Skylor sighed in relief as Garmadon's potion did its magic and the pain was all but gone from her leg in seconds. Her injury was mostly healed, though she still limped a little when she tried to run. While she and Garmadon should have left by now, Skylor couldn't bring herself to separate her companion from his son now that the pair were starting to bond like a proper father and son. The pack could manage without her for a few more days. Besides, Krux and Acronix would probably use her absense to seize control of the pack, so she needed to be in top shape to put them back in their place.
Garmadon smiled as he watched his alpha relax, happy that she finally had a moment of peace to heal.
Or at least she would have if they didn't have an audience. He couldn't help but glance at Maya Ray Smith and Seliel Katana yet somehow stopped himself from glaring at the trio. Maya was here to drop off some of Nya's old clothes for Skylor to borrow and Seliel was giving Skylor some more antibiotics from the White Wolf Corporation whereas Ray was just their driver. Yet Garmadon couldn't help but worry there was something else going on.
"It's phenomenal." Seliel suddenly said.
"What is?"
"What your herbal remedies can do when combined with antibiotics." She replied and it was true. The wild werewolf potions mixed with the human medications and the impending full moon greatly accelerated Skylor's recovery from months to a few weeks. "This is your last course, make sure you take them all." She smiled and handed the teen the packet.
"Thank you. I'm in your debt."
"There is something you could do for me; the potions." Seliel suddenly and the Smiths shot her a sharp glare while Garmadon and Skylor stiffened. "The company would love to research them."
"They're a pack secret which I shall discuss sharing with others on our return and if the pack agrees, I'll let you know," Skylor promised. Seliel didn't seem happy with that but chose not to say anything. Skylor thought that was the end of it until Maya started growling loudly. Everyone looked at her and was shocked to see her eyes burning yellow, her fangs out, and most of the veins in her face completely black. Ray was about to ask her what was wrong when she suddenly shot out of the room like a bullet. He, Garmadon, and Skylor were behind her, leaving Seliel alone in the bedroom.
Outside, Ronin was nervous.
He knew the kids were taking him to see his sister, but he hadn't spoken to Maya in years and knew that this wouldn't be a pleasant reunion. He and Maya had not parted on good terms and he knew that his sister was the queen of holding grudges. As the house came into view he was barely fighting the urge to run away.
"Listen, kids, I thought maybe it would be best if you broke the news to your mom, you know? Sort of soften the blow?" He suggested awkwardly. The twins looked confused but before they could ask why they heard the front door burst open with a loud bang. They turned back to the house and saw a figure racing towards them. It was Maya and like he predicted she was angry and looked like a demon.
"Mom!? Stop!" Kai cried as he, Nya, and Ray tried desperately to restrain her before she tore Ronin's head off. Skylor and Garmadon soon followed though chose not to get involved unless it was necessary and watched from the sidelines.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Maya screeched as her yellow eyes burned holes into Ronin's face.
"Calm down, Mom! He's come to talk to you." Nya pleaded.
"HE'D NEVER TURN UP JUST TO SEE ME! HE ONLY CARES ABOUT HIMSELF!"
"No, no, no, that's not true! That's not true! I want you back in my life, all of you." Ronin begged as he took a step back and raised his hands in surrender. "I want you to grant me enouwian."
"What's enouwian?" Kai asked.
"If a traitor wishes to rejoin their pack, he must be forgiven by those he has wronged in the past," Skylor replied, eyeing the newcomer nervously. "It's a ritual; one of the few things wild werewolves and tame werewolves still share."
"It's one I'll never grant! You're not welcome here!" Maya yelled but she wasn't putting up much fight, allowing her children to reluctantly let her go but Ray kept his hold on her just in case.
"Just listen to him Mom, please!" Her son begged, but she shook her head in defiance. There was no way she was going to let that man in her life ever again. Just when it looked like she was about to get her second wind Ray decided that he had had enough. Using all his strength he heaved his wife up, turned her around, and pushed her towards the house.
"Maya, go inside, NOW!" He roared and though it was clear she didn't want to Maya listened and left. Once she was inside the house, Ray turned to the teens and his brother-in-law. "I'll talk to her, you stay out here." He promised and followed his wife. Seeing that there was nothing to do now, Garmadon and Skylor also headed inside. Ronin sighed and shrugged when the twins looked at him, unsure what to say.
