RISE OF THE GUARDIANS

Part Three: The Armies of Light and Shadow

Chapter XII


Destiny's Bounty; The Skies Above Ninjago
Ninjago

Unfortunately, the weather took a nasty turn, and a thunderstorm grounded the Destiny's Bounty for many hours. The storm came in so suddenly that Cole and Morro would have been caught out in the rain if not for their teleportation abilities.

By the time the skies were safe to fly, it was nearly dark. The ninja didn't allow the delay to affect their morale, however, and they took off the moment the last of the thunderclouds had moved on.

The night was cool, so many of the ninja remained in the ship's cabin for most of the trip.

Nya flew the ship and Jay kept her company on the bridge—the couple took the long journey as an opportunity to spend some quality time together after being worlds apart for months.

An hour into sailing, Lloyd offered to relieve Nya at the helm, which the samurai gladly accepted as she and Jay left the bridge to join Morro and Zee in stargazing on deck. A few minutes later, Mack came into the bridge.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all," Lloyd smiled. "In fact, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"I'm all ears," Mack replied.

"We've been spending so much time and effort preparing to face Rikayla," Lloyd said. "But I can't help but wonder—"

"What do we do once the battle is over?" Mack guessed.

"Yeah… Do we have to split up after this? We can't abandon Ninjago, but we can't ask you to abandon your family and everyone you care about back on Earth."

Mack put a hand on Lloyd's shoulder, careful not to disrupt the Golden Ninja's steering.

"Lloyd, there's no way we're splitting up. We have the house here in Ninjago and the Elemental Temple on Earth, and I have the Super Bolt; traveling between realms is easy.

"We shouldn't abuse its power, but I see no reason why we can't use it to travel between Earth and Ninjago so we can stay together and effectively live in both realms. In fact, I can't think of a more noble use for the power to cross the Ethereal Divide than keeping a family together."

Lloyd nodded and then gave a small laugh. "You have an answer for just about everything, don't you?"

"Not even close," Mack smirked. "You just keep asking questions I happen to have answers for."


Danny leaned on the rail at the very front of the ship, deep in thought. Kai noticed him there, and thought he looked distressed, so he walked up to him.

"Heck of a view, right?" Kai asked when he got close enough to speak over the winds.

"Yeah, sure is." Danny continued to stare off into the distance.

Kai frowned. "Everything all right? You're not airsick, are you?"

Danny snorted and cracked a half-smile. "Nah, nothing like that. Just thinking."

Kai nodded and joined Danny in leaning on the rail.

"It's not easy, is it?" Kai asked after a few moments of silence between them.

"What's not easy?" Danny asked.

"Having a little sister to look after; feeling like you have to protect her from everything."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Idohave to protect my little sister from everything."

"Bro, I get it. We're both big brothers, that's our job."

Danny scoffed. "Come on, your sister's a samurai. You don't have to protect her from anything."

"Part of me knows that," Kai nodded. "But I'll be damned if I ever listen to that part of me."

At that Danny laughed and seemed to lighten up a bit.

"Danny, I know this fight is personal for you because Rikayla threatened your sister. I just want you to know it's personal for me too—for all of us. We fight for each other, always.

"When we fight Rikayla and her army, we'll all be fighting for your little sister. And everyone that any of us loves. That's the meaning of this family."

Danny smiled. "From one big brother to another?"

"You know it," Kai smirked in kind and the Fire and Ice Guardians fist bumped.


The Shadow Palace
Realm of Madness

"What took you so long?" Rikayla asked, standing from her throne as Scio and Dubito burst into the Shadow Palace throne room. "Every moment is precious while the Apex approaches, as well as the final battle."

Tenebris was also present and curious to hear what the scouts may have found during their rumor chasing.

"Many apologies, dark one," Scio replied with a slight bow. "It took some time to translate the inscriptions we found. They were in an extinct language."

As the twins often did, Dubito picked up where Scio left off. "We had to do some research and track down a scholar of this language, a professor. Then, we had to… persuade him to translate it for us."

