Birthright

by CASTIKLINE

The story of good vs. evil has been passed down for centuries, but few people still believe in the tale. Unknown to them, across the ocean and on a tiny island waits The Overlord, plotting his revenge. Years before Destiny began to put the final battle into action, The Overlord finally gathered enough strength to make himself a new body. He didn't count on creating a life.

8. 05) SHADOW CHASERS

CHAPTER FIVE
SHADOW CHASERS

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DARK MAGIC OVERWHELMING

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THE SKY WAS A DARK, CLOUDY GRAY, matching the mood that hung over the team like an invisible fog. His mother sat beside him, gently stroking his hair. Beside her was his uncle, silent, though looking relieved to see him open his eyes. And next to Sensei Wu was Zane, who's expression broke into an assuring smile when Lloyd looked at him. Lloyd grunted as he pushed himself into a sitting position with his mother's help, slowly gaining his senses back. He could hear the waves crashing against the shore, the calling of seagulls filling the air; the salty smell of the water hit him, stronger than anything else. Below his hands, the sand was rough, digging into his skin, and he knew it would be a pain to get out of his gi later on. He could taste dry blood in his mouth, left over from the fall that had knocked him out, when he'd bit his tongue upon hitting the ground.

Lloyd winced as the pain caught up with him. His ankle hurt to move, and he could tell it was swollen beneath the black cloth of his pants. He looked up at his mom. "Did I— did I win?" he asked, almost pleading. He already knew the answer. There was no way he defeated The Overlord after being thrown across the beach. He didn't remember getting back up. But he hoped that something had happened, some freak accident that had won the Battle. From the silent stares of his teammates and the tense mood, Lloyd figured it was best not to hope.

"No," Sensei Wu confirmed. "But you're alive."

Lloyd frowned, sitting up further. He turned his head as he felt someone trying to help him up and saw Jay. With his mom and Jay's help, Lloyd managed to get to his feet. "But the prophecy," he said, taking a few steps forward. His leg wobbled underneath him, unable to support his weight with his messed up ankle. He grunted as he fell to the ground. He allowed Jay and his mom to help him up again, ignoring Jay when told to take it easy. "Did we lose the Final Battle?" he asked, limping toward the ocean. Every step sent a jolt of pain to his nerves, but he knew that if he couldn't even walk, he had no chance at a rematch with The Overlord.

Sensei Wu came to stand beside him. "What's important is, we didn't lose you," he said, turning to face Lloyd. Lloyd looked away, turning around to walk back toward the team. His eyes landed on Jay, Cole, Kai, and Zane, who looked relatively unhurt, just exhausted. His mother gave him a sad smile from beside Zane, still trying to lighten the mood. Dr. Julien was sitting near a log, covering something with a blanket that Lloyd recognized from Hiro's sleeping spot. And Hiro . . .

Lloyd's stomach dropped. He took steps in the direction of Dr. Julien, praying — he never prayed. He wasn't religious in the slightest — that whatever Dr. Julien was covering wasn't dead. He stumbled, once again hitting the sand. Jay and Kai ran over and pulled him to his feet. "Lloyd—?"

"What happened? Where's— where's Hiro, is he okay?" Lloyd asked, looking at Jay, as he knew Kai didn't care about Hiro's life the way Lloyd did. None of the Ninja did, really, except maybe Zane, who had been kind to him from the beginning, if not a little suspicious at first. Then again, hadn't they all been? Even Lloyd had jumped into the battle with Hiro with the intent of hurting him. But then he'd stopped Hiro from making Jay go flying, and he'd caught Hiro's first . . . and in Hiro's eyes he saw a boy who didn't know why he was being attacked, who didn't know what was going on, who didn't know who to trust. None of the others would understand that feeling like Lloyd did.

"Easy," Kai said, pulling Lloyd's attention toward him. "He was hurt during the fight, but he's alive. He's sleeping. Dr. Julien is just checking his wound."

"What happened?" Lloyd demanded, allowing Jay and Kai to help him get closer to Hiro. He sat on the log, a few feet away from Hiro, who was mostly covered by the dark green blanket that had once belonged to Lloyd. His face was barely visible, but from what Lloyd could see, he was pale and shivering. Lloyd reached out to him, then stopped, realizing he would probably fall off the log and hurt both of them. "Is he sick? Is he going to live?" he asked quietly, not wanting to think about the possibility of Hiro dying due to Lloyd's fight.

"He was stabbed by a Stone Warrior," Zane explained, coming to stand behind Lloyd. "He ran to The Overlord after you were hurt. Shiro almost killed him."

"You should've seen it!" Jay exclaimed. "The Overlord was telling Shiro to kill us, or at least kill Kai, and Shiro was like 'nice try, Dad! That won't work on me!' and then he, like, closed his fists and The Overlord started screaming! But then I saw a Stone Warrior running up to him and I tried to warn him, but he couldn't stop it in time. He got hurt, and then The Overlord did the same thing to you and send him flying across the beach! It was pretty intense," Jay finished, smiling sheepishly when Lloyd shot him a look.

"We had to cauterize to wound," Dr. Julien added solemnly. "He would have died if we hadn't. He lost a lot of blood."

Lloyd frowned, eyebrows furrowing. He turned his head to look at Kai, who looked away, jaw clenched. Lloyd nodded, sending him a silent thank you as he turned back to Dr. Julien. "But he's going to be okay?"

