RISE OF THE GUARDIANS

Part One: Changes

Chapter IV


Wednesday April 25, 2018…

A week passed, and there was no improvement where Lloyd, Cole, Zane, Kai, and Jay's powers were concerned.

In fact, the situation was becoming dire. None of the aforementioned ninja could summon any of their powers, and the last two days Lloyd was so weak he could barely get out of bed.

The only thing Sensei Wu's extensive meditations revealed was that there was an imbalance in the Elemental Spectrum, but there was no indication given as to what was causing it or how it could be corrected.

Misako and Nya spent all day every day researching but could find no clue as to what was causing the ninja's powers to be diminished; Wu and Garmadon reached out to their various contacts; Zane scoured every database in Ninjago with P.I.X.A.L.'s help.

None of these efforts turned up any information, and frustration was starting to set in.

Morro was especially frustrated at first, feeling he could do nothing to help. That is, until Lloyd's condition became severe; at that point, Morro took to providing bedside care to Lloyd.

The others had offered to take shifts sharing the responsibility, but Morro refused: he was a ghost and had no real need of sleep, and everyone else was either too weak or too busy to provide attentive care.

Today, however, Lloyd was able to get up and move around with the aid of a rare brew of invigorating tea Sensei Wu was able to prepare. So, Wu suggested an easy walk in the park to get some fresh air and get everyone's mind off of the frustrating, worrying, and confusing situation in which they had found themselves.

The entire group went on the walk, including Misako and both senseis. While the walk was supposed to be relaxing, an observer could tell the ninja were wrought with concern as they walked silently in a tight group with their heads down.

Had their heads not been down, they would have noticed dark clouds rolling in from every direction, focusing in on the park in which they walked.

The wind picked up, and it was a cold wind. It was an abnormally warm spring in Ninjago, so this phenomenon caused the heroes to look up from gazing at their feet in time to notice that the dark clouds above were flashing a brilliant show of multicolored lightning.

The many torches that decorated Ninjago City Park spat towers of flame into the sky as the ground began to shake and rain appeared to fall sideways, whipped around the focal point of the incredible storm that had appeared. The torches were undeterred by the rain.

"There's always something—now what?!" Jay cried over the howling wind and roaring thunder.

Cole was about to respond, but a violent earthquake cut him off and icicles shot out from the ground, forming ominous fingers on either side of the path the ninja were on, which seemed to point to a large blank concrete slab that was to be the site of a new statue of Cyrus Borg at a time in the future.

It was at this point the ninja realized the slab was also where the eye of the storm was focused. They watched in awe as the eye of the storm tightened into a funnel and seemed to point at the slab.

"Move towards it!" Garmadon yelled over nature's tantrums.

"You're insane!" Kai yelled back.

"Trust me," Garmadon replied, his eyes full of conviction and—why was he grinning?

As the group approached the slab, Lloyd in front, a brilliant green light emanated from the funnel cloud and connected it to the ground like a laser beam that then expanded into a great pillar of green light wrapped in clouds from which lightning and fire issued.

Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the storm and the pillar of light disappeared and all was as it was before; except now there was a figure standing on the concrete slab, still somewhat obscured by the dust that was stirred up by the storm.

No one spoke; no one moved.

As the dust cleared, the group could see more details of the mysterious figure's appearance. It appeared to be a male ninja, standing tall in black robes sporting the image of a dragon on his right side and six elemental symbols on his left; these imprints seemed to glow the same brilliant green as the pillar of light from which the stranger appeared.

His face was hidden by a ninja mask, and he wore a jet-black katana on his back which had strange green symbols glowing on its blade.

They all stood there for minutes on end before the mysterious figure spoke.

"I've been searching this world for you," he stated. His voice was sturdy but gentle. "And here you all are, just walking in the park."

Lloyd stepped forward. "Wh—who are you?" he asked.

"My name is Mack," the figure revealed, removing his hood and mask and revealing slightly shaggy brown hair. "I am the Green Ninja."

Everyone except Mack and Garmadon made an assortment of confused faces.

"No," Kai voiced what everyone was thinking, "Lloyd is the Green Ninja."