Scio and Dubito passed a sadistic smirk between them.

"He was so helpful, in fact," Scio said, "that we brought him back here so that you could thank him in person. The guards are holding him outside the palace gates."

Rikayla mirrored the twins' smirk. "I shall thank him, indeed. What did you learn?"

Scio replied, "As you know, when we raided the library in Cloud Kingdom, we came across an old legend about a suit of armor that would serve anyone who gave it life."

"We figured it would be in a museum somewhere if it was so 'legendary,'" Dubito continued, "so we checked the Ninjago City Museum first, but with no luck."

Scio picked up, "Then we moved on to Earth and did some asking around, and we found out that there is a suit of armor similar to what the legend describes on display in a museum in New York City."

Again, Dubito continued, "We visited the museum and found the suit. In the display with the suit were some stone tablets with inscriptions we didn't recognize. The display's information plaque said the inscriptions were in a lost language, which led us to our professor friend."

"He says the inscription—"

"Wait," Rikayla interrupted Scio. "On second thought, let him tell me himself. Go get him and bring him in."

A minute later, a professor in a three-piece suit was standing in front of Rikayla, held in place by the rough grip of Scio and Dubito. He looked roughed up; his face was bruised, and his suit had several tears.

"Who are you?" the professor scowled. "Are you in charge of these goons?"

Scio jerked the professor's arm hard, and Dubito punched him in the gut, causing the professor to double over in pain. The twins pulled the professor back into his previous standing position.

"Mind your tone," Scio growled. "You stand before the Queen of Darkness."

"Ask her for her pardon," Dubito snarled, "and hope she grants it to you."

"Go to hell," the professor replied flatly.

I can't help but like him, Tenebris thought to himself. The way her allies revere her sickens me—it's good to see someone show some spine in the face of her arrogance. Scio and Dubito did not share the unspoken sentiment, as they painfully forced the professor to his knees.

Rikayla knelt down to the professor's level, and he defiantly looked away from her. Rikayla used the haft of her hammer to lift his head and make him look her in the eye.

"If you don't cooperate with us," Rikayla said softly, "the Realm of Madness will becomeyourhell, as it was once mine. But I conquered it—mastered it. And I promise you, you don't have the power to master it, so you'd better wise up and give us what we want.

"My scouts say you were able to translate some inscriptions having to do with an ancient suit of armor."

After a tense moment, the professor spoke: "The black knight, yes. I translated the tablets when your thugs beat me up and put a dagger to my throat. But now I've made my peace—you're not getting anything out of me."

"Old fool," Scio snorted. "Did you think my brother and I would so easily forget what you told us?"

"We don't need you anymore," Dubito sneered. "You're only here because we haven't decided to kill you yet."

"Or how to kill you," the Queen of Darkness grinned. "But Dubito isn't entirely right. I'm keeping you alive because I want to hear the translation from you.

"You see, I know that my scouts are loyal to me. They will follow any command I give. Soon, all of the sixteen realms will follow their example. Starting with you."

The professor shook his head. "Like I said, I've made my peace. Do your worst."

Rikayla laughed. "So, you're not afraid of a dagger?"

The dark queen went from kneeling to propping herself up on one knee. She tapped her hammer's haft on the stone floor.

"This is the Hammer of Night," she said. "It is far worse than the dagger my scouts threatened you with—a thousand times worse. You have five seconds to start talking before I use it tomakeyou talk."

"Maybe you didn't hear me well earlier. I said, go to he—AAAAAGGGHH!"

Rikayla didn't make even a small move, but the professor was cut off when the Hammer of Night emitted a sinister purple glow and he was lofted into the air, snatched out of the scouts' grip. As he screamed, he began to convulse, and his eyes glowed the same purple as the hammer.

Then, a mass of black smoke went from the head of the Hammer of Night into the professor. His screaming and convulsing suddenly stopped and he dropped to the floor, his veins now glowing purple in addition to his eyes. Tenebris, Scio, and Dubito stood by with mouths agape.