Dr. Julien hesitated. "He will be, yes. But it will take time to heal from the wound, physically and mentally. I don't want to wake him, but he asked that we wake him up once you were awake." It was clear that he was giving Lloyd the choice. Even if Lloyd didn't think Hiro needed to sleep in, who was he to argue against a doctor, medical or otherwise?

Lloyd shook his head. "Let him rest," he ordered, looking at Hiro. "And someone bring him another blanket, please." He didn't have to turn around to know Zane was the one who had left to get another blanket from the Bounty. "No one wake him. He needs to heal. We'll let him sleep until we have a plan."

"But he's usually the one making those," Cole muttered. Lloyd sighed.

At Dr. Julien's request, he moved to the other side of the log, propping up his leg so Zane's father could wrap it. The pain was still there, still blazing every time Lloyd moved, but he forced himself to ignore it. If he could push past the pain and pretend it didn't bother him, he had a better chance at fighting The Overlord again. Though when that would happen, he didn't know. They were stuck on an island that wasn't on any map — there was no land outside of Ninjago, according to his father, a faint memory from when he was still around — and had no way of getting back home, if there was even a home to get back to. For all Lloyd knew, The Overlord had already won.

He was beginning to feel hopeless.

Lloyd winced as Dr. Julien began to bandage his leg. He looked away and saw the rest of the team standing near the shoreline, everyone looking out toward Ninjago. The sun had risen into the sky, showing that it was late morning now. Lloyd didn't know how long it had been since The Overlord left the island, but he wasn't feeling optimistic about their timing. Here they were on an island across the sea with no way home — a historian, a sensei, a scientist (all of who were, and excuse his word choice, old), five ninja (one of who had a severe injury), and a powerful teenager who was passed out from blood loss and probably had a horrible burn to go with his troubles. Ninjago was, for lack of a better word, doomed. There was nothing Lloyd could do. He'd failed.

Lloyd always thought he was a failure, and if he didn't think it, he was told so. First his mom abandons him — for good reason, but at the time, he was four and left on the doorstep of a boarding school. Then, when he learned he had an uncle, he wondered why Sensei Wu never tried to reach out to him. Then, at eleven, Darkley's Boarding School for Bad Boys, the only home he had ever known, told him that he wasn't evil enough to be in their school. So he wasn't good enough for his mom or uncle, and he wasn't evil enough to be on his dad's side. A failure on all fronts. A troublesome kid who no one wanted.

Maybe that's why the Serpentine felt like home, at least for a little while. Some of Lloyd's fondest memories were still with Pythor. Sometimes he wondered if he and Pythor could have been friends, had Pythor not betrayed him. It was the best thing that had happened to Lloyd, as it lead to reuniting with his dad and meeting his future brothers, but the pain of losing a friendship after becoming so hopeful that the feeling of being alone would go away still stung, even months later.

Lloyd stared down at his leg as Dr. Julien finished wrapping it. "Can I still fight?" he asked, though he had a feeling he knew the answer.

Dr. Julien sighed, sitting back. "I'm sorry. That leg will take weeks to heal," he admitted.

"We don't have weeks!" Lloyd exclaimed. Dr. Julien frowned, leaning forward to make sure the bandages were on tight. Lloyd flinched.

"And we can't even get to the fight!" Kai shouted from near the ocean. Lloyd looked up, startled. Cole, Jay, and Zane sat side-by-side, with Misako and Sensei Wu standing beside them. Kai stood in front of them, scowling. Lloyd hadn't heard what was said, but he was definitely getting Kai's end of the conversation. "Much less get off this island!"

Dr. Julien offered a hand to help Lloyd up. Lloyd looked back at Hiro, seeing that he'd seemed to stop shivering now that he had another blanket. He nodded in satisfaction, allowing Dr. Julien to help him up. With Dr. Julien's help, Lloyd limped over to the team, catching Zane's words to Jay. "—best to think of our friends as we remember them in our hearts, not as they are now."

Lloyd frowned. "But I don't remember my father any other way," he said. His memories of his childhood were fuzzy. Not in the more recent years, like of him releasing the Serpentine — even though the boy who did that felt like a completely different person than who Lloyd was now — but in his former years. He remembered his father's face once the full transformation was complete; he remembered never being scared of his dad, even when he learned about his destiny. He remembered feeling loved when he was younger, and alone when he was older. Lloyd's memories were vague, but they were there, just below the surface. He's not sure he wants to remember everything about his childhood, though.

"Your father loved you," his mother assured. She frowned, looking wistful. "It was the evil of the Great Devourer that corrupted him."

"Sensei, I don't understand," Kai cut in. "The prophecy said the Green Ninja would defeat the Dark Lord." He tossed a rock into the water, grunting. It skipped four times before sinking to the bottom. Kai looked at Sensei Wu. "Why didn't we win?"

"I . . . don't know," Sensei Wu said, sounding just as lost as Lloyd felt. He hung his head, making Lloyd feel a little guilty. If he had just been stronger, this wouldn't be happening. If he hadn't hesitated when he'd first faced his father, back in the woods before the countdown ended, Hiro wouldn't be hurt and the team wouldn't feel so helpless. It was all his fault.

"There must be some message to learn," Kai argued, talking over Jay, who had protested Sensei not knowing what had happened. "A lesson. A word of wisdom. Just a word? Something!" Kai pleaded.

Sensei sighed. "For once, I'm afraid there is nothing to learn. Only that . . . evil has one," he finally admitted.