Garmadon replied, "No, Lloyd is the Golden Ninja—"

"The Ultimate Spinjitzu Master," Mack interrupted, "as foretold."

Lloyd wheeled around to face Garmadon. "Dad?"

Garmadon sighed. "Everyone… this was my last student before the venom of the Devourer consumed me completely. He speaks truly… he is the true Green Ninja."

While all the ninja gasped, Wu took Garmadon by the shoulder. "Brother, why did you never tell me of this?"

"Because I made him promise not to," Mack closed the distance between himself and the group.

"Whyever would you do that?" Wu asked, sounding slightly irritated.

"I often see fragmented pictures of possible futures," Mack replied. "Just before the last time I saw Sensei Garmadon, I saw that there are a multitude of events necessary to bring us to this day and to prepare us for the days ahead of us.

"If he had told you about me, many of those events would never have come to pass. Not least of which being the defeat and subsequent redemption of Morro, the Master of Wind."

At this, Morro moved closer to this stranger and narrowed his eyes. "You know me?" the ghost asked.

"Only by glimpses across the Ethereal Divide into this world," Mack responded somewhat cryptically.

Misako raised an eyebrow. "So, you're from another world, then?"

"Indeed," the 'Green Ninja' confirmed. "A realm called Earth."

Nya then spoke up, "Wait, there's something I'm not getting here. The reason we thought Lloyd was the Green Ninja is because the Golden Weapons chose him. What gives?"

"Ah," Mack brightened. "The original manuscript of the prophecy of the Green Ninja has been lost, so all there has been to rely on is various translations that point to different signs."

"Through a dark magic ritual," Garmadon added, "I was able to glimpse the manuscript from its unknown hiding place after…"

Garmadon suddenly looked deeply disturbed by whatever he had considered saying next.

"Well, shortly before I found Mack," he settled, burying whatever painful memory was associated with the prophecy behind his stone face.

After a knowing look to Garmadon (that nobody missed, but about which nobody wanted to ask), Mack continued, "It is the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master who is to be chosen by the Weapons of Spinjitzu. The prophecy of the Green Ninja states quite plainly that a common person fresh from some triumph will meet a man soon to be consumed by darkness on that man's third day of waiting in a given spot, and that common person will rise up to defeat a great darkness."

Garmadon picked up, "I decided to look for the Green Ninja in realms beyond Ninjago, starting with Earth. I had been sitting at a café in a city called New Orleans all day for three days when I met Mack. He had just won some award or another at a festival there—that was the triumph that heralded him as the one to whom the prophecy referred. I trained him, and his growing power proved that the prophecy was true. I found him—or rather, he found me—three years ago today, actually.

"I knew all along Lloyd was not the Green Ninja… I was surprised the first time I saw that Lloyd was wearing the green gi—not because I thought he wasn't worthy or strong enough, but because I knew there must have been a mistake; I knew he must have been chosen for something else. And I was right."

Garmadon took Lloyd by the shoulders. "Lloyd, I'm sorry I never said anything. Will you forgive me for concealing your destiny?"

"It's alright, Dad," Lloyd nodded. "It was for the greater good."

As Garmadon released his son, Mack also placed a gloved hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "And I apologize for asking Sensei Garmadon to keep this secret from you," he said.

"No worries," Lloyd smiled warmly. He offered his hand to shake with Mack, which was accepted with equal warmth.

Kai, however, was not satisfied.

"Okay, but just wait," he pressed. "There's a glaring hole in your story."

"Oh?" Mack accepted the challenge Kai seemed to be issuing.

"Yeah," Kai returned. "If Lloyd is not the Green Ninja, how has he been using the powers of the Green Ninja all this time?

"You're right, Kai." Mack narrowed his eyes. "But let me ask you, can he use that power now?"

"No," Lloyd answered. "My powers have been on the fritz for the past week."

"Ours too," Cole added, gesturing to himself, Kai, Jay, and Zane.

"Can you explain that too?" Kai asked. It sounded more like a genuine question than a challenge this time.

