(A/N: Well, I'm back. And, here is my version of Master of the Mountain)
It had only been 5 days since the Prime Empire incident, and people were starting to act like it never happened at all. But there was still the search for the Kryptarium Prison inmates, with about over half of its convicts being recaptured. But, for the past few days, the Ninja were now more concentrated on cleaning the monastery a little, as well as noticing Dragon was in some sort of a funk for some reason and wouldn't let anyone ask him.
In the hallway at the monastery, Lloyd and Hayden, in his civilian clothes, carry hampers full of recently done laundry as they walk along. "I appreciate you helping out after you just got off the clock, Mantis." Lloyd said.
"Well, I figured you guys needed some help." He replied. "And it is my day off tomorrow, so I'll help around more." They soon pass by the living room, where they hear video game noises coming from it and head over to it.
In the living room, Cole, wearing his guzzler hat, was playing a video game while the chicken, in a tiny version of a guzzler hat, sat next to him with a controller in front of it, merely pecking at it before Lloyd and Hayden came in. "Are you seriously playing video games right now?"
"It's my day off." Cole said. "Why wouldn't I be playing video games?"
"We've been gone for weeks, Cole, and this monastery won't clean itself! We've got laundry to do, leaves to rake, firewood to chop, floors to mop, windows to dust, and don't even get me started on repairing the sentry cannons outside the wall."
Cole sighs as he simply played his game. "That sounds like a lot of work. Sure you guys don't want to play?"
"Didn't you just hear Lloyd?" Hayden asked before turning to the TV.
"Cole, we've got a ton to do and-"
"Wait... What game is this?" Hayden cuts Lloyd off, who turns to it.
"Prime Empire." Cole said.
"What?" They both asked.
"What 'what'? What's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing." Lloyd said.
"Except we were just trapped inside that game, you two got cubed, and I somehow still got these amazing moves that made me a better cop." Hayden said, moving his hamper underneath his right arm. Cole and the chicken look at each other before the chicken sips its guzzler. "People are actually wondering if I should become a real ninja. Not just an honorary member."
"You guys need to let go of the past." Cole replied and the chicken nods in agreement. "Mantis, it takes a lot of responsibility to be a ninja. Anyway, it's totally safe. Unagami, Dyer and Dorothea worked out the kinks and it's really fun." The chicken pecks at its controller. "Look, I gotta concentrate." The controller soon slides off the floor. "Just about to beat this level."
Lloyd looks at the TV, then at Cole before sighing, and throws his hamper aside, which Hayden quickly caught. "Dragon's turd!" He muttered as he puts it under his left arm.
Lloyd jumps onto the couch, making the chicken quickly move to the right. "I guess one game wouldn't hurt." He said, picking up the controller.
"Enjoy your 'break'." Hayden sarcastically spoke as he leaves the room, struggling to hold the two hampers under his arms.
In the hallway, Geoff and Gewuji were busy mopping the floor before Geoff stops. "Yep, this is the worst job for a Ninja ever." He said as he dunked his mop into a nearby bucket.
"Quit complaining." Gewuji replied, starting to mop along the floor. "We're almost done anyway."
"Heads up, coming through!" Blake called out as he passed by while carrying a duster, leaving dirty footprints on the floor.
"Watch it, Blake." Geoff said. "We just mopped that!"
"Sorry!" Briefly groaning, Geoff dunks the mop into the bucket.
Outside, Jay and Nya were raking leaves from the training ground. Jay groans as he was raking some leaves. "How are there this many leaves?" He asked. "I don't even see any trees."
"They blow over the walls, Jay." Nya replied. "And we've been gone awhile. Aspheera's invasion, our little trip to the Never Realm, being stuck in Prime Empire."
Jay sighs as Nya started to resume raking leaves. "This will take forever to clean up." He swings some leaves into the air and gets an idea as they fell. "Unless..."
Nya immediately turned to her husband, knowing what he plans on doing. "No! Don't get any ideas."
"What? We could be done instantly!"
"If Master Wu sees you using Spinjitzu to take shortcuts like raking leaves, he's gonna be furious!"
"Oh, he won't know. He's been locked in with his scrolls all day."
"Please don't."
Jay just ignores his wife and immediately does Spinjitzu, moving across the training ground, grabbing every single leaf he came across while he whooped. "Nice!" Nya looked on, unamused as Jay laughs in enjoyment before he dispersed, with a giant pile of leaves behind him. Nya shook her head before becoming shocked at something. It was Dragon, who was emerging from the pile, looking depressed. Nya gasped and dropped her rake as Jay turned to see what she was looking at and gasped as well. He started to clear his throat as Dragon comes out of the pile. "Master Wu, sorry!" He nervously chuckled and stood in attention as Dragon simply passed by him and Nya, who moves aside. "I got all hopped up in dreams of efficiency and, uh..." He just ignores him as he heads for the door, and they watch him. "What?"
