It is nighttime in Ninjago City, and the citizens of the city are celebrating the Dragon Day Festival with a parade and dragon dance in the streets, and fireworks are launched up into the sky.
On the streets below, a figure with a kabuki mask, like the ones worn by the performers to disguise themself, wearing gold details over gray snuck into an alleyway where they met up with some more masked figures in the Ninjas colors, white, black, pink, gray, red, purple, green, blue and cyan, and climbed the building, a billboard, line down and jumped onto in a rail of a train as they jumped over a train and then jump off the railing as they hang onto the highway.
The gold-masked person looked up and raised his hand for his team to stop as police cars zoomed past as they jumped onto the highway as the white one passed a big grapple gun to the gold one as he aimed it at Borg's tower and launched the hook.
The eight then zip lined up to Borg's tower and landed on a balcony as the gold person used one of his red swords to cut a perfect circle in the window as the red and black one quickly caught the glass so it wouldn't break and give away their position as they carefully moved it aside.
The Ten entered the room, which held masks, weapons and other artifacts like some the Ninja encountered in the past as they searched around the place. The eight then regrouped, seemingly unable to find what they were after, until the Gold one looked at them to keep searching until he noticed the picture of Cyrus Borg.
The gold-masked one then cut the picture to reveal a hidden vault holding a red demonic mask with white markings and yellow eyes and fang-like teeth as the white-masked man was about to grab it, but the gold one stopped him before throwing some powder, revealing lasers around the mask.
The gold-masked man then drew his two swords as he carefully angeled and stuck them to reflect the lasers as he pulled the mask out and showed it to his team as the blue-masked man cheered as the white one retrieved the swords, but at that moment, the alarms went off as soon as the swords were removed and the windows are then sealing themselves in.
The gold one turned to the white as he took his sword back as the eight of them ran out the way they came as the blue masked slide to the ground as he narrowly escaped before they were sealed in as he took a breather and stood up.
But then they heard the sound of Spinjitzu and looked around before the Blue was spun around by a gold tornado that zoomed past him and then knocked down by a purple tornado.
"Nice masks." A familiar female voice was heard as then two blasts, a gold and purple, knocked the blue one down again as it was revealed to be the twin Masters of Light and Darkness, Lloyd and Lydie, both sporting new Gis.
"You could almost pass as ninja." Lloyd finished as he and Lydie stood ready, while Lloyd's voice sounded deeper and lower. "Keyword, 'almost'." he taunted with a 'come at me' gesture.
Lydie then cracked her knuckles, "So are we gonna do this easy way where you hand over that mask or the hard way and we pound you into the ground and pry it out of your hands?" She asked as Gold Mask gestured to his team to attack the two while he ran away with the mask. "The hard way it is." She said with a shrug.
The Garma-Twins then started fighting the ten thieves as the gold grabbed his grabble gun and shot it down as Lloyd and Lydie fought them in hand-to-hand combat, while the six seemed to be losing since they were no match for the Ninja of Yin & Yang as they were knocked down.
Lydie and Lloyd then summoned their powers as they did some moves and then Spinjitzu as they each sucked three goons into their tornadoes and knocked them back and unconscious as the Garma-Twins took a breather.
They then saw the gold and white ones were escaping as they slid down the rope fast as Lydie and Lloyd followed them. Once the gold one made it to the other side of the building, he cut the rope without waiting for his partner as the white own then flipped over and started screaming and falling to the ground.
Lydie and Lloyd saw this, "So the leader, or the guy failing to fly?" Lydie asked her brother.
"We know the answer to that." Lloyd said.
"True." Lydie said with a shrug as they held onto the ropes and started swinging to the falling white masked man as Lloyd grabbed him and they lowered to the ground and dropped him to safety as they swing back up.
The white masked man looked at where the Ninja went as he thought he was in the clear before a police car beeps behind him as lights shined on him and he turns to see police officers approaching, "Oh, man." He muttered with his hands up.
The Gold masked person landed on the highway, discarded his disguise, and changed into a red and black armored suit with a helmet on as his eyes glowed red as he rode on his motorcycle and drove off.
Lydie and Lloyd are still swinging on the rope. "Pixal, we need our rides," Lydie spoke out.
"Your coordinates, Masters Lloyd and Lydie?" Pixal asked through their coms.
"Somewhere over…" Lloyd started before he and his sister let go of the rope. "You know how to find us." He casually said.
"Just sent them now." Lydie finished as she and her brother were freefalling.
Down on the streets rolled a gold and green-detailed racer and running behind it was panther theme vehicle with a cycle-like seat and handles as the Garma-twins gave determined looks as their rides caught their respective riders as it skid across and landed on the road.
Lloyd gave a laugh once they stopped, "I could kiss you Pix." He said.
"I don't think Zane would approve." Pixal said amusingly.
Lydie shook her head, "Expressions Pixal. Anyway, let's get after 'em!" She said as she revved up her ride as Her Shadow Panther roared and took off running with Lloyd's Night Crawler following.
The leader then drove down the highway at full speed while dodging some cars as Lloyd and Lydie vehicles appeared and they jumped onto the highway he was in as he saw them following him as he kept going.
"Pixal, who are we chasing?" Lloyd asked.
"He or she is not in our database." Pixal answered while showing the picture of the leader with a question mark on it.
"So somebody new," Lydie said as they continued on the leader's tail, "Well whoever they are, they're good. We could use some backup." She said to her brother.
"Yeah, Pixal, where are Nya, Rose, and the guys?" Lloyd asked as they kept driving.
"All of the others are on active missions throughout Ninjago." Pixal answered while showing four locations on where their friends are. "You two are on your own." She informed.
"Guess the two of us will have to be enough," Lydie said seriously as she increased speed.
"Then let's get to it." Lloyd said determinedly as he increased speed as well.
The Garma-Twins narrowly avoided the citizens' cars and vehicles as they continued chasing the masked leader across the streets at high speed as they were right behind them as they jumped over another unfinished highway as the three were side to side before the thief leader stopped as Lloyd and Lydie saw this as they stopped and turned to the leader.
The three starred each other down before the thief leader charged at them as Lloyd and Lydie did the same as the thief leader then brought out two long blades from his motorcycle as the Garma-Twins give determines looks as they saw that he wants to fight, but then surprisingly, the thief leader brought his blades down as his motorcycle jumped over them, which surprise Lloyd and Lydie from that as they watch him.
