he gets something.

"Hmmmmm..., very good drawing Cinder. Got the color just right on the symbol." Dr. Julian said

"Thanks! I've been so focused on this that I got it almost perfect. Ugh.. but I still don't know what it means, like Nya gave me a hint that this symbol has a connection to the Purple Dragons, but I still have no clue what it means. Right now I have at least the symbol I could use for my gi like the others have on their suits." Cinder said and went back to drawing.

"Hmmm... interesting challenge for you to figure out. But I have faith that you'll find the answer." Dr. Julian said, smiling softly at the purple dragonet.

"He he he he... thanks. That cheers me up." Cinder said smiling. Then Cinder looked up to see the falcon coming in and landed on Dr. Julian's arm but then hopped over and sat on one of the dragonet's horns. Cinder raised an eye ridge at the bird and Dr. Julian laughed at the scene. Then Cinder hears multiple footsteps coming their way and he stays still, readying for an attack, but sees the others coming back. Cinder looked relaxed and walked over to see they were ok, but then noticed that someone was missing.

"Uhhh... guys? What happened? Where's Nya?" Cinder is concerned and worried and sees Kai and Jay have tear stains on their faces. The others were distressed and upset.

"Nya was captured by Garmadon and the Stone Army. We're too late to stop the clock from finishing its countdown. The Final Battle has begun." Wu said grimly

Chapter 10 Edited and Spell checked