"Huh, that was weird. Master Wu just totally passed up an opportunity to lecture you on something." Dragon opens the door, heads inside and closes it.
"Yeah, he didn't even notice."
In the hallway, Geoff and Gewuji had just mopped the floors again to get rid of Blake's dusty footprints, only for Dragon to pass by, leaving his muddy footprints behind. "Watch it, master." Geoff said, but he ignores him. "Now we have to do it all over again for the second time."
"Wait, Geoff, look at him." Gewuji replied. They both then turn in the direction their master took. "Do you think there's something wrong with him?"
"As a matter of fact, I think there is. When I dropped my raspberry smoothie, and guacamole, bacon and cheese sandwich yesterday, he didn't say anything." They watch him as he enters the study.
Outside, the mailman was walking up the stairs, carrying a letter, and was exhausted from the many steps he took. He then passed by P.I.X.A.L. and Cirrus, who were welding one of the cannons before P.I.X.A.L. notices him. "Good morning." She said.
"Good morning." He replied as he heads in through the open gate while P.I.X.A.L. resumed welding.
In the study, Dragon sits at the desk, with a scroll on it, sighing. "Master Wu?" Lloyd was heard as he was by the doorway, looking concerned. "Is everything okay?" He starts to head over him. "Nya, Jay, Gewuji and Geoff said you seemed a little... distracted."
Dragon turns to him. "What?" He asked before realising. "Oh, n... no, I'm fine. Ju... just reading a scroll."
"You haven't even unrolled it. You were staring out the window." Dragon simply turned away.
"I've noticed it too, Dragon." Misako was heard as they turn to see her at the doorway, holding Caelus in her arms.
"Misako?" Dragon asked.
"Mom." Lloyd said, surprised to see her.
"You've been quiet lately." Misako said to Dragon. "You haven't been yourself." She heads up to him. "Are you sure nothing's bothering you."
Dragon soon sighed. "Perhaps I'm..." He tries to think of an answer. "How should I put it? Feeling my age a little bit."
"Your age?" Lloyd asked. "But, Master, that's ridiculous! You don't look a day over a hundred." Dragon became unamused. "That's not old! And besides, you're the most skilled fighter I've ever seen! You know more about Spinjitzu than the rest of us put together! You fought all of us at once and kicked our a- uh, butts!" He makes a few punches while being careful not to cuss around Caelus. "Remember that?"
"Yes. Yes, I do. That was fun."
"We couldn't have saved Ninjago all these times without your help, Master Wu."
"Saving Ninjago is for the young." He comes up to Lloyd and puts a hand on his shoulder, sighing. "And your last few adventures, you did just fine on your own." He turns back around and picks up the scroll.
"That's not true."
"You handled yourselves admirably in Prime Empire without me." He started to turn away from the desk. "And against Aspheera, and in the Never Realm. The truth is, you don't need me anymore, Lloyd."
"That is not true!"
"It's okay, Lloyd." He comes up to Caelus and rubs his cheek before putting the scroll in a rack. "All masters face this moment eventually." He comes up to Lloyd. "The time when their students no longer need them." He puts a hand on his shoulder. "After all, Lloyd, you're 23 years old and ready to pass on what you've learnt." He turns away as Lloyd watched him and Misako came over to him.
Outside, Kai, Zane, Cole, Nya, Geoff, Gewuji, Blake, P.I.X.A.L., Cirrus, Maggie and Hayden were crowded around Jay as he held the letter in his hands. "This is incredible!" Kai said.
"Are you sure this isn't a mistake?" Nya asked.
Jay gasped as he looked at it. "It's real!" He replied before jumping in excitement. "It's gotta be! It's addressed to us, look!"
"He's right." Blake said. "It's got all of our names on it. Wow, even Maggie's."
The door soon opened as Lloyd came out. "What?" He asked. "What is it? Bad news?"
"It is highly unusual." Zane replied.
"Ooh, we gotta get ready!" Jay said.
"What?" Lloyd asked. "What happened? Someone's located the Teapot of Tyrahn? Uh, Pythor's back? My father's been found? What?"
The mailman chuckles as Lloyd turned to him. "You got an invitation." He replied. "To Shintaro."
"Shintaro?"
"Mm-hmm, the Ivory City!" He chuckles. "You don't deliver one of these every day. No, sirree."