The thief leader then jumped off his bike as he had a parachute on his back as Lydie and Lloyd exit their vehicles as they ran to the railing and saw the thief leader falling before opening his parachute, revealing a symbol in the form of a familiar face to the twins on his parachute.
The two flipped up their hoods and stared at the face stunned, while Lloyd's got a new hair style while Lydie is sporting a ponytail behind her head, "Father?" Lydie breathed out as the leader then landed on a boat floating down the canal.
"Masters Lloyd and Lydie, are you two all right?" Pixal asked through the coms. "Are you both there?"
The Garma-Twins turned away from the escape thief leader as they pressed on their coms. "Yeah, we're here." Lloyd spoke first.
"Pixal, contact the others." Lydie instructed seriously. "It's time to get the team back together." She declared as the leader thief went through a tunnel as he escaped through the darkness.
Across Ninjago, in a remote rice village, the villagers are being enslaved by some thugs with weapons as they are harvesting on a very hot day.
"Uhh. This sun is blistering." The thug leader said as he wipe his sweat away. "Faster!" He ordered.
"You heard your master. Work!" One of his men said as cracked his whip.
The villagers kept working as they are exhausted as a farmer with a rice hat and carrying two buckets on a shoulder pole walked by as the thugs saw them.
"Huh, you there-peasant. Bring me water." The leader ordered as the farmer stood there. "You hear me? Bring me some water!" He repeated.
The farmer stood there for a moment before they turned their head revealing themselves to be a young woman's face and a beauty mark on her right cheek, "Thirsty did you say?" She asked amusedly.
The thugs then gasped as they realized who it is. "It's the Master of Water! Nya!" One of them cried out.
"I don't care. Get her!" The leader ordered his men as they charged at Nya.
But Nya then knocked them back with the pole as they fell to the floor beside her in one swift move as she tossed her buckets and pole before catching it perfectly with a smirk.
The leader saw this and drew his sword as he charged at Nya with a battle cry, but then Nya walked him back as they stood side to side as Nya then used her powers to bring out the water from the buckets as she splashed them at the leader as he was pushed back.
"Still thirsty?" Nya asked amusingly as she moved a water bubble around her.
The leader got up, but then he was blasted by a strong wind from behind as he was launched towards Nya's fist and water bubble and was knocked out cold as up on top of where the leader was, was Morro, the Master of Wind.
"Or maybe you'd prefer a cool breeze?" Morro quipped as he created some wind around the two goons behind Nya and flew them over to him.
Nya looked at Morro amusedly with her hands to her hips, "Show off." She said as Morro picked the leader up and brought to his goons.
"Hey, if you can make a cool entrance, why can't I?" Morro asked with a smirk as they tied the three thugs to a creek below them. The farmers cheered for their heroes as the two gave a bow and ran off once they got a beep alert from their coms as they ran off.
Somewhere in a temple, some monks are meditation while feeling peaceful before the door opens as a snowy blizzard opened up as Jay, Master of Lightning and Cole, Master of Earth rolled across the floor before they hit the wall and quickly closed the door.
"Cole, you're my best friend, but right now, you're my worst enemy." Jay said to Cole. "You have no idea how time travel works." He stated.
"If someone goes back in time and alters the past, our reality as we know it would change." Cole pointed out. "We could look totally different overnight and not even realize it." He added as he gestured to himself as he took off his hood to reveal his new hairstyle.
"But we haven't." Jay insisted as he removed his hood to show his hair was darker, thick, and trousaled in a new style and he had freckles.
Cole then raised a brow, "So you've always had freckles?" He asked, pointing to his face.
"What? Oh right, they just showed up out of nowhere." Jay admitted while feeling his cheeks. "But if that was the case, we still remember our timeline and history remained the same, when we got new looks. Thus, Master Wu must have slipped into a time stream into the future. Because even he knows not to change the past." He theorized as they look around.
Cole sighs with a sad look. "Wherever he is, it's been a year. It's time we find him." He declared as they walked up to the closest monk. "Uh, hi. Sorry to bother you. Cole, Master of Earth. Uh, this is Jay, Master of Blabber." He greeted while Jay gave Cole a look from that.
"Lightning." Jay said through his teeth.
"We heard that an old man who lost his memory wondered in from the cold." Cole explained as he gestured to the monks while Jay mocked playfully. "About so high, long beard, drinks a lot fo tea." He listed out.
The monk looked at them as he kept silent. "I told you not to introduce yourself as the Master of Earth." Jay said with a look. "No one knows what that means." He stated.
"No, you bolthead." Cole shot back with a look as they continued to look around. "Everyone here took a vow of silence." He explained while gesturing to the others monks.
Jay now got it as he turned back monk they spoke to. "Can you point us to him?!" He yelled out as the monk cringe as he gave Jay a glare and pointed at a direction. "Thank you! I-I like your place!" He yelled as Cole facepalmed himself as they walked off.
"Uh, I said silent, not deaf," Cole said as they approached a man dressed in white and with a straw hat as he grabbed a teapot.
Cole and Jay looked in shock as they have a feeling they might have found their Master as Cole was about to speak before Jay stopped him. "Wait. If it is him and he lost his memory, don't remind him of that stupid TV show I once hosted, okay?" Jay pleaded, referring to the show he ran after they lost Zane.
Cole shook his head and approached the man again as Cole walked up to him slowly. "Uh. Master Wu?" He asked hopefully.
The man stood up as he turned and showed he had a long gray mustache, not a long white beard. The two Ninja then looked down in defeat as this man was not their master.
"Aw, come on." Jay groaned. "We came all this way, and it's not him?" He questioned in shock as he shook his head. "Aw, that's it. I quit." He declared as began to walk off.
"I'm tired of losing people in my life." Cole said as held on to his Mother's charm. "Wu would never quit on us, and we're not quitting on him." He declared seriously as he place a hand on Jay's shoulder to stop him.
"If he's really still out there, couldn't he at least send a letter from the future?" Jay questioned in annoyance. "Or leave a message to stand the test of time? He's wise. He'd find a way." He pointed out, since Wu always finds a way to make an appearance.
"We just have to keep looking." Cole stated.
"Yeah, you do that, while you're at it, I'll be doing something more useful, like being a ninja." Jay said as the monks grew annoyed at their arguing.
"Hah. Some ninja you are." Cole retorted with a look. "You talk more than you fight." He countered.