"Ever since Lloyd gave up his Golden Power," Mack explained, "he has been borrowing my Elemental Energy—the Green Power. The four of you have actually been borrowing and using Lloyd's power, just split up into your Elements."

"But we were using those powers before we ever gave them to Lloyd in the Temple of Light," Zane pointed out.

"Correct," Mack replied. "But they were not your own; you absorbed them from the Golden Weapons, which are the source of Lloyd's power. You only put the energy in its rightful place when you infused it into Lloyd. Your own power has rested while you used Lloyd's power—now it is time for your own abilities to awaken."

"But what do you mean, 'we used Lloyd's power?'" Cole asked.

Again Mack explained: "Since the day you took the power back, all five of you have been using borrowed energy. It worked fine since Lloyd was borrowing from someone in another realm—the Ethereal Divide negates any lessening of power caused by an energy transfer.

"However, I entered Ninjago a week ago to search for you all; as soon as Lloyd and I were in the same realm, he became unable to borrow any more energy from me—and you all were unable to borrow any more energy from him because of the power imbalance my presence here caused among you.

"After exhausting all you had left in that incident with the bandits at the museum, the strain became very apparent. I arrived just hours before the incident and heard about it on the news, but I didn't want to reveal myself until I could address all of you at once, including both Senseis; and I didn't want to stress you right after that ordeal."

Misako had been scratching her head since the pillar of green light hit connected with the ground, but now she nodded her head. "It all makes sense," she said, sounding quite content.

"Except one thing," Wu squinted. "You said many events were necessary to bring us to today, and to prepare for the days ahead of us…"

"Yeah," Lloyd picked up his uncle's angle. "What exactly does that mean? What's ahead of us?"

"It means war is coming."

Mack paused for a moment to let the gravity of his statement sink in.

"And," he continued, "we must go to the Temple of Light: that is the first step. You will all need to be in possession of your own strength—especially you, Lloyd—if we are to defeat her.

"Her?" Morro asked, leaning in.

"Rikayla…" Garmadon shuddered as he said the name.

Mack met Garmadon's eyes, and a range of emotions passed between them, fear being chief among them.

"Yes," Mack finally responded. "Rikayla, the Queen of Darkness."

"Brother…" Wu placed a comforting hand on Garmadon's shoulder. "How did you know?" he asked, fearing what the answer could be.

"She is the reason I was desperate to use the last drop of good blood in my veins to find and prepare the Green Ninja—to challenge her power.

"She was my last student before Mack."


After all the heavy information that was dropped during what was supposed to be a relaxing walk in the park, the ninja decided to invite Mack to their home for dinner and make a plan later that night to travel to the Temple of Light the next day.

Lloyd continued to be in good condition through the rest of the day, and he and Mack spent some time talking about the implications of Mack's revelations. They talked in Lloyd's bedroom, with Lloyd sitting on his bed and Mack sitting on the chair from Lloyd's desk.

"Since you're the leader of this team," Mack stated, "we should get on the same page regarding the steps that we have to take to be prepared to face what we're up against. The last thing I want to do is step on your toes here, but—"

"But you know a lot that I don't," Lloyd finished Mack's sentence.

"Right. And you know your team very well."

"Exactly. So, I don't think working together will be a problem for us."

"I agree," Mack nodded. "But surely you must have a lot of questions."

"Well, for starters," Lloyd replied, "why now? If my dad trained you to defeat this 'Rikayla' and that was three years ago, why wait until now to seek us out?"

Mack thought for a moment and then answered, "From across the Realms, I can sense that she's on the move; in the last few months, I can feel her power growing exponentially. I was worried that things might not align for us to meet in time."

"I still don't understand why there has to be one specific time that we had to meet," Lloyd questioned.

"Well, I mentioned earlier that I can see pictures of possible futures… I have seen a great battle between two armies—us at the head of one, the Queen of Darkness at the head of the other—and the scenarios in which our army defeats hers only occur if I meet you all—including Morro, the senseis, and Misako—at the same time.

"I understand you've all been together for a few months now, but I can't just look across the Ethereal Divide every day, as that takes a lot of energy. So, I came as soon as I looked across and saw that all of you were finally together.

