Sorry for the long wait! I had a hard time finding this episode on YouTube, so I distracted myself with some Avenger fics that I've posted. AND life got in the way too. Please check them out if interested.
I was finally able to find this one! Again really sorry. I hope you all like!
XxXxXxXxXx
The Ninja made their way to Ras' quarters. Lilly knocked on the door.
"You call that a knock?" Raya asked her. "It'll work for us, but for the enemy?" She moved forward and slammed her fist on the door. "Open up dog face!" She yells, she pauses before banging harder on the door. "Ras!"
"Ok." Lloyd reaches for Raya, grabbing her arms and pulling her back. "Nya, I thought you talked to your niece."
"I did!" The water Ninja snapped. "Not fault she's exactly like Kai."
Raya beams with pride. "Compliment! Thank you!"
Lilly rolls her eyes. "Apparently I still have learning to do." She said sarcastically folding her arms, Cole wraps his arm around her shoulders.
"Have I mentioned that it's good to see you girls still bickering, like you haven't been separated for how many years?" He asks fondly.
Suddenly the door slides open. "Ugh, do you know what time it is?" Cinder demands with a yawn, on his forehead is a sleep mask with hearts in front of the eyes. "Trying to get my beauty sleep here."
"Too bad." Raya huffs. "Beauty does not work on evil."
Cinder makes a face. "Boss!" He turns and leave. "Bunch of jerks that apparently don't care about my beauty, are here to see you."
Raya raises a fist and lunges, only for Lloyd to grab her waist just as Ras comes into the doorframe.
"We want Jay!" Nya demanded.
"Whatever you've done to him."- Cole started to threat as he moved forward and making a fist.
"Me?" Ras looks surprised. "The Merge left Jay Gordon Walker without his memory. Lost, alone, friendless. I found him. Helped him when no one else did." Then he taunted. "Where were you?"
"He's one of us, Ras!" Lloyd exclaimed. "He's a Ninja. He's been a Ninja for years!"
"So get your paws off him and release him to us now!" Raya demands.
"Too late." Ras said simply, like he didn't care at all. "He's gone."
"Gone?" Lilly asked with shock and surprise, then demanded. "Where's Jay? What did you do to him!?"
"Jay was here for one purpose, to win matches. He failed that purpose, so I sent him away. If you truly value Jay, leave the games and go after him." With that Ras closes the door.
Lilly and Raya turn as one to move. "Come on, we need to." Raya starts, but stops when Riyu rumbles.
"We gotta catchup with Jay before the sun comes up." Lilly added. "Dad, say something."
Cole took a deep breath as he moves forward. "Girls, Ras is playing us. He sent Jay away because he wants us to go after him."
"But he's one of us, dad!" Lilly argues. "You've always said 'A Ninja doesn't another Ninja behind.'" She reminds. "Lloyd, Master Wu has told us a hundreds times that the Ninja are family."
"And we need to find way a heal whatever goodness Jay has left." Raya added. "Jay's memories are gone, but if we leave now we can find him, bring him back to the Monastery. Master Wu has to have some Calming or Healing Tea left."
Nya walked up Raya. "We're not in this tournament for kicks." She reminds. "This tournament is a threat to the Source Dragons."
Cole approaches Lilly. "And to the Merged Lands themselves." He added, wrapping his arm around his daughter's shoulders.
"But we need our Lightning Ninja back!" Raya argued. "And Master Wu, and PIXAL! My dad, and Eleanor!"
"If our world is destroyed, there will be no Jay to save." Zane reminds. "Those who we've lost, will remain lost. Forever."
Lloyd approaches the four. "There is not a day that goes by that I don't miss my uncle. I wonder were he is, if he's ok and what he's doing." He reached for Lilly's hand, then Raya's hand. "Girls. I know this is hard, especially because you both were born into the Ninja. Jay was there for both of you when you and all of us needed a good laugh."
A slow smile reached Raya's face. "So what you're saying is that we still have a job to do."
"And that's here." Lilly added. "The tournament."
Lloyd smiles at them. "Yes. After everything is over, and the world is saved. That's when we can put all of our energy into searching and rescuing Jay."
William walked up and slung his arm around Lloyd. "You sounded just like your uncle." He compliments with a smile.
Lloyd returns it as he lets go of Lilly and Raya's hands. "Yeah? Thanks!" He then oofed with both his arms are pinned at his sides as both Raya and Lilly grabbed Lloyd, hugging him.