Lloyd looked out over the ocean, past the towering rocks that jutted out of the water, his eyes trained on the dark gray fog that surrounded Ninjago. His home. Their home. Despite all the bad memories, despite the kidnapping, despite being abandoned, Lloyd's home had always been in Ninjago. He remembered sneaking out of Darkley's with Brad late at night, just to feel rebellious, and going into the city to steal from candy stores. He remembered being taken in by the Ninja, told he was a nuisance, but still looking up to them anyway. He remembered learning about his destiny for the first time and being terrified, yet wondering if he could truly make Ninjago safe for everyone. He remembered making the sacrifice to grow up too fast so the city would have the Ninja to rely on. Lloyd remembered it all. He wanted to make sure the others did, too.

With a rush of determination, he began speaking, the words tumbling out of his mouth faster than his brain could keep up. "If Sensei doesn't have a lesson, then I do." He moved away from Dr. Julien, lifting his leg so he could hop. "I used to be nothing but trouble, but then I met you guys." He turned away from them, hoping they couldn't see the expression of pain on his face. "You took me in, showed me the importance of being brave, the importance of being strong. And most importantly, being good." He stepped down on his bandaged leg and winced, turning back to the team. "When this battle first began, when the First Spinjitzu Master fought the Overlord and his back was up against the wall and he knew it was all over, did he quit? No." Lloyd helped Cole and Jay to their feet. "He found a way to keep the fight going. He passed his Elemental Powers to us. Of all people, a bunch of kids. But there must have been a reason he chose us."

Lloyd turned, looking back toward Hiro. There must have been a reason that his grandfather chose Hiro, too. Maybe Hiro didn't have Elemental Powers, maybe the First Spinjitzu Master didn't know about his existence, and maybe Hiro wasn't meant to be here, at this moment, but he was. And he was going to stay, if Lloyd had anything to say about it. "I'd like to think it's because he knew we'd never back down, we'd never give up." He looked back toward the team. "We've learned the ancient ways of the ninja. And ninja never quit."

His words hung over the group for a moment. Lloyd was afraid he hadn't been inspirational enough, but then Kai said, "He's right. If that means we have to swim the sea to get off this island, then so be it." Before anyone could protest, he began walking into the water. Lloyd wondered if anyone was going to tell Kai that it was called the Endless Sea for a reason.

"The entire ocean?" Jay complained, going on to mumble something Lloyd couldn't hear.

"Well, if you've got a better plan . . ." Cole said, sighing. Lloyd chewed his bottom lip nervously. They didn't have a better plan. Hiro probably could have come up with one, but he was still out of commission. And they couldn't swim with him, if not because he was passed out, then because his wound would probably get infected.

"I don't, but he may," Zane spoke up. He smiled, pointing at the Falcon as it flew over the team.

"Ooh, the Falcon!" Dr. Julien said. "He must have found something!"

"So let's follow it!" Jay exclaimed, looking enthusiastic now that they didn't need to swim. "We don't have any time to lose!"

"Wait!" Lloyd interjected. He turned his head to look back. He couldn't see Hiro behind the log anymore, but he could see the edge of the blanket. "What about Hiro? We can't just leave him here. What if he wakes up and thinks we forgot about him?"

"Good riddance?" Kai suggested. Lloyd turned a sharp glare onto him. He shrugged.

"Lloyd is right," Sensei Wu said, his tone leaving no room for argument. He looked at Dr. Julien. "What is your opinion?"

Dr. Julien sighed, looking back at Hiro. "I don't think we should wake him unless absolutely necessary," he admitted. "I'll stay behind to watch over him."

"Are you sure?" Misako asked. "I can stay behind if you wish."

Dr. Julien waved his hand. "No, no. Like I said before, I'm getting too old to keep up. It'll be better if I stay here."

Lloyd nodded. He looked back at Hiro one last time, heart hurting as he remembered that Hiro was only hurt because of him. Then he allowed Kai and Jay to help him over to Kai's fire mech, wondering what the Falcon would lead them to.

Lloyd didn't hope for much. He only hoped Hiro and Dr. Julien would be safe while the team was gone.

( BIRTHRIGHT — LEGACY OF THE GREEN NINJA )

Cold. Dark. Empty.

Cold. Dark. Empty.

Cold. Dark. Empty.

Hiro repeated the words as he looked around the blank space that surrounded him. He couldn't see a thing, and for a moment he feared he was back in the prison of darkness. But his senses told him that this was just a dream — on the outside, he could feel sand digging its way underneath his nails. He could feel something soft and warm, like a blanket, brushing against his cheek. Voices filtered in and out — Lloyd, Dr. Julien, Zane. Hiro tried to call out to them, but no sound left his mouth. Maybe he wasn't trapped by his father, but if he didn't wake up soon, he was going to be stuck in a darkness of his own making.

Hiro didn't know if his eyes were open or not. It was dark either way.

Then a face appeared out of the darkness. No, not a face — just two eyes, both vibrant purple. An unsettling laugh came from the direction of the eyes, sending a chill down Hiro's spine. He glared in the direction of his father's laugh, wanting to scream at him.

A golden dragon appeared out of nowhere, flying in front of the eyes. His father hissed, calling out to the light. "Lloyd . . ."

"No," Hiro muttered, finally finding his voice. "No! Lloyd!"