"Waiting until you were outside was just so I could put on that show," Mack smirked and winked.

"So," Lloyd snickered, "you can just look across and spy on someone in another Realm?"

Mack chuckled. "Well, it's not like seeing as in with my eyes. It's more like I can just sense information about the state of things. The clarity and specificity of the information depends on my concentration; that's why it takes so much energy."

"I see," Lloyd nodded.

"And after the balance of power is righted among you and your friends," Mack leaned in, "I can teach you all to do things like that and more with the power inside each of you."

"Wow," Lloyd gaped.

"I don't like to think about my journey with the Elements as a quest for power, but without power we can't hope to stand up to Rikayla. We must all be strong—apart and together—to challenge her."

"What is it she plans to do?" Lloyd asked.

Mack closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath.

He opened his eyes and replied, "Your father was spiraling into darkness. He found her at an orphanage and sensed her power—he thought she could become the Green Ninja. He wanted to corrupt her into an asset that would help him take over the world, but a darkness rose within her that startled even him.

"Her powers were beyond what he could teach her to control, but what he really feared was her ambitions for what she would do with the power she was amassing. She would continually mumble under her breath about a plan to veil the entire universe in a great shadow.

"There was a final straw: late one night, he heard a commotion and caught her in a dark ritual whereby she was communicating with a demon. Garmadon realized then that he had created something truly dark out of the innocent girl he'd found in that orphanage.

"With guilt and fear overwhelming him, he cast her out of his monastery immediately and she disappeared from the face of this world. I can't locate her with my senses, but I suspect she is in the Realm of Madness; there is a disturbing amount of darkness growing there. I've tried many times to reach out with my senses to find her and keep tabs on her, but she knows who I am, and she hides her presence from me."

Lloyd blew through his cheeks. "We do everything we can, but somehow there's always a bigger threat than the last one."

"That's another reason I'm glad to be here with you," Mack sighed. "You all have experience being heroes. I've never really faced anything like this. The main threat to the peace in my world is the greed of its own inhabitants."

After a moment of reflection, Mack spoke up again.

"Well, sorry to bring so much doom and gloom," he chuckled.

"Yeah," Lloyd cracked a smile. "We should talk to the others about all this."


Lloyd and Mack presented to the others all that they had discussed. There were many questions, many of which, frankly, had no answers at the time. But for now, the group was satisfied with the information presented and they agreed that they would leave the next morning for the Temple of Light (they would use the Destiny's Bounty to get there, since there was no way the weakened ninja could make their dragons last for that whole trip).

For the rest of the afternoon, the ninja enjoyed getting to know the new face that was the true Green Ninja. Despite his terrifying (according to Jay, anyway) entrance and serious demeanor, the ninja quickly learned that Mack had a sharp sense of humor and he loved to laugh.

Whether it was his advanced powers or simply part of who he was, Mack also picked up on subtle cues that others might miss. The ninja learned this at dinner when he suddenly gestured to Jay and Nya sitting next to each other and asked, "So, how long have you two been together?"

Jay choked on his water, and Nya turned bright red.

While Jay and Nya's relationship was firmly in the past for everyone else, it was not so for Jay. He was achingly in love with Nya but kept it to himself since he felt he had already blown his chances at a relationship with her.

Nya, usually strong and authoritative, started stuttering. "Oh, we're not—I mean we were—but we're not—"

"I'm sorry," Mack interrupted. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, you two just seem to click really well."

"We're best friends," Nya quickly replied. "We were a couple before, but that's in the past." Nya missed Jay's soft sigh since she was speaking, but no one else did.

Mack hmm'ed and the dinner table went silent.

After several minutes, Kai cleared this throat. "Well, that was awkward."


Later on, when everyone was going to bed, Kai stopped Mack in the hallway.

"What's up, Kai?"

Kai looked around to make sure no one was listening. "I just wanted to ask about that whole thing at dinner."

"Oh, yeah," Mack sighed. "I'm sorry if I made Jay and Nya uncomfortable; I thought I was picking something up, but I guess I was off-base this time."

