Jay and Cole shielded their eyes as they stumbled out of the caverns. The early morning sun peeked over the horizon, coating the world in a bright, golden light. Jay looked around as his eyes adjusted, taking in their surroundings. A grassy field surrounded them, a soft breeze filling the air with flowers and fresh air. To the north, the polished, white stone of the palace walls met with the grassy field.

"This way, Cole," Jay hummed.

Cole nodded, wincing with each step. Jay kept his arm around his friend, helping him as they walked towards Ivory City. As they grew closer, they could see guards walking along the top of the wall. One guard noticed them and pointed down at them.

More gathered, voices floating down to the ninja in the breeze. Before they knew it, a rope ladder fell from the wall, and two guards quickly descended it. They ran over to the ninja, while more watched from above.

"Are you two alright?" one asked.

"Prince Cole?" the second asked.

The guards quickly took Cole from Jay as a third guard joined them. This guard turned to Jay.

"The others who were with you," he asked.

"Everyone's in rough shape," Jay explained. "Kai and Wu need help."

The guard turned, yelling up to the ones on the wall. "Get a medic for the prince and send a patrol into the mines!"

Jay watched as the guards scrambled, running off in different directions. The guard led Jay after the others. They walked over to the ladder, scaling the wall and following the patrol into the palace.

Jay sighed with relief, seeing Cole seated with a medic checking over his injuries.

"Jay, correct?"

The blue ninja spun around, coming face to face with the King.

"Where are the others?" he asked.

"Still down there," Jay replied. "Kai and Wu are in bad shape."

"We've got a patrol ready to go down and retrieve them," the guard next to him announced.

"And what of Lilly?" Vangelis asked.

"She uh-" Jay hesitated, unsure of how the king would respond to her end.

"I think I understand," Vangelis hushed him. "Go with the guard and find your friends. I'll watch over Cole until you return."

Jay nodded, following the guard into the palace gardens. He stepped out and saw half a dozen guards waiting for him.

"Whereabouts are they?" the guard next to him asked.

"Down in the main mines," Jay replied, hoping they were still there.

"You heard him, move out!" the guard called.

Jay watched as the guards filed into the tunnel. The patrol leader beside Jay ran with him, assuring him that his men were equipped for basic first aid. Any injuries his friends sustained could be stabilized and brought to the surface.

Within a few minutes, the group emerged into the mine. The patrol froze, taking in their surroundings. Jay quickly pushed past them, running to Lloyd and Nya, who hovered around Kai.

"Is he ok?" Jay cried, sliding in next to them.

"I'll be fine," Kai mumbled, his speech slurred.

"You've got a dagger in your shoulder, bruises everywhere and probably some head trauma," Nya cried. "How is that fine!"

"I said I'll be fine, sis," Kai frowned. "Doesn't mean I'm fine at this moment."

A guard knelt beside them, looking at the dagger in Kai's shoulder with worry. "Can you still feel and move your arm here?"

Kai nodded, flexing his hand with pain scrawled across his face.

Lloyd stood, looking over at his father. He glanced down at the others before walking over to join his father. He could see the dagger embedded in Wu's chest. He already had a feeling of what happened.

He paused, standing behind his father. He gently places a hand on Garmadon's shoulder, grabbing his attention.

"Is he-" Lloyd mumbled, not wanting to finish the thought.

Garmadon took a deep breath, nodding as he slowly got to his feet.

"He warned me," Garmadon mumbled. "He told me going into this, one of us wouldn't make it out of here."

Lloyd smiled, looking down at his Sensei, "he always had a way of knowing things before they happened."

Garmadon sighed, a soft chuckle in his exhale, "he did."

Lloyd looked up at his father, tears sparking in his eyes. Garmadon glanced down at Lloyd, a soft smile as he pulled the boy into a hug. Lloyd stood shocked for a second, then returned it.

"I can't imagine you having to go through life without me," Garmadon mumbled. "I can't imagine the loss you and your team have dealt with over the years. Especially with all this now, too."

Garmadon stepped back, looking down at his son. Lloyd smiled up at him, then over at his friends. Jay and Nya were still hovering over Kai as the guards helped the red ninja to his feet. The three were guided back out of the mine, up the path towards the palace.

"We've always had each other," Lloyd hummed. "Even when we've gone our separate ways, the world always seemed to find a way to bring us back together. They're my family, too."

"And I'm glad you have them," Garmadon smiled, tussling Lloyd's hair. The blond made a noise of protest, laughing as he pushed his father's hand away.

"Would you like us to move the deceased and prepare him for transport?" a guard asked.

"If you could," Garmadon nodded. "I'd like to take him home, bury him at the monastery."

"As you wish," the guard nodded, turning to help the team.

Garmadon turned to Lloyd, "Let's go up and check on your friends."

Lloyd nodded, walking with Garmadon up the ramp. They emerged in the garden with a few guards before being escorted to the others.

The group was gathered in the throne room. The other ninja were all being assessed by different medics, although Jay and Nya argued they were perfectly fine and could handle their injuries independently. Cole was talking with Vania. The princess seemed to be stressed over him while Cole smiled, trying to calm her down. Another medic was stitching up Kai's shoulder while a second was assessing his head injuries.

"How are you two?" a different medic approached the father-son duo.

"We're alright," Garmadon assured.

"Please, Sensei Garmadon," Vangelis insisted. "Allow my medics to check you over. It's the least I could do for all of you."

"Certainly is the least you could do," Garmadon grumbled under his breath.