"Lloyd!" Hiro shouted, eyes snapping open. He pushed himself up, throwing his arms out to catch himself on a log in front of him. His eyes landed on the white shirt Zane had brought out hours before. He took off the blanket long enough to put it on, fighting back tears from the pain that threatened to overwhelm him. Then he pulled himself up, breathing heavily, and saw that no one was on the beach. His heart dropped, eyes darting around wildly. The sun had fully risen now, most likely to noon. The Destiny's Bounty was still on the beach, nothing more than a wreak. But other than that, Hiro was alone. There was no team. There was no Lloyd. Had his father gotten them all? Had The Overlord won?

Hiro began to panic. He moved his knees under himself, ignoring the burning pain that raced up from his shoulder to his face. With shaking legs and arms, he managed to stand, leaning down to hold onto the log for support. He lifted the blanket out of the sand and pulled it around his shoulders, breathing hard. Every time he moved, he felt exhaustion pull at his eyes. "Lloyd! Wu! Zane? Anyone?" he called, voice horse and tired. He hadn't even been awake for thirty seconds and he was already ready to drop to the ground again. "Hello?"

His eyes caught sign of movement. Hiro turned to the Bounty and saw Dr. Julien rushing outside. "Dr. Julien?" he said weakly, taking a few steps toward the older man. When it was clear that he couldn't walk, Hiro sat down hard, back pressed against the log. "Where is everyone?" he asked as soon as Dr. Julien was near him. "Are they okay? Where's Lloyd? What happened?" he pleaded, needing answers.

"Relax, Avashiro, relax," Dr. Julien soothed. "The Falcon is showing them to a way off the island. Lloyd wanted you to remain behind to heal. They'll be back to get us soon," he promised. Hiro processed that, slowly relaxing as he took in the words. Everyone was safe. His father hadn't killed them. They were alive, and they were going to come back soon. He was annoyed that he wasn't woken up earlier, when Lloyd had been, but he understood it was a hopeless request considering his injury. "You've been asleep for a few hours. I didn't expect you to wake up so soon. I would have preferred if you had rested longer. You need to heal," Dr. Julien scolded.

"I had a . . . a dream," Hiro told him, not wanting to admit that he'd had a nightmare. "My father. Lloyd . . . There was no ending." He covered his face with the blanket. "Why wasn''t there an ending?" he asked, lowering his hands.

Dr. Julien nodded. "Sometimes our fears influence our sleep, Avashiro. You just experienced something very traumatic. It makes sense that your father would haunt your dreams. And Lloyd is your friend, so him being there also makes sense. I'm sure it didn't mean anything."

Hiro nodded, though he wasn't sure he agreed. He didn't remember his dreams from childhood, but he knew that they were nothing like the ones he was having now — they were nothing like visions. Maybe it was because he was still connected with his father. Maybe when his father was dead, the visions would stop. For now, it seemed that whenever he closed his eyes, he was going to be pulled into a real thing that was going to happen or was happening. Hiro wasn't sure if he liked it or not — on one hand, he could eavesdrop on important conversations, or be able to see the outcome in the future. On the other, he didn't want to be seeing his father any more than he had to.

"How long ago did they leave?" he asked, looking around. With his back to the ocean, he couldn't see much besides the forest in front of him. "Do you know when they'll be back?"

Dr. Julien shook his head. "I'm afraid not. They left, hm, about twenty minutes ago. They were following the Falcon."

Hiro frowned. "You all put too much faith in that bird," he muttered. Dr. Julien chuckled.

"I suppose we do, but from what I hear he's never lead the Ninja astray." He frowned. "I'm going to get you some food so you can gather your strength. I'll be right back," he said. Hiro shifted for a moment, alreadyuncomfortable at the thought of being alone again, but he nodded anyway. He trusted Dr. Julien enough not to run off without telling Hiro where he was going; he just didn't want to be alone again. It was bad enough not knowing where Lloyd and the others were when he woke up. If Dr. Julien went missing, Hiro wasn't sure he could stand long enough to go find him.

Hiro settled against the log, slowly relaxing so he wouldn't accidently hurt himself. His shoulder still hurt, but if he didn't move, it was a dull pain rather than a burning sensation. It was going to be a struggle to fight against his father and the Stone Army with his shoulder, but Hiro would do it. Once the fight was over, he could rest, but only then.

Dr. Julien came back out with two small rectangular-shaped foods wrapped in plastic. He handed one to Hiro, who stared at it in confusion. "It's a granola bar," Dr. Julien said helpfully. Hiro watched the doctor open his own bar and copied the motion. "Lots of nutrients. Very healthy."

Hiro shrugged, taking a bite. He wrinkled his nose when he tasted how dry it was, but since this was the only thing he'd been offered, he kept eating it. When he was done, he brushed his hands on the blanket, getting rid of the crumbs. Dr. Julien took his trash from him, saying something about protecting the ocean. Hiro didn't pay attention — he looked around, trying to spot the team. The only sound around them was the calling of birds. If the team was coming back soon, they were certainly being stealthy.

That was until Hiro heard what sounded like a large pair of wings flapping toward them. He frowned, sharing a look with Dr. Julien before getting to his feet, using the log to push himself up. His eyes traveled toward the sky, settling up a large animal flying above the island and coming toward them. It was so massive that it covered Hiro and Dr. Julien in its shadow as it began to lower onto the beach.

"What the fuck?" Hiro muttered, looking up at the beast.

"Language," Dr. Julien scolded. "It's only a dragon."