What none of them knew was that Seliel was watching the whole confrontation from the bedroom. As soon as she saw Ronin her eyes widened and a smile spread across her face and she pulled out her phone to make the call...
"What makes you think we'd want to watch a group of guys screeching and jumping around a stage and being crushed by a raging, sweaty crowd?" Morro asked after Cole was finished trying to sell him and Lloyd on the idea. After being reunited with their uncle Kai and Nya had barely managed to convince him to carry on with his plans to go to the concert. This was a family dispute and they knew how much Cole wanted to see this band and how long he had waited. Reluctantly he had agreed, but now he was faced with a problem. He had two extra tickets and didn't want them to go to waste so he had to find two other people to go with him.
After messaging everyone he knew only Morro and Lloyd were free and he met them at the mall's food court to convince them.
"Is that a no?"
"It's a Why aren't your boyfriend and Nya going?" Lloyd asked and Cole motioned them to lean closer to whisper to them. From across the food court, none of them noticed the cheerleading squad, minus Harumi, watching them from several tables away.
"Wonder what the freaks are talking about?" One of them muttered.
"Maggie, go and find out." Another said and Maggie sneakily made her way over to their table. Acting like she was thinking about what to order, she stood with her back to them but close enough to hear what they were whispering about. As she eavesdropped her eyes widened at what she was hearing.
"So, is that a yes? It's the greatest band in the world!" Cole all but pleaded after he finished explaining the situation.
"Then how come we've never heard of them?" Morro pointed out and Cole groaned in frustration. Was he the only person in the world excited for this event?
"You're not going to waste that ticket on them, are you?" A voice called from behind them and they turned to see Chad grinning at them. Cole saw that the bully was wearing the shirt of his favorite band and he scowled. So apparently, he wasn't the only fan, but now he felt sick. Seeing their annoyance, the jock rolled his eyes. "Come on, you owe me, I kept your secret; how is Skylor, anyway?" He smirked and the trio had had enough.
"Come on guys or we'll miss the show!" Lloyd exclaimed and they hurried out of the mall. Seeing that the show was over Maggie paid for her food and returned to her table. Her friends were looking at her expectedly and she smirked.
"You're not gonna believe this!"...
Back at the house, the twins and their uncle awkwardly stood outside, wondering when they should go in or if they should. Kai and Nya had just finished telling him about their lives and everything that had happened in recent years. About their friends, how Harumi and Pixal knew the secret, their boyfriends, why Skylor and Garmadon are here, and the recent drama with Dr. Kiken. In return, Ronin told them all about his exploits. After he had left home he had been all over the world in all kinds of ways. He had been a part of a wild pack, a traveling circus, an underground fight ring, sailing on a pirate ship, and working on a pot farm.
Kai and Nya were intrigued by these stories, but that did leave one question.
"So, why you come back now?" Nya finally asked and Ronin took a deep breath, mentally looking for the right words to make them understand.
"It's quite simple, really, I gave you all up for what I thought I wanted; I was always more of a rebel who wanted freedom and left my family to travel the world for a few years until I got offered a cushy job with a house, car, nice vacations." He laughed. "Oh, yes, the company looked after me, they did, and then... one day I realized they weren't what I thought they were." He sighed. "You give your life to the pack, the pack looks after you, that's how it works, yeah?"
"Yeah?" Kai nodded.
"What if you did give your life to the pack and then suddenly the pack just turned against you, boom? Just like that, for no good reason; makes you realize what you lost, you know? Where your real family are." He mumbled, looking down in shame. When he was their age he was a rebel and wanted his freedom, but he hadn't realized what his freedom would cost him.
"If we're your family then where've you been all these years?" Nya glared. "We haven't seen you at any of our birthdays, weddings, hell, we didn't even see you at Abuelo's funeral." She snapped and Ronin froze, but it wasn't at her outburst.
"W-Wait, what? Papá's dead?" He stammered in shock and the twins' eyes widened. "I didn't... I didn't know." He gasped, suddenly unable to breathe. He looked at the house and started stumbling towards it. He had to talk to Maya.
Unfortunately, she wasn't ready to talk just yet.