Lloyd jabbed his elbow into his father's side, silencing him, "If it'll make you happy, Your Majesty."

Garmadon glared at his son as Vangelis walked away. Garmadon batted away the medics' hands from his head, shooing them away. Lloyd sighed, shaking his head.

After a minute, the medic cleared both, although they couldn't honestly assess the sensei without his approval. The two joined Jay and Nya, who were already discussing the next steps.

"How's everyone holding up?" Lloyd asked.

"Kai's shoulder's going to take a while to heal," Nya answered. "And Cole's leg, too, if he can stay off it to let it heal."

"That's good," Garmadon nodded. "And you two are alright?"

"Hardly a scratch," Jay smiled.

"Maybe a couple of bruises, but nothing we haven't dealt with before," Nya nodded.

"I'm just glad we found Cole," Lloyd sighed. "It's disappointing we don't all get to walk away from this, but at least those of us who can, can walk away with relatively minor injuries."

"Ninja, a word?"

The group turned as Vangelis approached them again.

"I presume you dealt with Lilly's body in the mine?" Vangelis queried.

The group frowned in confusion.

"No, we left her where she was killed," Lloyd replied.

"Maybe the tunnels shifted again, and her body is down a different path?" Jay suggested.

"That's just it; we found where she was killed, the evidence is there," Vangelis explained. "But there is no sign of her body."

"How's that possible?" Nya asked. "She was dead. She had to be. Right?"

"I checked the body; she didn't survive that," Garmadon assured. "Someone or something must have moved her."

"Perhaps the munks or geckles found her and decided to dispose of her," Lloyd suggested. "She did cause their tribes a lot of pain and suffering."

"It's possible," Vangelis hummed. "I'll see if any of my men can locate their tribes to clarify. Regardless, she won't be an issue anymore."

"Finally, some good news," Jay sighed in relief. "That means it's over, and we can go home, right?"

"Well, we can return to the monastery," Lloyd corrected. "As for going home, I have no idea when that will happen."

"I mean, Cyrus has to have his machine working soon, right?" Nya commented. "Surely, we'll go home in the next day or so."

"I hope you're right," Lloyd replied.

"We're going home?"

The group turned as Cole hobbled over to them, a panicked and stressed Vania on his heels.

"Cole, sit down," Vania urged. "Please. You need to rest and heal."

"She's right, Cole," Lloyd warned. "You shouldn't be up and moving around."

"Look, as much as I love this place and everyone treating me like royalty, I just want to go home," Cole sighed. "Just us, chilling at the monastery and playing video games so we can leave this all behind us."

"I second that!" Kai called from his chair, several feet away from them.

"You don't get a say in any of this," Nya snapped back.

"And why not!" Kai argued. "I'm injured here too, ya know!"

"Oh, he's gonna get it," Nya grumbled, storming over to argue with her brother.

"Should we do something about that?" Garmadon asked the others.

"You don't mess with Nya when she's like that," Lloyd shook his head. "That's like poking the bear."

"Do you want to lose a finger?" Cole laughed.

"Got it," Garmadon nodded. "Just like her mother when she was that age then."

"That's one way to put it," Jay grumbled.

"Regardless of this all, we can go back to the monastery once everyone is cleaned up and ready to move," Garmadon assured.

"What?" Vania cried, turning to Cole. "You can't leave. Cole's needed here. He's the prince."

"I'm not your Cole, though, Vania," Cole replied.

"But when my Cole returns, he'll appear wherever you are," Vania argued. "He needs to be here."

"Perhaps it's best Cole is at the monastery," Garmadon interjected.

"But his home is here," Vania argued. "His family is here."

"His father is back there," Garmadon replied.

"His dad is here," Vania cried, pointing at her father.

"Vania, dear," Vangelis sighed.

"Dad, please," Vania pleaded. "Tell them he has to stay. He's my brother. He's supposed to be here."

"Vania, as much as I want him to stay, I have to agree with Sensei Garmadon," Vangelis sighed. "Cole has real family down in Ninjago. And with the loss of his mother, he should have the choice to meet his family. If he chooses to return on his own, we will take him back. But that choice is his, not ours."

Vania sniffled, trying not to cry as she turned to Cole.

"I guess that's only fair," she mumbled.

"It'll be ok," Cole assured. "I'm sure Cole, your Cole, will return to you in time. If he's known you as long as you say, he won't stay away forever."

Vania nodded, although upset. Cole smiled, pulling the princess into a comforting hug. She quickly returned it, clinging to him.

"Take care of yourself?" she asked, her voice muffled in his top.

"I will," Cole assured.

"Thank you both for everything," Garmadon smiled.

"Let us know if there is anything I can do for you," Vangelis replied. "And you are welcome back anytime. Just try not to kill anyone else if you do."

"Sounds fair enough," Jay nodded.

"So, we're finally going back?" Kai asked, walking over to them. His shoulder was bandaged up, and his arm in a sling.

"Just to the monastery," Lloyd replied. "Just until Cyrus brings us back to our world."

"I'm cool with that," Kai replied. "Maybe we can set up a gaming system there too."

"I mean, we might as well," Jay grinned. "I bet our alters would love us for it."

"You are not bringing a gaming system into the monastery," Garmadon frowned.

The three groaned, although the team knew they would find a way to do it regardless if they were given the chance.

"Well, if you are ready to leave, I'll summon a carriage to take you home," Vangelis said, excusing himself.

It was finally over.

They finally got to go home.