"Only a dragon," Hiro repeated. Dr. Julien acted like it was a perfectly normal thing for a dragon to descend from the skies.

The large white beast flapped its large wings as it slowly came down upon them. The four heads had different colored markings, showing that each head was different, and each one probably had a different power. The wings had claws at the main joints, bright orange and shinning in the sun. On top of the dragon, Hiro saw the Ninja, who looked tiny on the back of a large animal. When the dragon reached the ground, Zane and Cole jumped down, waving at them wildly.

"Come on," Dr. Julien encouraged, offering his arm for support. Hiro shook his head, choosing to move forward on his own. Embarrassingly enough, he was slower than Dr. Julien was. He watched the doctor run to meet his son in the middle of the beach. Cole stayed a little ways away from the pair, so Hiro reluctantly headed in his direction. Cole didn't seem all too bothered by that, which was a plus, but Hiro wasn't exactly cheering when he saw that Lloyd wasn't with the team on top of the dragon. He frowned, moving to stand next to Cole so he could get a better view of the dragon.

"His name's Ultra," Cole told him, smiling brightly at the dragon.

"Right. Where's Lloyd?" Hiro asked. Cole was smiling. The team didn't look sad. That had to mean that Lloyd was alive.

Cole waved his hand. "He'll be here soon. He's trying to get used to flying with the Golden Mech and his broken leg."

Hiro took a step back. "His leg is broken? How is he supposed to fight like that?"

Cole nodded. "Yeah, he broke it when he was thrown by The Overlord. It'll be fine, though, Shiro. We found a way for him to fight." Despite his worries, Hiro nodded. He had to trust the Ninja enough to have found a good solution to Lloyd's problem. If he couldn't trust them with that, he didn't know if he could trust them at all. "How's your shoulder?" Cole asked. Hiro shrugged, pulling the blanket tighter around his chest. "Does it hurt?"

"I can fight," Hiro said stiffly.

Cole frowned. "That's not what I asked, Shiro. I asked if you're still hurting."

"I'm fine," Hiro insisted. Cole shook his head but didn't argue. Hiro wondered why he cared so much in the first place.

"Just . . . don't strain yourself," he finally said, walking away. Hiro crossed his arms, then winced and quickly undid the action. He looked up at the dragon once more, seeing that the rest of the team was dismounting, before heading over to Zane and Dr. Julien.

"It's good to see you awake, Shiro," Zane greeted, smiling at him. Hiro nodded once. "Lloyd will be here soon. He's doing a quick lap around the island to get used to the Golden Mech while we came to pick up you and my father." Hiro nodded once more.

"That's good to hear," Hiro said pleasantly, though he'd rather be anything but. He needed to see Lloyd now, just to make sure he was okay. "Where'd you guys go?"

"The Temple of Light!" Zane told him. He launched into an explanation about their side quest — using the Fire Mech to climb the mountain, realizing that their Elemental Blades could be used to unlock the door that lead to the Golden Mech. How Lloyd was the only one able to use it, as he was the Green Ninja and it was Destiny. How Ultra had showed up just in time to help them get back to Ninjago. How Lloyd decided to take the Golden Mech for a spin while the team collected Dr. Julien and Hiro, and how they were all going to fly to Ninjago and stop The Overlord once and for all.

"We would have woken you, but Lloyd ordered us not to," Jay added, coming up behind Zane. Hiro jumped, not having seen him.

"Yeah. Dr. Julien told me," he said. He looked around, seeing that Wu and Misako were speaking with Dr. Julien; he spotted Cole heading into the Bounty, probably to get whatever food was left for the journey (as Hiro didn't see any other reason for him to go in); Kai was standing a few feet away from the ocean, arms crossed, expression distant as he took in the dark cloud surrounding Ninjago, visible even from across the water.

Hiro shifted, the burning pain on his skin growing hotter. He really didn't want to approach Kai, but without the hotheaded, temperamental, spiteful ninja, there was a chance that Hiro wouldn't be alive. The least he could do was thank Kai for what he had done to save him, even if they'd both rather not remember it. He waved to Jay and Zane before taking a deep breath and making his way to the shore.

He stepped beside Kai, holding his breath. He saw Kai glance at him out of the corner of his eye, but neither made a move to look at each other. This was the worst idea Hiro had ever had — what was he thinking, trying to make nice with someone who hated him? He should've never come over. But now that he was here, walking away would just make things even weirder. And the longer he went without saying anything, the more likely it was that Kai was going to snap at him.

". . . Thanks," Hiro finally forced out. "For helping me. You saved my life."

After a beat of silence, Kai scoffed. "Yeah. Whatever. Just try not to switch sides," Kai told him, but there was no real hatred behind the words. Honestly, Kai just sounded . . . tired. Hopeless, even. Far more than anyone else on the team did, anyway. Hiro felt a twinge of sympathy, his eyes darting to the side as an awkward air fell over the two of them. This was the moment where Hiro was supposed to roll his eyes and tell Kai to go fuck himself. This was the moment he was supposed to glare at Kai and tell him he's the worst.

Instead, he simply sighed. They maybe have had their own little war going on, but there were much bigger things at stake, and he had a feeling that Kai understood that. He nodded, walking away from Kai and heading over to Ultra, studying him. He knew what the plan was — Lloyd would get to Ninjago in the Golden Mech, whatever that was, and Hiro would go with the team on Ultra. But that plan didn't sit well with him — Hiro didn't want to go with the Ninja. He definitely didn't want to be stuck on a dragon while flying over the ocean. But there was no other way for him to travel with them — no Bounty, no portal, no path. Hiro had to chose the eviler option, or else he'd be left behind. He didn't have much of a choice.