"He can't be trusted." She snarled as she paced angrily around the kitchen. Ray was watching her, wondering when he should step in. Skylor and Garmadon were watching from the safety of the doorway, still unsure what to do or say in this situation. Maya herself didn't know how to feel. She was angry, obviously, but she was sort of relieved that he was fine. After Ronin left, she and the family spent many sleepless nights looking for him and worrying whether he was lying in a ditch or not.
However, she knew that Kai and Nya had a right to know their uncle, didn't they? But it was her kids she was thinking of. If they had a relationship with Ronin they would get hurt. Yet she knew that they weren't babies anymore and she couldn't decide for them who they could or couldn't see.
"Why are you still so angry? If he means nothing to you, then what's the big deal in hearing him out?" Skylor suddenly asked them and Ray facepalmed as Maya whipped around to glare at the wild teen.
"He walked out on me, on our whole family, and his sick father!" She shouted remembering that first week when Ronin disappeared and their parents frantically looked around. Her father had a stroke during one of their search parties and his health started declining rapidly through the years. In her mind, Ronin killed their father. She couldn't just forgive and forget.
"If you can't forgive him, then maybe Kai and Nya can," Ray suggested, but before she could curse him out Ronin and the kids suddenly burst into the house. He and Maya locked eyes but he could see nothing but hate in her eyes. Hatred for only him. He thought about leaving again, but he knew he couldn't. He had to make this right but if he couldn't stay around for her, then stay around for the twins, at least for a little while.
"He can stay here for just one night, then he'll have to make other arrangements." Maya finally said and everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the tension left the air.
"Thanks." Ronin smiled but she just sneered at him and headed into the next room before she hit him. With nothing else to do, Ray suddenly remembered the snacks they brought and decided to head to the car to get them. "Glad to see you embracing civilization again Garmadon," Ronin said as he looked around the kitchen.
"I'm not, we're going back to the wild in a few days." He replied and Ronin went to explore more of the house. If he was going to be staying here he should get used to it. He walked into the living room and saw Maya sitting in a chair looking out of a window. As soon as she noticed him, her eyes narrowed and she stood up.
"You don't have to go on my account." He said and she scoffed loudly. If she was going back on his account she would be long gone already. "Look, the kids told me about Papá; I am sorry, I didn't know."
She shrugged. "What difference does it make now? He's dead and buried."
Ronin sighed and sat down, running his hands through his hair. She wasn't making it easy for him, was she? "I know what I did was wrong, but we were a family once and we can be like that again." He pleaded and she laughed bitterly.
"This pack is my family now." She stated, venom dripping in her voice. "If Kai and Nya want you in their lives, fine - they can grant you enouwian, but I won't." She spat and stormed out of the room and outside to get some fresh air. As Ronin was sulking in his self-pity and the kids were talking amongst themselves Garmadon chose that moment to make his exit and headed upstairs.
As he passed by Skylor's room, however, he froze when he suddenly heard sounds coming from inside. He was confused for a second before he remembered. His eyes widened and burst into the room just in time to see Seliel jump away from the bed. The pair's eyes locked and neither of them dared to move or even breathe. Not until Garmadon finally glanced down and his eyes narrowed when he saw some strange capsules and syringes next to their potion bottles. He wasn't an idiot. He knew exactly what she was doing and he knew she knew as soon as he looked back up at her.
"I took a few samples." She admitted and at least she had the decency to look guilty.
"They're a pack secret; Skylor said she would talk to the pack." He growled, stepping further into the room. Sensing the danger, Seliel gulped and took a step back. It was only a few drops. She didn't mean any harm and she didn't think they would mind. She was mistaken as his eyes turned yellow with rage and his fangs started to grow.
Back downstairs, the others were completely oblivious to this and Ronin was making himself at home in the living room. This could work in his favor. If Garmadon and Skylor were going back to the wild and this place was empty he might move in. It seemed a shame not to have someone looking after the place. That way he, Kai, and Nya could get to know one another properly and he would have more time to make things up with Maya and the rest of the family.
"HELP!" Seliel suddenly screamed and everyone but Ronin raced upstairs. He was about to follow them, but a snarl from Maya kept him in his place. They all rushed to where the screams were coming from and were horrified to find a feral Garmadon pinning Seliel up against the wall by her neck.