Rikayla stood and then leaned over the professor, squatting rather than kneeling. Her face was only several inches from his.

"Now… tell me," she whispered, her voice seeming to come from everywhere in the throne room.

The professor—eyes never blinking—blankly replied, "The tablets say that when a great power comes to know the black knight, the black knight will forever serve the power that awakens it. The black knight will not be slowed by any sword or club, nor will any shield defend from its might. Only the destruction of the black knight's master will spell its end. Woe to the enemies of the black knight's master."

Tenebris was especially disturbed by the scene. It was like watching a dead man speak.

The Queen of Darkness stood and faced her scouts. "What is the name of this museum where you found the armor?"

"Th—the—" Scio hesitated and cleared his throat. "The Metropolitan Museum of Art, dark one."

"You two, go and fetch Ferra," Rikayla ordered, after which Scio and Dubito rushed out of the Shadow Palace.

"Tenebris," she addressed the remaining ally in the throne room, "we will fetch Magno and Bruta. We're going to gain a powerful asset tonight, and all my allies should witness it."

"Very well," Tenebris replied.

"Kneel and quake before the master of the shadows," the prone professor droned.

Tenebris suppressed a shudder. "What do we do with him?"

"We take him to Ninjago, after I awaken this black knight," Rikayla replied. "We'll leave him for the Green Ninja to find—let them see what awaits all who oppose me."


Glacier Barrens
Ninjago

The Destiny's Bounty could not land on the ice fields of the Glacier Barrens, since it was unclear where there might be unstable ground below the thick snow and ice. Instead, the Bounty laid down in a large lake that probably would not freeze over until midwinter, and its passengers had to cross the remaining mile or so to their destination on foot.

It was absolutely frigid as Lloyd led the Guardians and the other ninja, shivering (except for the robotic and ghostly among them), to the site of the Hypnobrai tomb, where Lloyd first encountered the Serpentine years ago.

"How does anyone live out here in this cold?" Danny asked, teeth chattering. "It's colder than a brass toilet seat on the shady side of an iceberg."

Morro snorted. "Danny, you're the Ice Guardian. How does the cold bother you?"

"Give me a break, dude. I'm also from Alabama."

Mack backed Danny up. "Y'all remember the heat there a couple months ago. It was like somebody turned the thermostat up to 'hell' and broke the knob off."

"Glad I missedthat," Nya quipped.

The group had a hearty laugh and fell back into their silent—save for the shivering and chattering of teeth—walk through the Glacier Barrens.

"How much further, Lloyd?" Mack asked after several more minutes of walking.

"Well, well, well."

The ninja jumped in surprise at the voice behind them. They turned around to see it was Skales, elder of the Hypnobrai tribe, and he appeared to be holding something small, white, and furry by its feet. A wooden bow was strung over his shoulder.

"If it isn't my favorite humans and their unfamiliar friends."

"Not far at all," Lloyd addressed Mack's previous question.

"Uh…" Lloyd pointed to Skales's carry. "What'cha got there, Skales?"

"Ah—" Skales held it up higher, as if to show it off. "Well, itwasa snowball rabbit. But in about an hour, it'll be the main course for me and my wife and son."

Mack smiled and nodded. "My mother loves a good roasted rabbit. Now, when I get home, I can tell her she's not the only one."

"Indeed," Skales beamed before frowning. "Who are you?"

"I'm Mack. Are you one of the Serpentine elders?"

"I am," Skales replied.

Mack took a breath. "Then we need your help—you and your people—to defend Ninjago and the rest of the worlds from the spread of a great shadow."

"I see…" Skales pondered for a moment. "Why don't we step inside and discuss this further? I know you must be cold out here, warm-blooded friends."

"Praise God!" Danny exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

Skales led his guests into the Hypnobrai tomb and handed off the rabbit to his wife Selma, and then led the ninja to a chamber with a firepit. According to Skales, it was one of many such chambers in all of the Serpentine tombs, pursuant to Serpentine tradition of entertaining guests by telling stories around firepits (which the veteran ninja had previously experienced when the Venomari elder Acidicus told them the prophecy of the Golden Master).