"No, man, you're spot-on. Jay's still crazy in love with Nya, but he thinks it's over and there's nothing he can do about it."

"I see," Mack stroked his chin. "Does she know?"

"Nope," a voice came around the hall. Mack and Kai turned to see Morro approaching them. "But everyone else in this house does."

"Do you mind?" Kai joked. "We're trying to have a private discussion here."

"In the hallway?" Morro smirked. "Not very private—what if Jay or Nya hears you?"

"We'd hear them coming," Kai retorted. "You're the only one who can sneak up on us, Morro."

"So, Kai," Mack brought the conversation back to the topic at hand. "What exactly was it that you wanted to ask me about the situation?"

"Right," Kai shook his head. "Since you caught those vibes at dinner, I was just wondering if you think there's something we can do to, you know… give them a push?"

Mack chuckled. "For today, let's worry about our trip to the Dark Island in the morning; we can play matchmaker once the balance of power is corrected."

Kai wasn't satisfied with the answer, but knew Mack was right. So, with that, the ninja went to bed, their dreams influenced by the journey ahead of them.


Eternal Gorge
Realm of Madness
Thursday April 26, 2018…

A lone figure stood staring into the abyss before her, clutching a long-handled iron hammer close to her face.

"After watching him for three years, I see our enemy has finally begun to move…"

Her voice was barely a whisper. Her skin was pale gray and without blemish, and she had long flowing black hair with white streaks. She wore a simple dark gray dress that went down to her knees and left her shoulders and arms exposed, and her feet were bare. Her eyes were darker than the word "black" would justly describe.

"Garmadon's prized pupil, the Green Ninja, will be seeking the only power in any of the Sixteen Realms that can bar us from completing our work. He has until November to find it."

She knelt down and picked up a fistful of dirt, letting it fall through her fingers.

"He willnotundo us. I will make sure he knows whom he opposes."

As she stood back up, her face twisted into a sinister grin.

"It is time to fashion a crown, so that, when we meet, the Green Ninja will know he has seen the face of the Queen of Darkness."


Ninjago City
Ninjago

The size and technology of the Destiny's Bounty amazed its newest passenger, the Green Ninja.

The ninja had informed Mack about the ship's history while heading down to Ninjago City Harbor where it was docked. Mack was thoroughly impressed that the ninja had managed to turn an old pirate ship into a state-of-the-art hero headquarters.

Wu, Garmadon, and Misako saw no need to embark on this trip, so it was only the ninja who made their way to the Destiny's Bounty.

It was meant to be a quiet affair, but the ninja drew attention everywhere they went. At the harbor, many people were crowding around while the ninja boarded their ship.

Nobody had seen them in a week, and now they were inexplicably boarding their ship to leave? One can understand why people were interested.

Luckily, the Ninjago City Police set up a perimeter to give the ninja some breathing room to board the Bounty and be on their way. As a result, no one seemed to notice what may have looked liketwoGreen Ninja's boarding the ship…

The Bounty was able to set sail without too much commotion, and the first step to opposing Rikayla's power was officially underway.

After an hour of sailing, everyone had settled in. Kai and Jay were on the deck sparring, Morro and Nya were entrenched in a respectful debate, Lloyd was reading (still feeling very weak), and Zane was in low power mode spending some time with P.I.X.A.L.

No one had seen Mack since setting sail; he was below deck. He had been uneasy all morning, so it was no surprise that he wanted to be left alone.


"We're about a half hour out from the Dark Island," Nya announced over the PA system after a long time of sailing.

She was on the bridge along with Jay and Morro.

"The PA doesn't sound below deck," Jay said.

"I'll let Mack know," Morro headed for the door.

Below deck, Morro found the Green Ninja meditating. His face looked distressed.

"Mack?" Morro knocked on the doorway.

Mack's eyes snapped open and he gasped. Morro approached him and took him by the shoulder.

"You alright?" Morro asked.

"I'm good," Mack replied. He was breathing heavily.

Morro helped Mack to his feet. "You sure?" he asked, squinting.