"Garmadon stop!" Nya cried as she and her family desperately tried to pry him off her but he wouldn't listen.
"ENOUGH!" Skylor roared as she entered the room. She marched forward and put herself in front of the older werewolf so he had to look at her. "Their territory, their rules." She growled in warning and, although hesitant, Garmadon obeyed his alpha and released her. Seliel collapsed onto the floor, coughing loudly and desperately trying to regain her breath. Once she recovered, she looked up intending to thank her heroes, but was met with anger and caution.
They wanted answers now...
All Koko wanted was a decent cup of coffee. Was that so hard to ask? It was the weekend and she had just spent the last five hours working overtime on grading school work and working on her next lesson plans. This is what happens when you have no social life outside of work and a monthly poker game with the other teachers. She was in desperate need of a hobby. Right now, though, she only wanted a coffee and her book. Sadly, the universe seemed to pick today to hate her because no matter where she went she couldn't get her coffee. Every coffee house, cafe, bistro, and restaurant she went to were either closed or out of coffee.
How can a coffee house be out of coffee?
Thankfully she seemed to have been given a lucky break. After wandering the mall for what felt like hours, she was finally graced with a glorious sight. A cafe opened with few customers inside and it might be her imagination but she could smell the great scent of fresh coffee. Trying not to run inside, Koko noticed the cheer squad from Ninjago High collected around a nearby table but she paid them no mind as she ordered that sweet dirty bean water.
"If Skylor's back, how come she doesn't have to go to school?" One of them suddenly asked her friends and Koko was immediately listening in.
"Obviously it's because no one else at school knows." Another pouted.
"So you think Ms. Koko or anyone at the school doesn't know about Skylor being holed up in the woods? Or that Lloyd and his freak show are helping her hide?" Maggie asked and that was when Koko had heard enough.
"Girls?" She called to them and they tried to pretend to have only noticed her, but she wasn't an idiot. "Was that true, about Skylor?"
"Yeah, but it's supposed to be a secret, and you didn't hear it from us," Maggie replied, trying to hide her grin. Koko sighed, paid for her coffee, and headed out. If Skylor and her Dad were back in town then she needed to talk to them. Now Koko was not one to just people on their beliefs or different lifestyles, but they shouldn't have just left like that. They should have given the school a heads up at least. People were worried and Koko almost called the police until Lloyd explained that the family had moved on.
Again, she was not one to judge but she still needed a word with them. The only problem was how was she going to find them. Skylor and her dad were hiding in the forest somewhere. That was when she remembered what the girls said about Lloyd and his friends helping Skylor hide. She pulled out her phone and opened the Chirp app. The developers recently added a feature that shows you where people are in your area. They said that it was to help people find their friends, but personally, Koko believed it was a risk. She should probably set up a seminar explaining the dangers of social media for her students.
Despite that, it proved useful for her today because when she activated the feature she found hundreds of fellow Chirp members in Ninjago City. Most were gathered in the city but a few were scattered just outside. The ones that interested her were Kai, Nya, and surprisingly their parents. Their little icons showed them gathered in the forest and they hadn't moved for a while.
That must be where Skylor and her father were camping...
h"I saved you from Kiken, and did the company thank me? No! They said I put them in an impossible situation! That they had to give her a job!" Seliel shouted, still cornered in the bedroom by a very angry pack, but they were far from sympathetic. Just because she helped them out of that situation it didn't give her the right to take what wasn't hers. Sadly it seemed she wasn't getting the message and was still trying to make excuses for it. "Cecil Putnam runs our research and development program; he said your remedies could benefit mankind as well as werewolves."
"Did he ask you to steal from them?" Maya glared. She wouldn't put it past him. She and Ray have known Cecil Putnam for a few years and she always saw him as a very selfish and self-centered snob.
"I don't call it stealing, I call it sharing and returning the favors I've done for all of you."
"Why couldn't you wait? I said I'd speak to the pack." Skylor frowned but Seliel scoffed.
"You don't understand the pressure I'm under!" She cried. Garmadon growled again but a look from Skylor shut him up. "People there keep asking me to do things and expect results, and I'm trying to get back in their good books."