A loud noise drew his attention. He looked up at the sky and shielded his eyes as a giant golden being entered his vision, the sun reflecting off the golden armor of a large mech. Hiro closed his eyes tightly, the brightness too overwhelming. Seconds later, the noise — fire coming out of thrusters, Hiro would later learn — died out and the Ninja began cheering for Lloyd. Hiro just barely opened his eyes, seeing Lloyd climb down the mech. His leg was wrapped in bandages, showing that he really had been hurt. Hiro frowned.

He waited for the team to greet Lloyd before heading over himself. Once Wu and Misako had moved on to talk with the rest of the team, Hiro approached Lloyd, hesitant. Lloyd's expression lit up the moment he saw that Hiro was awake. He limped over and pulled Hiro into an almost bone-crushing hug. Hiro squeaked, but if anyone asked, he'd say it was because he was losing air, and Lloyd was somehow really strong and also not letting go of him.

Lloyd pulled back only slightly. "You're awake?" he asked, seeming to finally realize it.

"I'm glad you're okay," Hiro admitted. He took a step back, shifting uneasily. "You should've woken me up."

"You're hurt," Lloyd argued.

"So are you," Hiro countered. Lloyd huffed, looking annoyed that Hiro had used his own argument against him. "Just tell me how we're going to get to Ninjago. You have the Golden Mech, they have the dragon . . ."

Lloyd smirked. "What, you don't want to ride Ultra? He really likes strangers, I promise. He's like a puppy," Lloyd explained.

"It's not the dragon I'm worried about," Hiro said quietly, nodding to the Ninja. "Not really looking to get thrown off a dragon today."

"Hiro," Lloyd scolded. Hiro bit back a grin. "The only other option is that I carry you there with the Mech." Hiro's gaze shifted from Lloyd to the Golden Mech, which towered over them, menacing. He frowned, shaking his head. Lloyd sighed. "I promise Ultra isn't as scary as he looks. And Sensei, my mom, Zane, and Dr. Julien aren't going to allow the other three to be mean, if anyone can get past their fear of the Final Battle." Hiro nodded, knowing Lloyd was right.

If anyone can get past their fear of the Final Battle. Was it even the Battle that they feared? It seemed like the Ninja had been excited to see Lloyd fight Garmadon, but now they were afraid because Lloyd had to fight The Overlord instead. Garmadon would have shown his son mercy, and Hiro was sure the Ninja were looking forward to him getting his ass kicked. But now that Garmadon had been possessed by a being of no mercy — a source of darkness — they were afraid for their friend's — brother's — life.

"You coming?" Lloyd asked, seeing that Hiro had begun to look distant, his expression changing to be closed-off. Hiro wouldn't meet his eyes. "Hiro. You are coming with us, right? Because I'm not letting you stay here after everything that's happened. It wouldn't be fair," Lloyd insisted. Hiro fidgeted, crossing his fingers together and then pulling them apart as he thought about what to say.

"My dad has hurt people. A lot of your friends think that I'm just like him," Hiro muttered. He finally met Lloyd's eyes. "If you want me to leave the team, if you want me to stay here, I will. Maybe your friends are right about me being trouble. Now that my father is more powerful, there's no telling what he could do. What if he makes me hurt you?"

Lloyd took a step forward, which made Hiro feel guilty considering his condition. The blond took Hiro's hands into his own, and Hiro felt startled enough not to pull away. "Hiro, you're on our team. Whoever your father is doesn't matter. You've never betrayed us, and I don't think you're going to start now. If your dad tries to play a dirty trick, you will resist him. I trust you. I want you on this team. I want you to fight with us. You're good, and good always defeats evil." He frowned, looking down but not letting go of Hiro's hands. "But if you don't want to—"

"No, I'm on your team," Hiro cut in. Lloyd looked up, smiling brightly. Hiro tsked, looking away. Lloyd was still holding his hands. "You don't have to be so cheesy about it. A simple I want you here would have sufficed." He looked at Lloyd again and was surprised to see red Lloyd's face had got.

"Yeah, well, I, uh—" Lloyd stammered.

"Hey!" Jay shouted, catching their attention. Lloyd quickly let go of his hands, leaving Hiro with a twinge of disappointment. "Are we saving Ninjago or what?"

"Or what," Hiro muttered.

"Come on," Lloyd said, chuckling. "I hope you know how to deal with heights."

( BIRTHRIGHT — LEGACY OF THE GREEN NINJA )

As it turns out, Hiro doesn't know how to deal with heights.

The feeling of being in the air, weightless, relying on a dragon controlled by people who don't like your existence didn't sit well with Hiro the entire journey from the Dark Island to Ninjago. But with the only other option being to be held in a giant hand of the Golden Mech, Hiro decided to take the less embarrassing option. Which lead to him sitting between Misako and Jay, his eyes covered to avoid the sight of the water so, so far below them. If Ultra made any sudden moves, Hiro thought he might fall off.

Lloyd flew alongside Ultra, the Golden Mech like fire in the sunlight, even with the cloud of darkness growing thicker the closer the got to Ninjago. The cloud was so dark that Hiro couldn't see anything below it, which made him wonder how they were going to find the city. If they exposed themselves too early, there was a chance that The Overlord could gain an advantage over them by knowing they were there before they should reveal themselves.