Jay opens the letter and gets out a card before opening it. Suddenly, an image of a glowing sword, followed by fireworks came out, surprising him. "Whoa!" He said before chuckling. "Fancy card."
"That's the fanciest card I've ever seen." Geoff replied.
Cole pushes him and Zane aside to move close and sniffs it before moaning in delight. "It even smells good." He said.
"Shintaro?" Lloyd asked as the chicken soon came out and comes at the mailman, who immediately takes off before it chases him. "As in 'Shintaro'?"
"As in the remote and exclusive mountain kingdom of Northern Ninjago." P.I.X.A.L. replied.
"Invitations to Shintaro are exceedingly rare." Zane said. "In recorded history, there have only been a handful of outsiders allowed into the Ivory City."
"I've heard it's incredible!" Jay replied. "It's the most beautiful city in the world. And the people have wings." He laughs in excitement. "You can't beat wings."
"What's it say?" Hayden asked. "The invitation?"
Gewuji immediately swiped the card from Jay. "Hey!"
Gewuji looks at it a little. "'King Vangelis of the Northern Kingdom of Shintaro of the Sky Folk, kindly requests your presence as honoured guests, to celebrate the 21st birthday of the princess, Vania." She said, reading it.
"Princess Vania?" Cole asked. "Who's that?"
"Apparently, the daughter of King Vangelis." Nya replied.
"Little is known about Shintaro." Zane said. "Up until recently, it was still considered a mythical place."
Cole chuckles at the thought. "Well, it looks like we're going to see it." He replied. "In person!" Kai, Jay, Zane, Cole, Nya, Geoff, Gewuji and Blake cheer a little with Kai and Nya giving each other a high five before Gewuji hands Lloyd the card.
"Let's go!" Nya said as they start to take off, leaving Lloyd, Maggie and Hayden behind.
"Ooh, I'm gonna pack!" Jay said.
"I really cannot wait!" Blake said.
"Let's get the Bounty ready!" Kai said.
"Maybe I should bring a camera." Geoff said.
"What's this about Shintaro?" Dragon asked as he and Misako came out.
"We've been invited to the Kingdom of Shintaro to attend Princess Vania's birthday." Hayden replied.
"Master Wu, this is just what you need." Lloyd said. "This'll get you out of your funk!"
"I am not in a funk!" Dragon replied. "And I'm not going! I'll stay here with Misako, P.I.X.A.L., Cirrus, Maggie and Hayden. I can assist them in the hangar bay, as well as look after Caelus."
"Well, I am going." Maggie said.
"So am I." Hayden said. "It is my day off tomorrow after all."
"Fine, good for you two." Dragon sarcastically replied, shocking them.
Lloyd creeps over to his mother. "He's in a funk." He whispered before turning back to Dragon. "But how often does the chance to visit a legendary fabled kingdom come your way?"
"I've visited my share of legendary fabled kingdoms. Once you've seen one, you've seen them all." He turns away to walk over to the steps and sits down.
"Name one." Maggie said.
Dragon soon started to think, nervously groaning. "You go, enjoy yourselves."
"Don't avoid the subject, Master."
"You don't need me tagging along."
Misako comes up to him, hands on hips. "Now, you listen to me, Dragon Wu." She said. "I've had about enough of this damn moping around. You are going with the Ninja."
Dragon stands up. "I can't go charging off to far flung places! Adventures and legendary kingdoms are for the young." He sits back down. "You of all people should understand that."
Misako gets more angered. "Why should I understand?"
"Uh... What I mean to say was, um-"
Misako moves closer to him. "You listen to me, Wu. You are going on this journey and you are going to like it. Is that understood?"
"But... But I... The chicken need-"
"Understood?!"
"Uh, I think I need to give Caelus a diaper cha-"
"Caelus has enough people to babysit him. Even his own mother. You will go, and that is final!" She comes up to Lloyd, Maggie and Hayden. "He's in."
"Yes!" Lloyd said, raising a fist in triumph. "This is gonna be just what we need!"
Lloyd heads inside as Dragon slowly stands up to try and sneak behind Maggie and Hayden towards the gates before Hayden, while not looking at him, grabs Dragon by the collar of his kimono and lifts him high. "Busted." He muttered, deciding not to struggle.
"Where are you going?" Hayden asked.
"I... gotta pee." He nervously spoke, trying to lie.
"The bathroom isn't that way." Hayden started to drag him inside, followed by Maggie, who limped as she followed them.
(A/N: I decided to bring Maggie and Hayden along as they might play crucial roles as well. What do you think they may be?)