"And when the world is once again safe, we'll find Master Wu." Cole added.
As the team moves off, Arin lingers behind. Sora quickly notices and moves to him.
"What's wrong?"
"During their fight. Jay told Nya he worked at the Administration." Arin starts as they slowly walk.
"Wait, Jay is Agent Gordon?"
"Yeah, the only person who might know what happened to my parents."
Sora smiles. "Great! So when this is all over, we'll go find him." She turns to Arin and places a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Then we can find your parents!"
"But when will this all be over?" He demands, sounding exhausted. He turns to fully face Sora. "Lloyd promised we'd find my parents before. Now promised to find Jay. But something always gets in the way."
XxXxXxXx
The following morning. Sora sat in their quarters with a tablet in hand. "Poison, Shade, and what does this guy have again? Elemental power of looking mean? Ugh! This is impossible! There's too many!"
"You're over thinking again Sora." Raya told her, just the door slides open to reveal Lloyd and Zane walking in. "Lloyd, she's getting overworked again."
"I see that." Lloyd nods as he approaches the pink haired teen. "Sora, studying your opponents is good prep. But you gotta find calm. Master Wu once said 'The garden of confidence grows in the soil of calm, not the rocks of panic.'"
"My confidence isn't a garden." She said with her shoulders slouched. "It isn't even a shrub. I'm pretty much all rocks of panic." She starts to ramble with that panic. "What it I'm up against Cinder or Nokt?"
"They can do Shatterspin! I can't even do Spinjitzu."
Lilly approaches. "Sora, just because me and Raya were born into the Ninja, doesn't mean we mastered Master Wu's teachings at the beginning, and learned Spinjitzu right away. It's takes time. Lloyd, Uncle Zane, my dad, Kai and Jay all learned. Lloyd's was unorthodox, but he got it. Sometimes gotta spin till you're dizzy and sick."
Zane nodded. "Yes, she is correct. It takes practice and patience to learn Spinjitzu. These games are often not about strength, but about out-maneuvering your opponent."
"Right." Lloyd nods with a smile. "So is Lilly. Spinjitzu is within your reach. You've got the fundamentals down." His smile disappeared when Sora didn't look convinced. "Look, I know the games are getting more intense. And it's affecting all of us. But remember, we're here for more than just this competition. The mystery of the Matriarch's death is somehow connected to these games. And Ras wants to win badly. So our job is to make sure he doesn't. Even if it means winning ourselves." He places a hand on Lilly's shoulder as everyone minus Arin and Wyldfyre approach. "We can do this."
Cole smirks. "And he doesn't think he's a good leader."
"I think I finally figured that out." Raya grins. "He's afraid of being better then his uncle."
Lloyd turns to her. "Raya."-
"You know I'm right." The red head argued.
"Can't you be a little less then your dad?" Lloyd asks her.
"Put her on a task in the city, Lloyd, she'll drag me as usual and we'll try to use a crane to bulldoze the Adventure's Club's building." Lilly said.
Raya shoots her an irritating glare. "We were 9!"
"Wait! 9!? 9-years-old!?" A shocked Cole, yells and turns to fully face Lilly. "Lillian!"
His daughter winces. "Grandpa Lou never told you?" She asks weakly.
"NO!" With new anger, the building shook. "My own father keeping that from me!?"
"For the record." Lilly starts, then points an accusing finger at Raya. "She made me!"
"Ugh!" Cole throws his arms out. "That suppose to make me feel better?" He questions, folding his arms and the building stops shaking.
"Cole, it obviously happened years go." Zane tried to reassure him. "There is nothing to do about that now."
XxXxXxXxXx
In the city, Riyu is walking along a sidewalk.
"Riyu?" Kai's voice sounded like he was in a tunnel. "Can you hear me?"
The dragon looks around, then grumbles as he turns and runs down an alleyway.
"Riyu, don't give up!" Kai told the dragon as he continued to run. "We have to tell you something before the other three come back!"
Riyu runs down another dark alleyway, before face planting into a wall. The dragon picks himself up and shakes his head.
XxXxXxXxXx
At the tournament, Ras' team and the Ninja stood in their respective groups.
"Are you ready!?" Roby shouts into his camera. "I think you are! Yeah!" More calmly he spoke. "When they talk about the Tournament Of The Sources, they ofter say 'Legendary' and "Mythic'. But now they'll also say 'Mega-tight' and 'Stang-zoot'. A new word I just made up."