After a thorough round of introductions, the ninja explained to Skales and the high-ranking Hypnobrai warriors who also lived in the tomb everything that had happened since New Year's—Morro's redemption, Mack's appearance, the new Guardians, and their imminent battle with Rikayla in nineteen days.

"So, to make sure I've got it straight," Skales said after the ninja got him caught up on the situation, "there's a psycho witch who's going to engulf everything in darkness in less than three weeks, and you need to the Serpentine to fight off her army so you can get to her and stop her."

"Yeah," Mack replied, "that's pretty much it."

Skales nodded firmly. "Well, you've come to the right place. In each tomb, we have a medallion we can use to communicate with the other tribes' elders. I'll use ours to tell the others we need to gather everyone together and start preparing for battle."

Mack frowned. "I thought it would take more convincing than that to gain your support."

"It sounds like without an army, you're toast—and so are we," Skales said frankly. "I don't know you, Green Ninja. But I know that Lloyd trusts you, and that you fight for the survival of our land. And if the Serpentine believe in one thing, it's the honor of the fight for survival."

Mack and Skales shared a look that communicated great mutual respect.

"In that case," Lloyd said, "we'll need to start preparing right away."

"We can use the Stone Army tomb beneath Ninjago City as our gathering place and training ground," Skales offered. "The Serpentine are swift; once I alert the other elders of Ninjago's need, the tribes will be able to convene in the Stone Army tomb within the next two or three days."

Lloyd stood up. "Then we'll see you in three days."

Skales and the rest of the ninja also stood.

"Indeed," Skales replied. "I look forward to taking the battlefield with you all."

"Thank you, Skales," Mack said. "We won't forget this."

Skales asked the ninja to stay at the tomb for dinner, as he wanted his tribe to prepare a great feast to honor the new alliance. After the feast was over and much merriment had been enjoyed, the ninja trekked back to the Destiny's Bounty and set sail to return to Ninjago City.


The Metropolitan Museum of Art; New York City, United States
Earth

"I'm so sick of this night shift crap," one of the night guards at the museum whined.

The guard's complaining was understandable; nothing ever happened on the night shift, and it was excruciatingly boring.

"Two more weeks, man," the guard continued. "Then I officially get moved to the afternoon shift."

"Only reason they move a night shift man is if they've got someone new coming in," another guard noted.

"Exactly, they just hired some shmo yesterday, set to start two weeks from now. The poor son of a—"

Suddenly, the entrance to the museum exploded, and several dark figures walked in as the dust settled.

"Magno and Bruta, take care of the guards," Rikayla ordered. "But don't kill them; let them live to tell the world who was here tonight."

In addition to Magno and Bruta, Rikayla was also accompanied by her other high-ranking allies: Tenebris, Scio, Dubito, and Ferra. They watched the large troll-like creatures easily take out the half dozen museum guards still stunned by the explosion with ease.

"Ha, puny," Magno gloated over one of the unconscious guards.

"Humility, Magno dear, remember?" Bruta admonished her husband.

Rikayla turned to her scouts. "Scio, Dubito—you've been here, you know the place. Lead the way."

"Yes, dark one," Scio bowed. "Ready to take point, brother?"

"After you," Dubito replied.

The twins led the party though the museum to the armor displays, where they eventually reached the medieval section.

"This is the one," Scio said, referring to a display of an eight-foot-tall black suit of thick knight armor, complete with a helmet topped with a large spike.

The adjacent display held a wide claymore, and its information plaque claimed it belonged to the knight. Both displays sported many strange inscriptions, supposedly the ones previously translated by the professor still lying in the floor of the Shadow Palace's throne room.

"Impressive," Rikayla said before touching the palm of her hand to the glass of the display case, which promptly shattered.

She then touched the Hammer of Night to the suit's helmet, and a cold wind rushed through the museum, carrying whispers in the ancient language of the inscriptions. The wind died down, and the knight animated, stepping out of the display. It did not spare Rikayla or her allies a glance; instead, it promptly smashed the adjacent display and retrieved its claymore.