Mack nodded and took a deep breath. "I'm just fine. I was checking on my family on Earth."

"Are they alright?" Morro asked.

"Yeah," Mack sighed. "Rikayla knows who I am, but I don't think she knows my family. She spends too much energy watching me…"

Fear flashed across Mack's face almost faster than Morro could read it.

"I see," Morro nodded. He was unsure what else to say.

"Well," the Master of Wind settled, "I'm glad they're okay."

Mack smiled, "Thanks."

"Come on," Morro gestured to the doorway. "We're getting close to the island."


Eternal Gorge
Realm of Madness

A dark figure approached Rikayla, who was still staring into the Eternal Gorge.

The figure was one of darkness and had the appearance of a warrior. He wore black armor and a black helmet reminiscent of those worn by Roman soldiers in the realm Earth's distant past. He wore a scabbard on his belt which housed a double-edged broadsword.

The only colors on the figure were the deep red on the inside of his cape and crest of his helmet, and the burning purple of his eyes.

"My queen," the warrior bowed deeply. No mouth was visible as he spoke. "You summoned me?"

"Tenebris," Rikayla replied without turning around. "It is time to prove that you are worthy of serving me."

Tenebris hid his contempt at her condescending. He was no pawn, but he had to let her believe the opposite.

"By your graces," he fawned, "I will soon be seen as worthy to stand beside you."

Rikayla turned around and lifted her hammer into the air. A cloud descended from the sky and met the ground behind Tenebris. He turned around to see ten figures taking shape.

They were pitch black, completely featureless, and they carried black swords.

"These are the first soldiers of my army, created by the power of the Hammer of Night in my hand," Rikayla explained.

"You've finally done it, dark one," Tenebris gasped.

"Yes," Rikayla replied. "The Green Ninja and his new allies are moving toward the Dark Island; they have business at the Temple of Light. Your task is to lead these soldiers and ambush them when they are finished inside the temple."

"If they have business at this temple," Tenebris cocked his head, "shouldn't we try and stop thembeforethey get there?"

The Queen of Darkness grinned. "Patience, Tenebris. I want to see what the fabled Golden Ninja can do at full strength.

"When you return from your mission, I will introduce you to some more of our allies."

Sensing Tenebris's confusion, she continued. "More warriors to aid you in leading the army I am creating."

Rikayla stepped closer to Tenebris. "Now, go. Ambush the ninja as they exit the Temple of Light—and focus your attack on the son of Garmadon. I will withdraw you when I have seen all I need to see."

Tenebris bowed. "As you wish, most gracious queen of the shadows."

"I will be watching to gauge the strength of our enemy, these soldiers, and you."

With that, Rikayla tapped the bottom of her hammer's handle on the ground, and Tenebris and the soldiers disappeared into a black mist.


The Dark Island
Ninjago

"Gentlemen," Nya addressed her fellow ninja, all of which had joined her on the bridge, "I present the Dark Island."

Nya had taken the Destiny's Bounty to the skies in order to avoid the rocks off the coast of the island and to get closer to the Temple of Light. It also afforded a great view of the island.

"What a beautiful shore," Mack marveled.

"Don't be fooled," Lloyd warned. "This place is deadly."

"Relax," Kai sighed. "The Overlord is gone—there's nothing to fear here anymore."

"Overlord?" Mack raised an eyebrow.

Lloyd began to explain: "He's an evil spirit who fought against the First Spin—"

"I know what the Overlord is," Mack interrupted. "But… do you mean to say that y'all fought it?"

"Y'all?" Morro asked Jay aside, to which the latter shrugged his shoulders.

"We can get into the Overlord story later," Lloyd said, not in the mood to stroll down memory lane.

"Very well," Mack resigned. "Even with the absence of the Overlord, I sense a mass of shadows that permeates over the island… A little caution won't hurt."

There wasn't room to land the Bounty in front of the temple, so Nya hovered above it and locked the controls.

"I've got a really long ladder I'm going to drop," Nya said. "It'll be a long climb down, but I think we can—"

"That won't be necessary," Mack interrupted. "Everyone, gather around. Make sure you're touching me—my arm, shoulder, back, whatever."