"I see Ninjago!" Kai yelled, leaning forward to point at the city. "We're not far away!" Hiro's eyes followed the direction Kai was pointing in. From below the black clouds, a light purple glow could be seen, barely visible in the faded sunlight. Was that truly Ninjago City? Hiro didn't see how it could be anything else.

With Lloyd leading the charge, Ultra descended through the clouds.

The city was coated in grey, the thick cloud above blocking out any sunlight. The buildings that the city was composed off were huge, towering, imposing even while on a dragon. But in the middle of the city was a large building, higher than any of the others, with a purple glow coming from the top. The Golden Mech was the brightest light in the whole city, drawing Hiro's attention even more than it already had. There was a silence over the city, heavy, and it gave Hiro a bad feeling — there was something terrible happening, and yet there were no screams of terror. Hiro found it unlikely that everyone had managed to escape in time.

Ninjago City was nothing like Hiro had imagined it would be. It almost seemed worse than the island.

"What is that thing?" Kai asked, sounding horrified.

"Garmatron," Wu said gravely. Hiro looked over the side of Ultra, making sure he didn't accidently nudge Jay. Far, far below the team, the Stone Warriors stood, preparing for battle. The bottom of the fortress was surrounded by a rock wall with no opening. Lloyd was going to have to break through the wall.

Lloyd flew down, heading away from Garmatron. Ultra flew after him, the sound of his wings loud in the silence of the city. He landed on a wide street beside Lloyd, who stayed in the Mech as the team dismounted Ultra. Hiro decided to stay on, not wanting to risk getting his shoulder hurt again (and not because he didn't know how to get off a dragon and he didn't want to accept any help). He watched Kai, Cole, and Jay look around the corner, watching for any threats coming their way. Hiro looked at each building that surrounded them, seeing a floral shop, abandoned in the corner. For some reason, that made him feel sad.

"Not exactly the city you were expecting, huh?" Lloyd asked. Hiro looked up at him. He shrugged. "It's not always like this."

"I figured," Hiro muttered. He sighed. "Let's just get this place back to how it was before."

Hiro's gaze shifted from Lloyd to the top of the tower. He squinted at the purple glow that emitted from the top of Garmatron, wondering what was going on up there. He didn't have to wonder for every long, because as soon as Cole said something about The Overlord being frightened to see the team, the form of a large dragon appeared at the top of the fortress. Hiro glared in the direction of his father as a powerful roar came out of him. Seconds later, a blast of Dark Matter headed toward the team's direction. Hiro watched it hit the road, using his powers to make the team move back a few inches so they wouldn't get hit with it.

"Is that the look you were hoping for?" Zane asked.

"Zane," Jay began, "no."

"The metamorphosis is complete. The Overlord's changed into his original form," Misako told them, pointing at the dragon.

Lloyd cleared his throat. "So . . . can you—"

"No, Lloyd. I cannot turn into a dragon," Hiro deadpanned. Lloyd nodded, looking only slightly amused.

"We have my father's Golden Mech," Wu said, pulling Hiro's attention away from Lloyd. "We have to draw their fire to help Lloyd use the Mech against The Overlord." Hiro nodded, feeling a little nervous about going up against the Stone Army and his father with nothing put a dragon and some Elemental Blades. Sure, he had his powers, but would that even be enough to protect Lloyd? What if they failed, and evil won after all? Endings aren't supposed to be set in stone until they're finished being written. Hiro feared that the team's ending was being rewritten every few minutes.

"Hiro," Lloyd said, getting his attention. He looked up at him. "We're going to win this. You just have to have hope."

Hiro nodded once and looked away, chewing his bottom lip. Hope was a false ideology.

The rest of the team got back onto Ultra, Wu at the reins. This time, Hiro sat in Jay's spot, wanting a quick way to get off Ultra if the time called for it. They flew low, heading for the wall that surrounded Garmatron. Kozu stood at the top of the wall, swords pointed at them. Hiro couldn't hear what he was saying, but he guessed that he was giving orders to the army. From behind the wall, an orange glow began to appear, almost like fire.

With a start, Hiro realized that it was fire. At Kozu's order, four balls of fire flew toward Ultra and the team. The team screamed as the fire headed for them; Hiro clamped his mouth shut, then closed his eyes when Wu made Ultra do a flip mid-air to avoid the fireballs. His stomach dropped when Ultra pulled up to avoid crossbow arrows headed for him, and he gripped the back of Zane's gi accidently. Zane didn't seem to mind — or notice. Hiro quickly let him go, hoping Zane's indifference was because of the latter reason.

"The Stone Army is protecting its master," Misako told them urgently as they flew high above the army. "They will never let Lloyd get close!"

"Then we need to get close," Wu said.

Hiro's eyes were drawn to Lloyd, who was running up to the wall with a large golden blade drawn. He almost flinched when Lloyd broke through the stone, though there was no reason to as he was so far up and away from the damage. With fascination, he watched Lloyd use the golden blade to sweep a group of Stone Warriors out of his way. The Golden Mech's arms lifted as Lloyd prepared to do Spinjitzu, but one of the arms, the one holding the blade, was shot off. Hiro gasped, eyes snapping toward Nya, who was in a machine attached to the fortress. She began firing multiple times at Lloyd until the Mech fell to the ground. The Stone Warriors began rushing at him.