"I think you should go." Nya glared and Seliel gritted her teeth but grabbed her bag and started leaving.
"All I've been is a friend to you guys, especially your kids." She reminded them as they all followed her down the stairs. When she reached the living room, however, she saw Ronin and smirked. "Hello, Ronin."
"You know him?" Kai asked as his uncle visibly paled.
"Why don't you tell your family why you're really here?" She suggested but he looked away in shame. She scoffed and turned to the others. "Ronin's on the run for embezzling millions of pounds from the White Wolf Corporation; that's why he's shown up here now, he's looking for a place to hide."
"I told you he couldn't be trusted." Maya snarled.
"Wait! Let me explain!"
"Why should we listen to you?!" She shrieked, ready to lunge at him again.
"Because you all deserve to know the truth!" He pleaded and after a moment of deliberation, they all nodded for him to continue. "First off, I'm sorry, truly, I am."
"Sorry for lying, or sorry you got caught?" Skylor glared but he ignored her and focused on his family.
"It's true, they're after me, but I was set up, I swear." He insisted "I worked in security there, mostly cyber stuff than anything, and a little while back, I stumbled across something weird. There was a discrepancy in the company books and money unaccounted for, linked to somewhere called Cerberus; it wasn't listed anywhere so I ran it by my supervisor, who said he'd check it out and the next thing I knew, it was 3 am and a security team's banging on my door."
"What did they say?" Nya asked but Ronin shook his head.
"I wasn't going to stick around to find out, was I? I had to climb out of my bedroom window, scale down a drainpipe, jump the back fence, and run; they've been looking for me ever since." He shivered at the memory. "Beatrix Vespasian-Orus doesn't come calling in the middle of the night for a friendly chat."
"Who's Beatrix Vespasian-Orus?" Kai asked when he saw Maya's worried expression.
"She's the head of security at the White Wolf Corporation and someone you don't want to cross." He replied and turned to Seliel. "It's the truth, I swear, someone is framing me."
"I'm sorry but it's too late now, I already called them when you first arrived." She apologised and he groaned in despair. Before anyone could say or do anything they all froze when they heard the sound of a car pulling up outside. "I'll them you're already gone," Seliel promised and bolted out of the house to intercept them.
"There's no point; I should never have put you guys in this situation," Ronin told his sister and the twins, sorrow and regret evident on his face. He wishes he had time to set things right or better still to have never left in the first place.
"Hello? Anyone home?!" A familiar voice called into the house and the teens all gasped as Koko walked into the living room. "Sorry... the door was open." She said awkwardly, feeling as if she just walked into something she shouldn't have. She wouldn't let that get in the way of her mission though and when she saw Skylor she smiled warmly. "So, the rumors are true! Welcome back to Ninjago City, Skylor."
"W-We're just passing through; our travelers' camp got raided and we lost our home." Garmadon stepped forward already guessing that she was there because of them. "Why don't you take a seat?" He offered and she accepted and they began to discuss Skylor's education. As Koko explained to Garmadon if he didn't ensure Skylor had a proper education he was liable to get prosecuted Kai looked out the window for Seliel. If it was Koko's car then why hadn't she come back yet? It didn't take long to spot her following a figure into the forest. That must have been someone from White Wolf Corporation's security team. He and Nya's eyes locked and they knew they had the same idea.
They had to keep Koko here for as long as possible. There was no way those security guys would attack if there was a human on the premises. It would buy them some time to come up with something. After taking a quick look around to make sure no one would notice them, the twins snuck out.
"All I'm saying is that I think he might be telling the truth." They heard Seliel say and they followed her voice. Just beyond the tree line, they found Seliel talking to three people; two men and a woman. They could tell all three were werewolves. The two men were wearing black suits and name tags, revealing them as Rapton and Ras. These must have been the lackeys Ronin mentioned. Rapton was an old man who sort of resembled Krux with combed-back gray hair and hazel eyes. Ras was covered from head to toe in black hair with a big beard, dark brown eyes, and a dark purple tie.
In between the men was a woman who just oozed confidence and power even from this distance. Immediately they could tell this was Beatrix Vespasian-Orus. She had platinum blonde hair cut in a short angled bob with the left side shaved, cold hazel eyes, full pink lips, a sharp face, and a slim, but toned figure. One of her more distinct features was the strange gold markings tattooed on the left side of her face. She wore a form-fitting black suit with a gold tie.