"At least I'm entertaining." Jay shot back as the monks grew more and more annoyed.. "All you do is judge and act like you know everything." He added.
"Would you stop fighting!" One of the monks yelled at them, which cause the two Ninja to turn to him and the monk gasped and covered his mouth.
"Way to break your vow." Another monk said before he realized what he did. "Ahh. Oh, no. I spoke, too." He said in shock.
"Ha ha." The first monk said. "I knew you didn't have it in you." He said in amusement.
The third monk then got up calmly. "I've been holding this in, but I just want to say I hate doing your dishes!" He yelled out to the other monks.
"Well, if everyone's doing it, I'm doing it, too." The fourth monk spoke next.
Just then, all the monks then yelled out as they glared at the two Ninja for ruining their vow as Jay got a beep from in his com. "Ah. That's our cue. Got to run!" He called out as he and Cole ran to the exit with the monks following.
The two Ninja opened the door, which the snow blizzard is still going as the monks were blown back as the two ran out while putting on their hoods. Meanwhile, the Old mustache man continued to drink tea as he wrote on a scroll the picture of men with dragon wings, jumping up, kicking back, whipping around, and spinning.
In the sea of sand, a large truck was rolling across the desert with two masked goons at the front, "Gh, is she still following us?" The Goon at the wheel asked as the other one, looked out the window and saw a pink, floral-printed twin rotor jet flew towards them.
"She is, well, let's see how she likes this!" The other goon said as he pressed a button and two laser cannons popped out from the sides of the truck.
In the cockpit, Rose, the Master of Nature, saw on her monitor the guns aimed at her, "Oh, so they wish to play hit the bird, boys?" She asked with a smirk before the truck started firing on her but she dodged it easily, "Hah, I've seen No-Eyed Pete hit headless ducks better than you, Neanderthals." She called out.
"Are they still on route?" Demir, the Master of Metal, asked through the comms.
"Yes, and heading to your position, Demir," Rose answered.
"Good, 'cause I got a little surprise for them." Demir said with a gleeful tone, which made Rose roll her eyes playfully.
With the Goons, they are still driving as fast as they could to get away from her. "Oh, don't she ever quit?!" A goon questioned.
"Don't worry! We're almost in the city! We'll lose her in the streets when we-LOOK OUT!" The goon called when he saw a giant metal barricade in front of them before they crashed to the side, which made them groan before the metal then started wrapping around them. "H-Hey! What is this?!"
The truck was then lifted up by a large mech with long metal claws on its hands. "Hah, hello fellahs." Demir's voice spoke up from inside the mech. "I know everyone wants to get first dibs on Borg's product, but you outta pay for those first. Borg Industries don't come cheap." He quipped as the goons groaned.
Later the Goons were tied up with Demir and Rose standing in front of them. Demir's new hair was still black but was built upwards and pointed. Rose had her bright blonde in a new hairstyle as well, it was down with her bangs combed to the back and with a small braid at the back.
"Now with that done, let's get you two to the precinct," Demir said with a smirk before his and Rose's comms started beeping, "Huh, would ya look at that?" He commented.
"Seems as though Lloyd and Lydie require our assistance," Rose said as she went to her jet, "Come, let's drop these two off and see what's the kerfuffle." She told her friend.
Demir nodded before mounting into his mech and grabbed the goons before he and Rose started heading into the city.
Somewhere in Stiix, Zane, Master of Ice and Kai, Master of Fire were currently fighting an old foe, the Mechanic, whom they encountered sometime after the Day of the Departed, and he had upgraded his Robo-Arm with a flamethrower.
While Kai fought him, Zane got message in his hood from Pixal, "Zane Masters Lloyd and Lydie requires Kai and your attention in Ninjago City." She informed.
"Is it serious?" Zane asked as he saw Kai fending off the Mechanic.
"It appears so." Pixal answered. "Did I catch you on a bad time?" She asked.
Kai then flipped over the fire as he landed on his feet. "Zane, a little help!" He called out.
"Hot off the press, the Mechanic is back Ninjago!" The Mechanic declared before blowing fire at Kai which he redirected around him.
Once the flames stopped Kai saw most of the area around him was on fire instead and he groaned, "Who ever said fight fire with fire, didn't know what they were talking about."
"We will be there shortly." Zane informed Pixal.
"What out for the crossfire!" The Mechanic quipped as he advanced towards Kai.
"Hey, you're stealing my lines!" Kai called out.
Just as the Mechanic was about to fire again Zane froze the ground, which moved towards the Mechanic as the ice frozen him solid as he groaned in the ice.
"Who likes ice cream? I do." Zane quipped as he remove his hood, revealing his human form that he suddenly regained and a new hairstyle. "How's that for a last line, Kai?" He asked as his body flickered a bit for it revealed Zane's titanium robot form, revealing he has a hologram technology built in him. "Can we leave now?" He asked.
Kai however, was frozen solid as well, apparently Zane overshot his powers and froze Kai by accident. "Needs a little work." Kai grunted from in his ice prison. "Gonna have to give me a minute to thaw, though." He stated since he needs to thaw first before they regroup with the others.
Sometime later at Ninjago City in Borg's Tower, Lloyd and Lydie walked in and saw Jay and Nya sharing a quick reunion, Cole, Rose, and Zane sparring a bit, Morro and Demir leaning against a wall and Kai walking up to them.
"Hey, there they are," Kai said as the others walked up to the Garma-Twins. "You're both late." He said as he gave them a smirk and a high five.
"Kai was late too, if it any consolation," Zane spoke up as he walked up to them as Kai shook his head when Zane said that.
"Thanks for meeting us here, guys," Lydie said with a smile.
"Yeah, it's been a while since we've all been under one roof," Lloyd added as his sister and friends chuckled at him, which made him confused. "What?" He asked.
Morro snickered, "Seriously?" He asked.
"Yeah, are we gonna talk about it?" Jay asked next with a teasing look as he held Nya and Cole's shoulders.
"Talk about what?" Lloyd asked again.
"Your voice," Cole answered, "It's um,"
"Lower," Zane answered with a deep voice.
"Think the Tomorrow Tea has finally reached your throat." Demir joked with a chuckle.
Lloyd still looked confused before Lydie got him in a headlock. "Sounds like our little brother is growing up." She teased as she noogied her brother. "About time you grew out of your kid voice." She added with a laugh as Lloyd pushed her off.