The rest of the ninja looked at each other but followed Mack's instructions. When everyone was touching the Green Ninja, everything went haywire.

The world swirled around them in a wash of brilliant colors. Everything calmed, and suddenly they were standing in the courtyard of the Temple of Light.

"What the—" Jay stammered. "Did we just teleport?!"

"Yep," Mack affirmed. "Soon, you'll all be able to do that."

Jay fist-pumped and exclaimed, "Awesome!"

"Well, we're here," Lloyd said.

"I'll never get tired of visiting this place," Cole sighed, rearing back to look up at the temple.

"Nor will I," Zane agreed. "Although, I do hope that we can one day visit the Temple of Light for reasons other than our obligations as defenders of Ninjago."

The rest of the ninja nodded, and the group proceeded into the temple. Mack and Morro gaped at the temple's architecture; for everyone else, the Temple of Light was exactly as they remembered it.

"Well," Lloyd announced after a minute of admiration, "let's do what we came here for."

Mack nodded. "Today, we take the first step onto a path that will lead us to battle with Rikayla. In fact, you might consider this to be our declaration of war on the Queen of Darkness."

The rest of the ninja voiced their determination to begin this journey together.

"Let's do this," Kai exclaimed when everyone had calmed down.

Without another word, Lloyd used the last of his strength to bound into the air towards a wall and jump from that wall to strike the Bell of Peace.

He landed below the bell, barely able to stand. But this would not last.

Lloyd was bathed in light from the Bell of Peace and felt his strength return. Though beams of light did not fly around the room reflected and amplified by crystals this time, Lloyd's guardians knew what to do.

Kai, Cole, Zane, and Jay channeled their elemental powers into the bell, which redirected them into Lloyd. Mack and Morro stood mouths agape watching the display.

Everyone in the room was forced to shield their eyes as brilliant golden light emanated from Lloyd and filled the temple.

When the light dissipated, Lloyd was standing calmly in the center with his eyes closed, now adorned in the same golden garb he wore in his battle with the Overlord in Ninjago City.

"How do you feel now?" Mack asked with a smirk.

Lloyd returned the smirk. "Stronger."

Mack nodded. "Good. And the rest of you?"

"The power is gone," Cole replied. "But I feel… right."

"Balanced," Zane added. "The balance between us is restored."

"I'm glad this is done," Mack said. "But now the real work begins. We must return to mainland Ninjago; I have much to teach all of you."

Mack led the group out the doors of the temple, but he stopped them just as they entered the courtyard.

"Wait," he said.

"What is it?" Morro asked.

Mack looked around. The skies had blackened. "I sense something dark approaching."

Not a second after he had said this, several dark figures appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

One of the figures wore a helmet with a red crest. He seemed to be their leader, as when he yelled, "Attack!" his companions sprang into action.

The Green Ninja drew his sword, and the other ninja all drew their respective weapons just in time to defend themselves from the imminent attack.

There were eight ninja to ten attackers (not including their leader, who hung back from the fight), but the ninja had superior skills and defended themselves easily, even though they were stunned by the sudden attack. Things shifted when the attackers seemed to be focusing on Lloyd.

Lloyd found himself up against no less than five of the dark warriors. Mack rushed to help him but stopped when the leader of the warriors lunged at him, drawing his double-edged broadsword.

"Leave him!" Tenebris yelled. "She wants to see what he's made of."

"You serve Rikayla?" Mack asked calmly.

Tenebris snarled, "She believes I do."

Without any further delay, Tenebris engaged the Green Ninja in a fierce sword duel.

Their blades locked together, Mack asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Tenebris, appointed to lead Rikayla's army."

Golden light exploded from Lloyd and sent his attackers flying into the air. The warriors dissolved into black smoke upon hitting the ground.

"Your friend is powerful, as are you," Tenebris growled. "The queen will be pleased to have worthy opponents."

The Green Ninja did not have time to respond, as a terrible noise filled the air. It resembled the horns of destruction that once issued from the Celestial Clock.