"Have you seen his files?" Beatrix snapped and Seliel shook her head. "Then you wouldn't know the truth if it snapped your head off." She growled before noticing Kai and Nya watching them and the smile she gave them sent shivers down their spines. It was almost predatory. "Hello, children; are you going to hand your uncle over, or do we have to come in there and get him?"
"Might be a bit risky with our human teacher inside." Nya pointed out but Beatrix didn't look too bothered. They all knew the teacher wouldn't be in there forever. "What happens if we do hand him over?"
"We take him back for questioning and if he tells us the truth, and we get our money back, we let him go."
"But suppose he hasn't got your money because he's innocent?" Kai frowned and Beatrix shrugged.
"That's for others to decide and if they decide he's guilty he gets his just punishment." She smirked, already knowing what was in store for Ronin. If found guilty they would take him far away, where the cold north wind blows, and wolves roam wild, and then they would leave him there. It might not seem to fair but that was werewolf justice. Beatrix, Kai, and Nya all stared each other down for a few long minutes before Nya was the first to look away.
"Just give us fifteen minutes and let us talk to him." She muttered and when Kai looked like he wanted to argue she shushed him.
"So glad we understand each other," Beatrix smirked in satisfaction and Nya wanted so badly to smack her face. Somehow she managed to compose herself and dragged Kai with her back to the house. They could see Koko getting into her car and driving away. They had to be quick. Running into the house they found Ronin anxiously pacing around the living room.
"This could be the end for me, sis; just a bit of forgiveness is all I'm asking!" He pleaded, but Maya refused to even look at him. Nya cleared her throat to get their attention and when everyone turned to her she grinned.
She had a plan...
Beatrix was getting sick of this assignment. Why couldn't Ronin just give himself up already? If he was truly innocent like he claimed then why is he still running? It's because he was guilty. Beatrix could see there was something shifty about him as soon as they met she could almost smell it on him. Now he had roped his family into his crimes and was hiding behind a bunch of teenagers. Not that they were that innocent. They were all harboring a fugitive and she was already planning on arresting them later. The White Wolf Corporation hated traitors almost as much as she did.
Right now, though, she had to focus on the task at hand.
The teacher was long gone so her men should be moving in, but the 15 minutes weren't up yet. No one could say that she didn't keep her word, most of the time anyway. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Seliel standing awkwardly off to the side, unsure of what to do. She wished that pest would go file her nails or something, or better still, just go home. In her opinion, all Seliel did was cause problems; the way she handled the Kiken affair proved that. If Beatrix had been allowed to handle that mess Dr. Kiken would have been thrown in a deep dark hole and would have never been found.
"He's coming out!" Kai shouted and they watched as the brunette led his terrified uncle out of the house and towards the tree line. Beatrix grinned in delight as her target approached willingly. Finally, this would be over and she could go back to focusing on more important things. Just as the pair were about to cross the point of no return, however, Ronin suddenly stopped and stepped back. Kai frowned and turned to his uncle, wondering what was going on.
"I... I can't do this." He stammered before he took off like a bat out of hell. Beatrix's burned yellow in rage and she let out a guttural growl. That was the signal and Rapton and Ras took off after him. She followed a few seconds after, almost knocking Seliel and Kai over in her rage.
Ronin ran like his life deepened on it because it does. If Beatrix and her gang caught him they wouldn't take him back to the White Wolf Corporation, they would kill him and make sure his body would never be found. He couldn't let that happen, not when he just found his family again. He ran until his feet hurt and his lungs burned but he kept running until he was certain he had lost them. Luckily, Ronin still had a few moves Beatrix Vespasian-Orus didn't know about. For one, he could still do Jōhō - she can't. He was convinced none of those city wolves could. As soon as he could no longer hear them, he crouched down and pressed his hand against the soil. Focusing his energies, he accessed Jōhō and found Beatrix and her thugs closing in. They were following his scent and in a few minutes, they would be on top of him. Regaining his focus, Ronin looked and found Garmadon waiting for him by the moon pool as they had planned.