"Oh, leave him alone, Daddy's Girl," Nya spoke in amusement as she sighed to collect herself. "Any word from Misako?" She asked them.
The Garma-Twins gave sad looks when she mentioned their mother. "Not since she went searching for Uncle Wu." Lloyd explained as he and Lydie walked up near the windows.
"And up until now, we don't know where she is," Lydie added in a sad tone. "I hope she's okay."
Morro held Lydie's shoulder, "Hey, your mom may not look like it, but she's tough." He reminded his girlfriend.
"Indeed, she will come back, Captain, and so shall Wu," Rose added.
Lydie turned to them, "Not everyone comes back, Rose," She said before getting back on subject, "But Uncle Wu and our mom aren't why we called you here, Lloyd?" She said turning to her brother as he pulled out a tablet.
Lloyd nodded as he tapped on the tablet's screen. "We called you because of this." He said before showing them the image they saw on the leader thief's parachute as they all gasped at what they saw.
"Your father? Lord Garmadon?" Cole asked in shock.
"Just Garmadon, please." Lydie requested, after their father's sacrifice the Garma-Twins didn't like it when people only thought of the evil side of their father, "After seeing this symbol on a parachute of a thief we tried to stop the other night, we realize that this mark was pretty much everywhere in Ninjago City." She explained to them.
"And after poking around, we've learned it's the symbol to-" Lloyd added before Zane answered.
"The Sons of Garmadon," Zane said as the others turned to him as he continued. "A mysterious criminal syndicate growing in prominence in Ninjago City." He explained.
"I've heard of these guys." Demir said to them. "On some of my patrols around the City, I've seen a bunch of bikers with that symbol on their jackets. Since they've shown up, crime's on the streets' been skyrocketing."
"Okay, but why call themselves that and use your dad's face as their logo?" Kai asked in confusion.
"Attention. The Sons of Garmadon are trying to make themselves known in the city," Lydie explained as she paced a bit with an angered expression, "And apparently, are trying to sully our father's name by reminding everyone of the time he was a villain." She added.
Nya held her shoulder, "But we know that he was a hero." She reminded comfortingly as she and Lydie shared smiles. "So, what's up with these goons?" Nya asked.
"Well, seventy-two hours ago, they stole a powerful relic from Cyrus Borg." Lloyd continued. "Some mask-"
"Not some mask." A voice heard as he cut Lloyd off as a black-haired man dressed golden yellow and green, with an eye patch walked into the room as the Ninja turned to them. "The Oni Mask. There's only three in existence." The man explained.
"Whoa, I'm confused," Jay said as he pushed past his friends while scratching his head. "How can there be three masks when you just said it's the only mask?" He asked in confusion.
"Nonono, not only, darling. Oni." Rose corrected her friend.
"The Oni are said to be all-powerful beings," Zane explained. "Demons that predate Ninjago."
Morro crossed his arms and recalled this name, "I remember Master Wu telling me about them once," He said looking to the others, "The Oni were said to have incredible destructive power that could match even the power of dragons." He stated before turning to the man, "Is there a connection between them and this mask?"
"Indeed Master of Wind." The man answered while looking at a mask on display before turning to the Ninja. "Each mask embodies one of the three Oni warlords. If all three masks are united, whomever owns them will wield tremendous power." He explained.
The others were stunned by what the man said. "Wow, that's deep." Cole said in shock before he gave a confused look. "Wait, we never caught your name." He honestly said.
"Ninja, this is Mr. Hutchins." Lydie introduced.
"He's the new Master at Arms and Counsel to Harumi's Parents," Lloyd explained to them. "We asked him here."
"The Emperor and Empress?" Kai said in surprise as they hadn't heard from them in a long while.
"Apologies if you haven't been in touch with them," Hutchin said. "They do honor their recent privacy, as they do for the safety of Ninjago." He stated.
Demir then has a guess. "Let me guess: they have an Oni Mask, too?" He guessed.
"Two? Now there's two?" Jay questioned in confusion before Nya covered her boyfriend's mouth with her hand and gave a sheepish smile.
"They would have contacted you sooner, but with your little quest of finding your master, that was difficult," Hutchin explained. "But after the Ninja of Yin & Yang contacted the Royal Family about the recent theft and growing crime in the city, the Emperor has decided to take action."
"What action?" Morro questioned.
"He is delivering a public speech tomorrow, and I'm worried the Sons of Garmadon may try to steal the mask," Hutchin explained with a serious look. "They recommended your assistance, that is, if you can keep a low profile." He stated.
Zane then stepped in. "We're Ninja." He reminded Hutchin as he used his cloaking tech to change into his human form. "No one will know we are there." He added.
Lydie smiled and turned to Hutchin, "The Royal Family are good friends, if they need us we'll be there." She said as Hutchins nodded.
"Just tell us where and when the speech is happening," Lloyd added with a smile and bow.
The day after that, it was midday in Ninjago City where the Royal Palace was as a crowd gathered around at the front gates as the Emperor spoke through the microphone.
"As many of you know, my family has kept a secluded life this last year." The Emperor announced as the Ninja hid in different parts of the palace as they kept watch among the crowd. "But we still try and maintain peace and order in Ninjago while aiding our heroes, the Ninja, in protecting all of you. But as crime has risen in our city, so has our concern. So we have decided it is time we join the Ninja, stepping out of the shadows and back into the light!" He announced as the crowd cheered on.
From the Poles on either side of the Royal Family Lloyd and Lydie kept guard, "Man, gotta give it to his Majesty," Lydie commented, "He sure knows how to please the people." She added.
Among the crowd, Nya and Rose were in their casual clothes as they walked around while Nya was pressing on her earpiece. "Well, I don't like this one bit," Nya said with a look. "The Royal Family have been closed off from us and the rest of Ninjago for more than a year, and only just come out just to deliver a public speech?" She asked a little miffy.
"I think it is nice." Rose said with a smile, "They are reaching out to the people again in these tense times." She said.
"It's just what they need." Jay said through the comms as he and the other boys watched from the rooftops, "When evil Biker Gangs get you down, have the leader give an inspiring speech." He said.
"Why all the hate, sis?" Kai asked his sister with a teasing look. "You just don't like getting gussied up."
From a side building, Zane is scanning the crowd for any Sons of Garmadon activity. "All that gold and glitter just to show off their power? Where's the purpose in that?" Nya questioned.