The knight turned toward the group, putting the claymore's point to the floor and kneeling on one knee.

"Who has awakened Milites?" the knight asked in a gravely but strong and deep voice. "Whom may he serve?"

Rikayla tapped the Hammer of Night on the floor. "It was I: Rikayla, Queen of Darkness."

"Pursuant to the words of the wizard who cursed this suit of armor, I will serve Rikayla, the Queen of Darkness until she is destroyed or her power is driven from this suit.

"Name your enemies, my queen, and they shall be vanquished by my hand."

Rikayla smirked. "Rise, Milites."

Milites did as ordered, and Rikayla continued: "The Guardians had better be prepared when they come to face me."


The Ninja Residence; Ninjago City
Ninjago
Saturday November 3, 2018…

Mack gasped and sat upright as he woke up from a nightmarish dream about a black knight. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and caught his breath, looking up at the clock in the room to notice it was 2:09am.

Deciding he needed some fresh air, he pulled on a jacket over his pajamas and made his way outside. When he opened the door to step out onto the porch, he was horrified to see a body at his feet.

"Lord, have mercy," Mack exclaimed.

Before he could react further, the Green Ninja was stunned again when the "body" blankly said, "Kneel and quake before the master of the shadows." When he spoke, Mack noticed that his eyes gave a soft purple glow that could also be seen in his veins.

"Rikayla…" Mack whispered. "What did she do to you?"

He touched the man's arm and immediately recoiled as his mind was filled with images of Rikayla injecting her dark powers into this man. The glow in the man's eyes and veins intensified.

Mack rushed into the house and went straight to Lloyd's room, shaking him awake.

"Huh?" Lloyd stirred. "Mack? What's going on?"

"Something's happened," Mack frantically whispered. "Rikayla left someone on the porch; she put dark energy in his blood, and we need to get rid of it. I think I can pull it out of him, but you have to destroy it."

"What?" Lloyd was more awake now, but still confused.

"Opposing forces," Mack replied. "The power of light and the power of darkness will cancel each other out. I can interact with the darkness without being hurt, so I can pull it out of him while you destroy it.

"Now, come on."

Mack and Lloyd rushed out to the porch, where they found the man Rikayla had left.

"Man," Lloyd gasped. "He looks dead."

"He's not—the darkness in him is torturing him, so let's do this quick."

The man again droned, "Kneel and quake before the master of the shadows."

"That's horrifying," Lloyd shuddered.

"When the darkness is out, blast it," Mack said. "Ready?"

Lloyd nodded.

The Green Ninja closed his eyes, knelt down, and put his hand to the man's chest. With a yell of exertion, Mack ripped a cloud of purple and black out of the man and Lloyd immediately blasted it with a beam of gold light. Both disappeared and the man jerked awake.

"Good job," Mack said.

"You too," Lloyd replied. "What happened to you, sir?"

After catching his breath, the man replied, "I'm a professor at NYU. These…goons came to me, demanding I translate some ancient inscriptions about a magic suit of armor. I did, and they took me through a portal to their leader. I refused to do as she said, and then… I woke up here.

"Where am I? Who are you people?"

"Guardians," Mack said. "We're going to stop her. But first, we'll get you home."

The Super Bolt materialized in Mack's hand, and he extended the other hand to the professor, helping him to his feet. The Green Ninja told the professor to concentrate on where he lived, and the two teleported away.

A minute later, Mack reappeared on the porch. Neither he nor Lloyd said a word; they just went back inside and to their own rooms. Neither slept the rest of the night, both haunted by Rikayla's use of her power to torture an innocent and wondering what she was up to now with this "magic suit of armor."

Mack knew, however, that the suit of armor the professor mentioned was the black knight he had seen in his dream cutting down his loved ones. He made no mention of it, but he did teleport to Earth to silently check on his friends and family before returning to stare at the ceiling until sunrise.


Tomb of the Stone Army
Ninjago
Monday November 5, 2018…

It was just after sunset, and the Serpentine had gathered, just as Skales said they would.