Not wasting a second he ran for his only hope of salvation. The moment he was in the cave he and Garmadon didn't waste any time and started to strip. By the time Beatrix and her team made it to the moon pool Garmadon, disguised as Ronin, was bolting out and into the forest again. Without thinking they chased after him. They couldn't make most of him out from this distance, but they could see the bright red hat and orange coat. That wasn't even mentioning the scent on those clothes.
Using Jōhō, Ronin waited until he was sure they were far away before running back to the house. When he got there he found everyone waiting for him with baited breath. Seliel was nowhere to be found but he didn't care about that. As soon as they saw him they all stood to attention, waiting to hear how it all went. Ronin started smiling and they relaxed, now knowing the answer.
"Thank you, Nya! You're a genius!" He cheered as he pulled his neice into a big hug, so happy the switch went like clockwork. Garmadon will lead them in a merry dance and head back when the coast is clear.
"Come on, I'll show you the room you can use." Skylor offered but he made no effort to move. All three teens looked at him confused, but Maya was staring at him with understanding. She already knew what he was going to say. They may have been apart for years, but they were still brother and sister, and like Nya and Kai, she could read Ronin like a book. Ronin knew she knew it too and decided to get to the point.
"Kai, Nya, you kids bought me some time, but I've got to use it to get away."
"You're leaving? Again?" Kai cried but Ronin pulled his niece and nephew into a hug.
"It's not because I want to." He promised. "Someone at the White Wolf Corporation's covering their tracks and they may have gone for now, but trust me, they're going to be back; I want to stay, really I do, but I can't put you guys in anymore danger."
"But we did this so you could stay," Nya replied and he sighed. He knew why they did this for him, and the truth is, Ronin wasn't sure he would have done the same in their place. Not for a man who abandoned his family anyway.
"Let him go." Maya suddenly said, but compared to what she was like when he first arrived, there was no malice in her voice and no hate in her eyes. "He's trying to do the right thing, for once."
"Where will you go?" Skylor asked and he shrugged.
"I'll think of somewhere." He reassured them. "Things'll die down and when they do, I'll come and find you, OK?"...
Although Cole was apprehensive about going on this trip at first he had to admit he had the time of his life. He got to see one of his favorite bands in an incredible concert with two of his best friends. Yes, he was still a little sad that he couldn't go with Kai but he hoped that things with his uncle had been sorted. Lloyd also had a great time, especially when he found the snack bar. The only problem they had was containing Lloyd during the height of his sugar rush. They would have found it easier to control a rabid fox in a hen house. Luckily for them, he had settled down somewhat, and soon he would be Misako's problem. Morro didn't have as much fun as the others, but that wasn't to say he didn't have a good time. He enjoyed the songs and hanging out with his friends, and he even got some cool souvenirs for himself, Harumi, Antonia, and Nelson.
As they were driving back into Ninjago City, Cole noticed they were running out of fuel and headed for the nearest gas station. As he was filling up the tank a pink, glittery car suddenly pulled up next to them. The window rolled down and they all felt a sense of dread when Maggie poked her head out and stared at them.
"Good show, was it?" Maggie smirked from the front seat of her car. Cole and Morro intended to simply ignore her, but Lloyd didn't get that message.
"It was amazing!" he exclaimed, still buzzing with excitement, although it could have been all the sugar he had eaten.
"Cool, and you know, we've had a bit of excitement here too." She flashed them a grin that reminded Cole of a cat cornering a mouse. "Ms. Koko found out where Skylor is; I hope she's not in any trouble." She said with feigned concern. It took a moment for her words to sink in, but as soon as all three of them got back into the car and took off towards the house. They were driving so badly that Lloyd was scared they would have an accident. Thankfully they made it to the house unscathed.
When they burst into the house, however, no one was there. They searched every floor, including the basement, but they couldn't find anyone. At first, they feared the worst, but then Morro picked up a scent leading into the forest. All three of them followed it to the moon pool. They crawled inside and were surprised to find everyone there. Skylor, Nya, Kai, and Garmadon were off to the side while Maya and Ronin stood next to the moon pool. Bags were packed for Ronin and his journey and stacked next to the entrance. Light from the night sky and moon reflected off the water and illuminated the cave, giving it an eerie yet mystical feeling. When their entrance was noticed they silently joined the others and watched as Maya and Ronin finished their ceremony.