"Uh, Nya, Lloyd is literally called the 'Golden' Ninja." Morro reminded over the comms, "All that gold is supposed to symbolize their importance and role as leaders of Ninjago." He added.
"And their purpose is to lead and protect Ninjago just as our role is to protect them, as we do for all our traditions," Zane stated as he looked down to where the Garma-Twins were and noticed Lloyd's expression. "I believe Master Lloyd has spotted something of interest." He said.
Below at the side of the gates, while Lydie watched the crowd, Lloyd was looking at the one thing and that was Harumi, who looked even more beautiful than when he last saw her, wearing a golden and jade-green dress. Harumi watched the crowd before glancing at Lloyd with a small smile while Lloyd kept watching her in awe.
"Well, looks like the years have been pretty kind to Harumi." Kai mused teasingly.
"Yeah, and looks like gold really is her favorite color." Cole teased as well.
"Makes it pretty obvious which among us is her favorite." Demir wondered teasingly.
Even Lydie got in on it, "Ooh, an old golden flame reignited, bro?" She asked while raising a brow.
Lloyd gave his sister a look. "Not now, sis. And you guys do know I can hear you, right?" He spoke through the comms. "The Emperor is almost finished. Let's just do our job." He reminded them.
"He's right guys, we'll talk about getting Lloyd and Harumi together later." Lydie joked.
"Wait, what?" Lloyd asked in confusion as the others laughed over the comms.
"We must continue to remain vigilant and always stay united!" The Emperor continued as the crowd started cheering at his speech.
"Be on the lookout," Lydie said. "The S.O.G could strike any minute." She added.
Zane looked through the crowd as he saw a man reaching behind his back and readied his bow with an arrow before he saw he was just reaching for his phone but the Ninja remained cautious as they searched around for anything S.O.G related.
Then a balloon with a S.O.G logo on it went up and the Garma-Twins saw it, "Signal Balloon!" Lydie declared.
Just then, popping sounds can be heard as the crowd started screaming, "Gunfire! Get down!" Lloyd shouted as he and Lydie jumped over to the Royal Family and tackled them down to the ground, Lydie with the Empress and Lloyd with Harumi while Hutchin tackled the Emperor.
Nya and Rose fought through the crowd but someone knocked them down to the ground as Lloyd lifted his head up. "Is the threat cleared?!" He asked through the comms.
Nya lifted Rose up to her feet before she looked around and saw some firecrackers that had fallen and gone off on the ground, "Just some firecrackers." Nya reported through the comms.
"False alarm guys." Rose added with a smile as the people calmed down.
"That's a relief," Lydie said as the Ninja regrouped, the Royal Family entered the gates and Hutchin came to the Ninja.
"You've protected the Royal Family," Hutchin said to the Ninja. "You have their gratitude. They've invited you to be their guests in the palace." He added.
"Heh, we haven't been inside of the palace for ages," Jay stated in amazement. "And they invited us inside? Awesome."
"It's just a palace," Nya said dully. "Once you've seen one, you've seen 'em all." She said before she was stomped on the foot by Lydie. "Ow!" She cried out as she hopped and held her foot.
"Nya, can you not be rude to our friends?" Lydie questioned with a look. "Suck it up and be polite." She ordered.
Nya nodded as she kept hopping as the others turned to Hutchin. "We'd be honored." Lloyd said with a bow as Hutchin returned it.
At night fall, the Ninja were at the front door of the palace as Hutchin opened the doors for them.
"Welcome to the Royal Palace, also known as the Palace of Secrets." Hutchin said as they entered as Kai turned to him in interest.
"Ooh. Why do they call it the Palace of Secrets?" Demir asked in wonder.
"If I were tell you tell that it wouldn't be secret now, would it?" Hutchins asked as he slammed the doors.
The Ninja looked at the palace in awe, "Wow, I feel Royal just walking in the halls." Jay said with his arms out.
"I've heard stories of the Royal Palace before." Rose said in amazement and a wide smile. "But it's more gorgeous than I ever dreamed it would be."
"The palace, it's more beautiful than I remember," Zane said with a smile.
Demir let out a whistle, "Fancy Shmancy." He said.
"Yeah, no matter how many times you visit you never get use to living in a place like this." Cole said as he looked around.
"Well, don't," Lloyd spoke. "Remember, we're only here as guests then back to protecting Ninjago."
Lydie smirked, "Ooh, trying to act professional to impress the in-laws, brother?" She asked teasingly.
Lloyd blushed a bit as the others chuckled at him. "Can you please drop it, sis? Now's not the time." He stated.
"Yup, totally trying to impress the Emperor and Empress." Kai commented as they laughed.
Seeing a distraction from the palace Nya went up to Lloyd, "Lloyd, I think it's pretty obvious you like Harumi, and I mean you 'Like' like her. " She said to him with a smile.
Lloyd was surprised by this claim, "No! No, I don't." He denied with his head up.
Rose went up to him and gasped, "He does! He absolutely does!" She squealed.
"Don't be ridiculous! We're just friends!" Lloyd stated.
"Come on Lloyd, you've been crushing on Harumi since the first day you met." Morro told the Golden Ninja.
"Plus you are the only one out of all of us who doesn't have a significant other." Zane pointed out.
Jay nodded, "He's right, Nya and I are a thing, Cole's got Seliel, Kai is with Skylor, Zane and Pixal got that compatible thing going on, Demir and Rose are a match made in heaven, and your sister and Morro are all lovey-dovey." He listed before pointing to Lloyd. "But you're the only guy who doesn't have a girlfriend yet."
"Plus whenever you see or think about her, your brain gets lost in another world, like earlier," Demir added with a chuckle.
The others laughed as Lydie placed an arm over Lloyd. "Bro, you gotta come clean. You haven't seen Harumi for more than a year. And seeing her again has only made your feelings for her stronger." She stated with a small smile. "At least try and find the courage to tell her."
Lloyd just groaned and pushed Lydie's arm off, "Let's just focus on keeping Rumi, her family, and their Oni mask safe. Capishe?" He said strictly and marched ahead with his head up and blushing.
The others watch in amusement. "He is so very deep in denial," Rose said to her friends.
"In more ways than you think," Kai answered with a smirk.
"Don't worry, we're cracking him, I can feel it," Cole assured.
"He'll get it eventually," Demir added.
"So how long before he admits it?" Jay wondered.
"I calculate in a day or so." Zane estimated.