Hiro stood. Jay and Zane both grabbed his arm. "Shiro, no—" Zane began, but Hiro quickly brushed them off.

"Shut up! I need to help him!"

"It's too dangerous!" Dr. Julien exclaimed.

Hiro growled, tired of the back-and-forth. "I don't know about you, but I'm not letting anything stop me from protecting Lloyd!" Without a second thought, he jumped off of Ultra, his gaze pinned on Lloyd, who was being surrounded by Stone Warriors.

Too late, Hiro realized why the others were trying to stop him. He had no idea how he was supposed to get down to Lloyd without ending up with a dozen broken bones, or being dead on arrival. Hiro's brain scrambled to find a way to save himself, and he remembered what his father had done on the island — rising over the trees with energy. But what if it hadn't been energy? If Hiro was able to make other people fly, then maybe it was possible he could make himself fly. Not by growing wings, not by having that specific power . . . The Overlord had made Hiro's body for himself. That meant Hiro had to have something of his father's, even if he didn't want to.

He placed his hands out in front of him, focusing his energy into his palms. Slowly, it began to feel like they were on fire, warming up from the inside out. Hiro shut his eyes tightly as the ground approached faster, not knowing what he was supposed to do. But then from behind his eyes, he saw a bright purple glow. Hiro's eyes snapped open and he saw that purple energy, the same type The Overlord had used to fly on the Dark Island, was coming out of his hands. Hiro straightened his arms at his sides and pointed his palms down, ignoring the burning, almost unbearable pain in his shoulder, and suddenly he was hovering above the Stone Army.

He wondered if Wu had a name for that kind of power.

Hiro didn't have time to laugh about his achievement. He headed straight for Lloyd, letting the energy die out when he was close enough. He landed just in front of Lloyd, who was on his back, and threw his arms out, sending a group of Stone Warriors flying backward. Hiro grimaced — he'd been too fast, and now his shoulder's pain multiplied. That, and he was beginning to run out of energy. Who knew discovering a new power would do that to you?

"Hiro!" Lloyd shouted. "Right!"

Hiro turned his head to the right, seeing a Stone Warrior headed for him. He sent the Warrior over the wall with a flick of his hand. As it flew, the Warrior dropped his sword.

"Ninja, go!" Hiro looked up as the Ninja jumped from the skies, landing around him and Lloyd with the Elemental Blades drawn. Ultra quickly flew away, leaving the Ninja and Hiro to fight for themselves, not that Hiro could blame the dragon or his fliers. He'd want to run, too.

"You can't just do that, Shiro!" Cole scolded, using his Elemental Blade to push pack a few Stone Warriors.

"Well, sorry for wanting to protect my friend!" Hiro spat. He dove for the Stone Warrior's sword and stood again, just in time to block an incoming attack.

"We're friends?!" Lloyd shouted over the chaos, sounding chipper now that Hiro had admitted it.

"No now, Lloyd!" Jay exclaimed, fighting back a few Stone Warriors of his own.

A roar sounded from atop the fortress. Hiro snarled and thew his opponent to the side so he could look up in peace. With a start, he realized that a blast of Dark Matter was headed toward the team. Hiro quickly took a step back, nearly running into Kai. He turned and helped Lloyd get to his feet as Zane used his Elemental Blade to form a shield of ice. The Dark Matter hit the ice and began to spread around it, but otherwise, nothing was harmed. Hiro almost let out a breath of relief, but then Nya began shooting the ice until it broke, sending shards of ice everywhere. Just as she shot another laser, Kai used his Elemental Blade to send a burst of fire in her direction. The two connected and became a powerful, bright explosion that had everyone, including the Army, shielding their eyes.

Nya growled, retreating back up the building. Hiro looked around, realizing that they were outnumbered.

"Fuck," he said simply, moving in front of Lloyd to defend him against the advancing Stone Warriors.

"I know we've always drawn a crowd, but this is ridiculous!" Jay crowed.

"How can you be making jokes at a time like this?!" Kai asked, sounding almost hysterical.

"Hey, if I'm going down, might as well go down laughing!" Jay countered.

Hiro rolled his eyes. He dodged an incoming attack on the left and switched the sword to his other hand so he could swing at the Stone Warrior, who dropped his sword. Hiro pursed his lips as pain began traveling down his arm but held onto the sword, knowing it was his and Lloyd's only chance. "We are not going down!" he stated loudly, blocking another attack so he could grab the newly abandoned sword. He passed it to Lloyd. We can't go down. Not like this, he added, keeping the words to himself. He wouldn't die because of his father. That wasn't how his story was supposed to end.

"Keep fighting!" Lloyd agreed. "Never give up!" He swung at a Stone Warrior on Hiro's right.

But what if this was how their story was supposed to end?

"Ninja never quit!" Kai shouted.

But Hiro wasn't a Ninja. He wasn't even part of the team.

"Ninja, go!" the Ninja shouted, launching into their Spinjitzu. It didn't last for more than a few seconds, as Nya began shooting at them again, sending all the boys to the ground. As they began to get surrounded again, this time in a more vulnerable position, Hiro was left alone, his father's army beginning to crowd him on all sides. One wrong move, one perfectly timed slash, and Hiro was going to crumble. He was low on energy. He was exhausted. He was hurt, and he could barely fight.

"We're doomed, guys," Jay moaned miserably. Hiro snarled, his sword pointed at a Stone Warrior general who was advancing on him and the team.

If this was how Hiro's story ended, at least he could say he died with a good heart.