The remaining warriors and their leader immediately stopped their attack and dissolved into a cloud that condensed and collapsed until it disappeared. The sky cleared, and it was as if the dark warriors had never appeared.

"What the heck was that?!" Jay cried.

"Yeah," Lloyd was a bit calmer than Jay. "What were those…things?"

"She's creating an army," Mack replied.

Morro blinked. "What?"

"I sensed Rikayla's power in them," Mack said. "I think she created those shadow beings to serve as her soldiers. And she sent them here to attack us, or to test us...

"She knows what we're up to."

"How?" Lloyd asked.

Mack sighed. "She's been watching."

"Watching?" Cole gasped.

"Like, tracking us?" Nya asked.

"I briefly mentioned this to Morro earlier," Mack began to explain, "and I was going to talk to you all about when we got home.

"She can see across the Ethereal Divide just like I can; but because of the power afforded to her by residing in the Realm of Madness, she can do it more often—almost continually. I fear she watches my every move."

Kai was exasperated. "How are we supposed to defeat her if we can't go anywhere that she can't find us?"

The other ninja looked panicked as well.

"Relax," Mack held up a hand to appeal for calm. "As we become stronger together, wemightbe able to block her gaze.

"But, that aside for now, we just have to do what we can with the hand we've been dealt. Perhaps with enough training and preparation, we will be able to change that hand."

"For now, we have to get back to Ninjago and start training," Lloyd said. "So that wecanchange our hand."

The ninja boarded the Destiny's Bounty and started back toward Ninjago, where they would begin to seek the power needed to challenge the Queen of Darkness.


Eternal Gorge
Realm of Madness

"My queen…"

Tenebris and the remainder of the soldiers he led against the ninja each fell to one knee before their ruler.

Rikayla chuckled lowly, her backs to her warriors, staring into the Eternal Gorge as always.

"I knew you would not disappoint me," she said.

"With respect, dark one," Tenebris tried to keep from snarling, "these soldiers were no match for the son of Garmadon. He shredded them like the ocean shreds a piece of paper."

Tenebris winced as Rikayla wheeled around. But instead of becoming angry, she only grinned.

"Walk with me, Tenebris."

Rikayla took Tenebris to the top of a cliff overlooking a vast plain, where hundreds of the dark warriors were training.

Rikayla held the Hammer of Night above her head and hundreds more soldiers appeared on the plain.

"I told you I would create an army," Rikayla scowled. "They will get stronger every day until the final battle."

She approached Tenebris until her face was only a few inches from his. "Now, never doubt my power again."

"Of course," Tenebris fell to his knees and bowed his head, quaking at the display of power he just witnessed. "Forgive me, dark queen."

"He will earn your forgiveness," a new voice spoke behind Tenebris.

A new voice finished the first's sentence, "as we have earned your favor."

"Stand, Tenebris," Rikayla ordered. "Meet two of my most loyal allies."

Rikayla introduced Tenebris to Scio and Dubito, twins who would serve as scouts in the new army. They were absolutely identical except for their eyes: Scio's were green while Dubito's were yellow.

They wore sleeveless military uniforms. Every scrap of their clothing and every inch of their skin was as black as charcoal. The scouts were of lean, muscular forms and both carried twin short swords.

Tenebris did not ask the twins' origin, nor did he want to know.Any creature genuinely loyal to Rikayla must be truly corrupt, he thought.

"More of our allies will arrive soon," Scio informed Rikayla.

Dubito finished: "We are blessed that you keep us close to you—they have to travel much farther than we did, crossing the Hills of Insanity."

"When do you expect they will arrive?" Rikayla asked.

"Ferra moves swiftly, Scio replied. "She should arrive tomorrow, if not later this evening."

"Magno and Bruta move slower," Dubito continued. "I would expect them within the week."

"Well," Rikayla sneered. "Magno and Bruta are much… bigger."

"Stronger," Scio grinned.

"Harder to take down," Dubito smirked.

Rikayla and her scouts began to chuckle, which led to a mad cackle.

Tenebris looked on, asking himself why he had agreed to help this mad woman, wondering what he would see when the rest of Rikayla's allies arrived.