"And I give another two until he confesses," Nya added with a smile.
"And one minute before they kiss." Morro finished.
"And pretty soon, we'll have to call him, Emperor Lloyd," Lydie joked as they made it to the door of the throne room.
Hutchin opened the doors as he gave them a bow. "I present to you the exalted Emperor and Empress of Ninjago. And their daughter," He started. "The Jade Princess- Princess Harumi." He finished.
The Royal Family smiled at the Ninja as the heroes gave a bow, though Nya needed some forceful persuading after Lydie elbowed her.
The Emperor raised his hand, "Please young masters. You are friends to our family, there is no need to bow." He said as he, the Empress, and Harumi bowed in turn, "We are honored to see you again."
"The honor is all ours, Sire," Lydie responded with a kind smile before looking at Harumi. "It's good to see you again, Harumi."
"It's good to see you too, Lydie." Harumi said back with a smile as she approached the Ninja, "All of you." She said as she approached each of them.
"Lydie, the shady-mischievous Master of Darkness, the Ninja of Yin but with a soul filled with more compassion than could possibly be explained." Harumi started as Lydie smiled and they shared a sisterly hug.
"Kai, the hot-headed Master of Fire who never backs down from what is right." she described Kai next as Kai smirked and they shared a fist bump.
"Cole, the rock-solid Master of Earth and foundation of his team." She went to Cole next as Cole smiled and they shared a friendly hug.
"Jay, the electrical-funny Master of Lightning whose enthusiasm echoes louder than thunder." She introduced Jay next as Jay rubbed the back of his head and they shared a high-five.
"Zane, the cool-minded Master of Ice, the mind and android of the team." Harumi continued as Zane smiled at her.
"Nindroid, but thank you, Harumi." Zane said with a smile as he revealed his Nindroid form before he and Harumi bowed their heads to each other.
"Morro the storming-courageous Master of Wind as free and unhindered as the storm," She said with a raised brow as Morro chuckled and shrugged, "Staying out of trouble I hope."
"Well, I may be a bad boy, but I'm not a bad guy." Morro said with a smirk. "Had some help from the others." He said while looking at his friends with a smile.
"I'm glad," Harumi said with a smile as the two shook hands and she turned to Demir.
"Demir, the Iron-clad Master of Metal, who will always stand tall for those in need," Harumi said as she and Demir shared a fistbump.
"Rose, the ever-blooming Master of Nature, who sees the beauty in all," Harumi continued as she faced Rose who gave Harumi a curtsey and then a friendly hug went to Nya.
"Nya, the second girl," Harumi started, which made Nya give a look while curtly bowing before Harumi continued. "The second girl to have inspired me after Lydie. With her mastery of water and skills of adaptability that could bring any foe to their knees." She said with a look of admiration.
Nya smiled at the compliment, "Okay, I like her again." She said to her friends before giving Harumi a high five.
"And finally, Master Lloyd. The Golden Ninja and Master of Light." Harumi said as she walked up to Lloyd who smiled at her. "The youngest but most powerful Ninja with his sister Lydie, and most of all, my best friend." She said while giving Lloyd a grateful look while holding his hands. "The one who was there for me when I lost my parents and helped me see that I was not without love or family." She finished and she brought her head to Lloyd's for a moment briefly before pulling away.
Hutchins looked surprised by this information and turned to the Emperor and Empress for an explanation.
"We adopted Harumi and raised her as our own, Hutchins." The Empress explained to their Master of arms.
"When her parents were lost in the attack of the Great Devourer." The Emperor continued. "The Ninja found and helped her recover from her grief before we made her part of our family."
"Just doing our job," Kai said proudly.
The Empress looked at the Ninja sympathetically, "Also, we give our deepest condolences, we heard what happened to Master Wu." She said.
"He was a good man and an even greater friend." The Emperor said solemnly.
Cole approached them, "Thanks but don't worry, he's out there somewhere." He assured them, "And we'll find him."
"Then we wish you all that your quest yields a success." the Empress smiled.
"Thank you, and also thank you for inviting us back here, your majesties," Lydie said with a bow.
"It is not us you should thank, Master Lydie. It was our daughter's request." The Emperor said with a smile, gesturing to Harumi. "She missed you all greatly." He said as Harumi blushed.
"And she would like you to stay with us." The Empress continued. "And help us stop this threat to our realm."
"These are troubling times for Ninjago since you've been away, Ninja." The Emperor said as Hutchin looked away suspiciously. "And as long as we have an Oni Mask, we fear our lives and more importantly, the lives of our people are in jeopardy."
Harumi turned to the Ninja, "We don't why these people want the masks, but if these artifacts are that powerful they must never be reunited." She explained as she looked to her friends pleadingly, "I know you're still searching for Wu, but please, stay and help us keep the mask away from the Sons of Garmadon." She pleaded.
The others turned to Lloyd with smirks, expecting him to say it since he and Harumi were the closest. Lloyd just blushed and sighed before he gave a smile. "You'll always have our help, Rumi." Lloyd said with a bow.
Harumi gave a happy smile, "Yay!" She cheered as she hugged Lloyd excitedly before she realized what she was doing and pulled away and smoothed her dress and cleared her throat, "I mean, very good. Hutchins, would you give the Ninja a tour of the palace while we prep their rooms?" She suggested professionally as the others looked amused by Harumi's behavior.
Hutchins nodded as he gestured for the Ninjas to follow him. "Yes," Cole said eagerly as they followed after them.
The Ninja followed Hutchins as he showed them a buffet table, "While you are in our service, you have full access to the complimentary royal buffet." Hutchin said to them. "Anything you want is at your disposal, exotic fruits, assorted vegetables, scones, and all-you-can-eat cake." He listed out.
Cole looked excited before he raised a hand, "Uh, thank you, but I gave up sweets." He said with a smile, "My body is a temple." He said, gesturing to his body.
"Every since Master Wu went missing, Cole has been a real party pooper." Jay explained with a smirk as Cole gave Jay a look.
"Party pooper?" Zane asked in confusion.
"I'll explain later." Jay whispered to Zane as they continued the tour.
"The palace is equipped with secret passages to get anywhere immediately." Hutchin added as they entered a hallway with bookshelves.
"Ah, so that's why they call it the Palace of Secrets," Demir said in realization and they went up to the bookshelves.
"Yes, but as the locations of these secret passages, only I and the Royal Family know." Hutchin explained.