"I grant thee enouwian; with this rite, our past wrongs are cleansed." Maya smiled as she placed a crown of flowers on his head.
"Thank you so much." Ronin beamed as he stood up and hugged his sister tightly.
When they let go of each other, Maya had a cheeky grin on her face, one Ronin recognized as the grin when she was planning something. "Don't thank me yet; there's someone else whose forgiveness you need to get." She said and looked over his shoulder at something. Ronin was confused until he turned around and his confusion morphed into shock.
Standing in front of him was his mother Luana. Behind everyone's backs, Ray had gone to get her. He didn't tell anyone what he was doing until he rang Maya on the way back. She was a little annoyed at him for sneaking around like that, but she quickly forgave him. This was not the time for hate and she was done holding this grudge. Ronin stared at his mother for a good long moment before he approached her.
"Mamá, lo siento mucho." He whispered. Without warning Luana suddenly slapped him hard enough to make her hand sting with pain. As soon as she did that, however, it was like a switch suddenly went off inside her and her whole demeanor changed. Her expression softened and she placed her hands on either side of his face and gently stroked his cheeks as tears ran down hers.
"Te extrañé hijo, pero tienes mucho trabajo que hacer." She whispered to him before taking a deep breath, straightening up, and wiping the tears away. "Now, get those bags; you're staying with me until this mess is over." She told him before giving her daughter and grandchildren a kiss goodbye and leaving. Ronin knew better than to argue so he grabbed his bags and raced after her. The others were a bit worried about him hiding out with Luana, but Maya knew better.
If Beatrix thought she was so baddass then she had never gotten between a mother and her child...
A few days had now passed since Ronin left to live with Luana and things seemed to have settled down for now. Ray and Maya were faced with an investigation into what happened but their bosses couldn't determine any foul play so the case was dropped, though it was clear they were on very thin ice with the company now. Seliel had sent them a food gift basket to apologize but none of them felt right eating it. Sadly the fun and games had to come to an end when the pack realized the inevitable.
It was time for Skylor to return to her post as alpha to the wild pack.
Now that Koko knew she was back in Ninjago, it was only a matter of time before others came like the police or social services. Plus Skylor was all healed up now. The wild pack had been left long enough without their leader and they all knew it. Cole, Kai, Harumi, Nya, and Jay were sad to see her go but wished her the best of luck. Lloyd didn't want Garmadon to leave now that he had started to develop a relationship with him, but he knew that Skylor needed him more. Pixal wanted to ask Skylor about the potions, but after hearing what had happened with Seliel she wisely kept her thoughts to herself and simply wished them luck. Morro hoped they would stay longer but respected their wishes and reminded Skylor that she always had a home in Ninjago. Zane didn't say much but did remind Skylor to take care of herself and even taught her and Garmadon some first aid just in case.
However, they weren't leaving until tomorrow so that left the pack plenty of time to plan a last-minute going away party, and what was a party without presents?
Harumi, Morro, and Lloyd had just finished buying theirs and were now grabbing a quick bite to eat at the mall's food court before driving up to the house.
"What's with the gifts?" A voice sounded from behind them and they turned to find the popular kids staring at them. "I thought Jay's birthday wasn't for another week?"
"They're going away presents, for Skylor and her Dad; they're moving on tomorrow," Harumi replied before shooting them one of her infamous nasty glares. "Would you like a list of what we've bought, so you can go tell Koko?" She spat. A couple of them looked like they were about to fire back when Dareth suddenly burst in carrying a giant, old wooden chest. He slammed it on the table in between the two groups and looked at all his classmates, buzzing with excitement.
"Look what I found in the attic! Grandpa's old toy box!" He exclaimed and opened the box from them to see. Curiosity got the better of them all and they gathered round to see what was inside. The box was filled with very old books, scrolls, and odd little trinkets.
"Is this made of bone?" One kid asked as he lifted a horn.
"I think this is, too; it's got a dog on it." A girl added as she held up a small pendant. Morro took a closer look at the charm and gasped when he saw what was carved into it.
That was no dog.
It was a wolf...
NEXT CHAPTER: When ancient werewolf relics are unearthed, it causes friction within the pack...