The Serpentine elders had set up an impromptu stage, podium, and curtain at one end of the Stone Army tomb, and the Guardians waited "backstage" for the elders to convene this great meeting of the tribes.

All agreeing that optics were important when they stepped onto that stage, the Guardians wore their colored robes and full armor, and they held their golden weapons at their sides (Lloyd, who lacked a golden weapon, sported a golden katana on his back that was crafted as a gift by the master weapon smiths of the Constrictai tribe).

"Are you nervous?" Kai asked Mack.

"Nope," Mack replied quickly. "We're fighting for a righteous cause; all I have to do is explain why to the Serpentine, and we'll have an army as bought-in as we are."

Danny clapped his good friend on the back. "That's the spirit!"

Acidicus parted the curtain just enough to slither through and speak with the Guardians.

"All of the warriors from all of the tribes are here, and they're ready to hear what you have to say," the raspy voice of the Venomari elder said. "Are you ready, Green Ninja?"

Mack took a deep breath. "Yes."

Acidicus nodded. "Skales will announce you in a few minutes, then you will address them."

After a moment, Acidicus continued. "I am not a warrior—I am much more of a scholar—but my tribe's fighters are among the fiercest of all the Serpentine. They are ready to fight for Ninjago, but you need to convince them that they should also be ready to fight foryou."

Mack pondered this for a few seconds. "I understand. Thank you, elder."

Acidicus and Mack grasped hands, then the Venomari elder followed suit with the rest of the Guardians, showing his respect for the warriors.

"Warriors!" the voice of Skales boomed into the resonant tomb.

"We have gathered in this historic place for two reasons: to begin to prepare for a fight against an enemy who threatens our land, and to hear from the one who will lead us and vanquish that enemy."

As Skales continued his introduction, the Guardians shared looks with each other that communicated something they might not have considered before: this is getting real.

"And so, without any further delay," Skales wrapped up his address, "I present the Guardians and their leader, the Green Ninja."

Mack made eye contact with the other Guardians before passing through the curtain onto the stage, followed closely by the rest. The Serpentine applauded as Mack stepped up to the makeshift podium, flanked by Zee, Kasey, Kai, and Lloyd on his right and Cole, Danny, and Jay on his left.

Wu, Garmadon, Misako, Nya, Morro, and Zane were at the very front of the crowd along with the Serpentine tribe elders.

The room quieted, and Mack let the silence sit for a moment before beginning his speech.

"This tomb has held the most formidable warriors in the history of Ninjago. First, the Stone Army. Today—this very moment—the Serpentine. When we met with Hypnobrai elder Skales, he told me that the Serpentine would be eager to fight for this land, because they believe strongly in the honor of the fight for survival.

"But this is not just a fight for the survival of this world, but all others. Let me be clear. If our enemy, Rikayla, wins the battle on the night of the Apex, November twenty-first—sixteen days from now—everyworld will be plunged into shadows and ruled by this Queen of Darkness.

"She is powerful, she has an army, and she holds all the cards. But she will not win. Rikayla will not win because her army will not be able to stand against the mightiest warriors in the history of this realm. Her warriors fight because she orders them to do so. The warriors before me now fight for their home, their families, each other.

"I will lead this mighty army against the forces of darkness, and together, we will carry forth the light that will outshine this deadly shadow. The light of survival."

The room erupted in cheers, and the Guardians and their friends at the front of the crowd looked at each other with satisfied faces.

"He's an inspiring guy, huh?" Danny lightly elbowed Jay, who smiled and nodded in response.

The tribe elders approached the Guardians on the stage as the crowd was still cheering.

"Congratulations," one of Fangtom's heads said.

"You've won them over," finished the other head.

"Now, we convert this tomb into a training facility and get down to the real work," Skalidor asserted, the most combat-minded of the elders. "An unprepared army isn't any better than no army at all."

The real work of preparing for the final battle against Rikayla's dark forces begun that night in the legendary tomb of the Stone Army.