"Sure," Kai said as he gave a smirk at the bookshelf. "You mean like right… here!?" He grabbed a book out of the shelf, which did nothing.
"Nope," Hutchin said as he shook his head.
"Or here?" Kai asked as he grab a couple of books off the shelves.
"Not there," Hutchin said as the others watched Kai as he kept tossing some books away.
"Or right here?" Kai spoke.
"No." Hutchin said while getting annoyed at Kai making a mess.
"How about here? Here?" Kai said as he kept pulling out books and the ninja cringed at the mess he was making.
"No." Hutchin repeated.
"Or here?"
"No."
"Or this one?"
"Nope."
"Or here?"
"Wrong."
"This has got to be it."
"Wrong again."
"This is a big one," Kai said as he grabbed a handful of books as Hutchin gave him a look. "Here?"
"No." Hutchin said again.
Nya then dragged Kai away by the ear before he pulled out more books as Lydie turned to Hutchins with a sheepish look, "Hehe, Sorry about him." She apologized, "We'll clean this up, I promise." She said sheepishly.
"I certainly hope so. Now come, there is one more thing I must show you," Hutchins said, walking away as the Ninja looked at each other.
"Um, is it just me or is that guy a little on the creepy side?" Morro said to the others.
"No, it's not just you." Nya confirmed as they all looked at Hutchins, "There's something off about Hutchins,"
"His expression does give to me an uneasy feeling," Rose said, looking uncomfortable.
"He's holding something back," Lloyd said suspiciously, with a hand on his chin.
The Ninja ran off to Hutchin as they stopped next to him.
"And finally, the reason for your protection-" Hutchin started as he gestured to a room with only one thing on display. "The Mask of Deception." He announced as he showed them the second Oni mask.
The Mask of Deception is orange with white markings, with a crooked grin, and its right eye bigger than the left eye. "Ugh, a face only a mother could love," Demir commented as he went up to the mask's display. "Why would anyone want that?"
"That's up to us to figure out, Demir," Lydie recalled as she looked at the mask curiously, feeling drawn to it for some reason.
Jay then hid behind Lloyd. "Just being in the same room with it gives me the heebie-jeebies." He said a little scared.
"Wait, if this Mask is called the Mask of Deception, what was stolen from Borg's Industries?" Nya asked as she turned to Hutchin.
"The mask in Cyrus Borg's custody is called the Mask of Vengeance," Hutchins answered.
Cole then approached him, "And who has the third mask?" He asked.
"No one knows the location of the Mask of Hatred," Zane explained, "But my sensors tell me it won't be lost for long." He stated.
"Your android friend is correct," Hutchin confirmed as Zane raised a brow at him. "Though no one has found the Mask of Hatred, it has given the Royal Family little resolve…"
Whatever more was said, Lloyd didn't hear as he noticed a familiar room that was opened as he got curious and walked to it and peak through the door as he saw Harumi cleaning off her makeup before taking off her dress, revealing her white tank top, exposing her belly and green short-gymshorts as her snow white hair fell over her shoulders as she shook her head.
Lloyd watched in stunned awe at Harumi's beauty before she looked at her mirror while fixing her hair before she saw Lloyd was watching from the door and gasped before turning to him. Realizing he was caught, Lloyd blushed with a worried expression, afraid Harumi was gonna blow up on him.
Harumi however, gave a small embarrassed smile as she blushed and tried to avoid eye contact with Lloyd before giving a small wave. Lloyd shook his head out of the trance as he smiled and waved back before he turned to rejoin the others.
Until he felt something land on his shoulder and then plucked to reveal an origami crane. Raising a brow he unfolded to reveal a message that read, "Meet me later tonight." Lloyd turned back to Harumi as she smiled and winked at him as he did the same.
"...for we know dark forces are looking to require it." Hutchin continued as he and the others turned to Lloyd as he continued. "And that's why we need eyes on it at all times." He finished.
"Don't worry, we're Ninja." Kai assured with his hands on his hips pridefully. "We're experts at this kind of thing." He said.
"We will keep eyes on the mask at all times and make sure it does not fall into the wrong hands. We promise." Rose added with a hand on her chest.
Hutchin gave the Ninja a look, feeling suspicious but took their words for it.
In the middle of the night, Demir, Nya, Rose, and Morro were on the room keeping watch on the roof as they circled around the palace.
"All clear," Nya said as she walked up her brother.
"Here too." Demir spoke.
"Same on this end," Rose called.
Morro then walked up to them. "All clear on my end and-" He stopped himself when he looked down, "Wait, shh." He shushed the other three.
"What is it?" Rose whispered as Morro pointed down as the two looked down at the courtyard and saw Hutchin walking around.
He heard noises from above as he turned and looked at the three Ninja on the roof as he walked back in the palace. "Who's watching who?" Morro questioned suspiciously. "I'm just gonna say it, I don't trust that guy."
"What makes you say that?" Demir muttered, also looking suspicious.
"I spent my share of time being the bad guy, so you kind of develop a sixth sense around suspicious fellows," Morro explained.
"You got a point there, Morro," Nya muttered in agreement. "But we better find proof Hutchins is up to no good before we jump to any conclusions."
"Agreed, but as Master Wu would say, we must never lower our guard," Rose said as they continued their patrol around the palace.
Inside the palace, Jay, Zane, Kai, and Cole are at the buffet table as Jay is scarfing down on some food as he turns to Cole while holding up a cake.
"Are you sure you don't want any? This cake is delicious." Jay said to Cole while holding up a cake.
Cole smiled at the cake before he sighed and shook his head out of his trance. "My body is a temple." He said to himself, trying to resist the temptation.
Jay then ate the cake as he gave a satisfied smile. "Well, the buffet is clear of any threats, and they're out of bologna." He stated.
"Like somebody would poison the palace food when the mask is the target?" Kai asked with a brow. "You only did that to get dibs on the grub, didn't you?" He asked with a smirk.
"Hey, waste not, why not?" Jay said as he passed Kai a cake piece who just rolled his eyes and took a bite.
"Can we discuss now what is a party pooper?" Zane asked in confusion, wanting to know what Jay meant earlier.
"It means someone who ruins all the fun," Kai explained with his mouth full.
Cole placed a hand as he shook his head. "Uch. Jay's upset because I'm the responsible one. With Master Wu gone, someone has to help the Garma-Twins keep us in check." He explained.
Zane then gave a smile. "In that case, you are correct. You are responsible. It is nice to have a pooper at the party." He said casually while patting Cole on the shoulder.
Cole looked at Zane in shock while Jay and Kai proceeded to laugh their heads off as the Lightning Ninja leaned against Cole while the Fire Ninja leaned forward and the Earth Ninja just sighed in annoyance.
With the Garma-Twins, they are looking at the Mask of Deception, feeling drawn to its aura. Lydie more than Lloyd, "So you're the Mask of Deception." Lloyd mused.
"Why would a biker gang/fanclub of our father want the masks of ancient demon warlords so badly?" Lydie asked her brother.
"Don't know, but with how everyone is worried and trying to keep them separate, it can't be good." Lloyd explained while looking at the mask in concern, "And, I can't shake this uneasy feeling that Father is somehow connected to all of this."
"You're not the only one," Lydie said as she and her brother kept looking at the mask. She then smirked, "You know, the S.O.G could be after Harumi, might try to ransom her to the Emperor and Empress for the mask."
Lloyd looked at her in worry, "You think so?" He asked.
"Maybe." Lydie shrugged casually, "And seeing how she's more important than some silly old mask, I think the Emperor and Empress would understand that you left your post to keep her safe." She said,
Lloyd looked at her in surprise before smiling as Lydie winked, "Go on, you two have some catching up to do, I'll keep watch over the mask." Lydie said to her brother with a wave and a small smile.
Lloyd smiled and nodded. "Thanks, sis. But are you sure you can handle this without me?" He asked.
"Psh, I'm the daughter of Master Garmadon, I think I can handle guarding an ugly face." Lydie scoffed as they chuckled, "Just go get your princess, 'Hero Boy'." She teased with Harumi's nickname for Lloyd.
Lloyd gave a slight blush. "Can you not say that, please?" He pleaded before running off. "I-I'll see you later, Lyd." He said before dashing to Harumi's room.
Lydie laughed and turned back to the Oni Mask, giving a serious expression as she looked into it's eyes, "Just what do those goons want with you and the other two?" She asked herself as the Oni Mask eyes looked as if they were staring through her very soul.
With Lloyd, he ran down the hall as he was getting close to Harumi's room before he heard shattering sounds, which made him stop next to the door as he got worried.
"Rumi? Are you okay?" Lloyd asked as he slowly walked up to the room, which got dark, meaning that the lights are out. "You there?" He asked before he slide open the doors as he saw that Harumi was nowhere in sight. "Rumi?" He called, wondering where she could be.
But then as he was in the middle of the room, "BOO!" A voice yelled out as it made Lloyd yelp with a start as he was pinned to the bed and he flipped over and saw Harumi, dressed in her tracksuit, flower-printed shirt, and dark green jacket, on top of him as she laughed. "Oh, got scared by a little princess, Hero Boy? I thought you were a Ninja?" She asked amusingly.
Lloyd collected himself as he gave a slight amusing chuckle. "Haha. Very funny, Rumi. You didn't scare me, I was just surprised." He said as they both laughed while sitting up before they smiled happily and gave each other a hug.
"I missed you so much." Harumi said softly as she nuzzled Lloyd with her cheek.
Lloyd gave a small blush as he nuzzled back, taking in the smell of Harumi's lily perfume. "I missed you too." He responded as they broke apart. "Sorry for not coming by sooner. Being a ninja and protecting Ninjago while also searching for my uncle makes visiting pretty complicated." He apologized.
Harumi shook her head with a smile. "It's alright, Lloyd. I understand. Besides, I should be saying sorry for not visiting you." She said, her hair moving infront of her face, "After Krux and Acronix, my parents wanted us to be closed off until things died down around Ninjago."
Lloyd smiled and brushed her hair aside, "Well if it's not my fault then it's not yours either." He said softly as the two broke away but still held hands, "So, was there something you wanted?" He asked his friend.
"Give me a minute," She said before getting up and walking to her closet. She came back, holding two bags. "I figure you would help me out with something I've been doing for a while now." She said to Lloyd.
"Doing what? And what's in the bags?" Lloyd asked as he got up too.
Harumi opened one bag revealing food, toys, clothing, and games, "Some food, toys, warm clothing, and some other games I put in. For the less fortunate." She explained to her friend, "Even though I can't kick bad guy butt as you can, I can help my people by giving them what you gave to me: hope for a better tomorrow." She added with a warm smile.
"Wow, that's impressive, Harumi," Lloyd said with a proud smile before looking confused. "But how did you manage to get a bag out of the palace without the guards and your parents knowing?" He asked.
Harumi blushed and rubbed the back of her neck, "Well you see, I sort of…sneak out?" She explained sheepishly.
Lloyd was surprised by this. "Sneaking out? How long have you been doing this?" He asked in shock.
"Well, about sometime after I was crowned Princess before the Overlord Virus incident, I saw how helpless the people were down there, so I've been sneaking out with what I have and been helping them get by every day." Harumi explained as she looked away solemnly. "I may have lost my parents, but some kids out there, don't even know their mothers and fathers, and have no one to turn to."
Lloyd looked at her before sighing and crossing his arms, "Well, I'm sorry Rumi but I can't let you go down there tonight," He said with his eyes closed. Harumi looked at him, worried that he would tell her parents about this before he opened his eyes and smiled, "Not without me to help you." He finished.
Harumi looked at Lloyd in surprise as she gave a warming smile at Lloyd before she passed him a gray hoodie. "Put this on, we don't want the guards seeing the Golden Ninja kidnapping the Jade Princess, would we?" She joked as they laughed.
Lloyd gave a chuckle as he put on the gray hood over his gi. "Very funny." He said as he grabbed a bag and put it over his shoulder as Harumi held the one she had. "So, you need a lift?" He asked while offering his hand.
Harumi gave a smirk at Lloyd. "No thank you. I can handle on my own, try to keep up." She said as she jumped off her balcony and onto the walls of the palace as she jumped into the city.
"Whoa!" Lloyd called out in shock before he recovered and gave a smirk, "Oh-ho-ho, it's on!" He challenged as he jumped over the walls and followed Harumi into the city.
In the halls, Hutchin walked by as he saw Harumi's room empty as he gave a gasp before rushing into a balcony and looked down at the guards. "The princess is gone! Find her!" He ordered as the guards nodded and went to work as they rushed off to find Harumi, not knowing that she and Lloyd went into the city together.