"How annoying can he actually be?" Lilly asked.
"Pretty damn annoying." Raya folds her arms. "I'm just glad he's not evil."
"Let the games continue!" Roby announces. "Get your umbrella hats on cause it's about to rain elemental powers! First up today, it's the Ninja with cat ears and no fears. Sora, Elemental Master of Technology!"
Sora's profile appears on the big screen.
"You got this Sora!" Raya encourages with confidence.
"Versus the liquid warrior who will never bore ya." Roby continued. "From the Azure Reef, it's Kizzy, Elemental Master of Balance!"
"That's not a balance!" Lilly said as the Ninja watch her opponent's profile appear on the big screen.
"It is now." Lloyd replied. "For how long?" He asks. "I'm not sure."
As Sora moved to fight her opponent, Lilly moves away from the Ninja to answer her vibrating phone, sliding it out of her pouch.
"Clay. I can't talk right now." She said.
"We have a winner!" Roby announces, making her turn around to look, then go back to her phone call.
"I'm sorry. I haven't heard from you in a long time, did you find your dad? Is he ok?"
Lilly smiles as she turns back around to only to find Wyldfyre fighting off Cinder with the classic Capture The Flag, but Lilly's eyes land on Cole's back. "I found him. He's ok. Thank you."
"Hey, Clay! Gimmie the phone!" A younger voice calls out, and soon a scuffing sound is heard in the background.
"Stop it Fletcher!" Clay is heard over the phone, but the scuffle continues. Lilly giggles at hearing the bickering.
"Lilly!" Cole yells from behind her.
"That's my dad." Lilly said hurriedly. "Clay I gotta go."
"Oh, ok. Be safe."
"Thanks, you too." Lilly hangs up and slides her phone back into her pouch. She turns just as Cole reaches her.
"That your boyfriend?"
"It … it was." She nods, and watches as he folds his arms. "Dad." She railed off when he raises a hand.
"I don't want to hear it right now." He said with tiredness. "The tournament is over. Wyldfyre lost, and she's crushed so we're leaving."
"Honestly, with her power now gone. I hope she mellows out more."
XxXxXxXxXx
The Ninja are headed back to their quarters, while Wydfyre is down in the dumps. Arin scuffs.
"They shouldn't even be allowed to use the Gong of Shattering." He scuffs, while Zane is studying the tablet. "It's not fair."
"Yeah! Roby says he's the rule keeper." Raya also scuffs. "Why wasn't he calling foul play?"
"I thought the same thing after Jay used it." Zane added, while looking up from the tablet. "But in coming through the rules, I found there is technically no prohibition on the use of such items."
"So, the bad guys get to do whatever they want?" Lilly asked.
"Not fair!" Both she and Raya said in union.
"Ras must have known." Zane added.
Wyldfyre suddenly sniffs. "Do you guys smell that?"
Arin sniffs, then turns to Zane. "It's not me, right? I never know when it's me."
Suddenly smoke slams around the Ninja, and suddenly Cinder stood in front of them.
"The loser and her loser friends."
"The only loser around here, is you." Lilly snarls as Nya moves to stand in front of an angry Wyldfyre.
"What do you want, Cinder?" The water Ninja demanded.
"Besides gloating." William added.
"Hey, if it helps. You never stood a chance in there, kid." His stabbing remark is sent to Wyldfyre. "Your mentor was Kai. Get taught by a loser, all you learn is how to lose, right?"
Wyldfyre snarls, breaking free from Lloyd and trying to torch Cinder's face, but her power was gone.
Raya quickly comes up to Wyldfyre. "Allow me." She said, pushing Wyldfyre back and decking Cinder in the face. "My dad is not a loser!" She said with heat and rage as Nya is quick to grab her and restrain her. "You are!"
"And dragons don't need power to fight!" Wyldfyre lunged at Cinder, but Lloyd is quicker to grab her.
Suddenly Cinder faked being hit (even though he was with just a fist.)
"What the?" Wyldfyre had stopped her rage as Cinder continued to fake it.
"Please don't hurt me, I just wanted to say congratulations."
"For what?" Raya huffs out. "You block head."
"Such behavior defies logic." Zane said.
"He's milking it!" Lilly states, pointing to Cinder and looking at Lloyd.
"Of course he is." Lloyd said. "But how are we gonna convince Roby?" He asks as Roby and his uncle approach with their security guards.
"Break up those rabble-rousers! Ninja, ganging up on the victor that defeated your teammate. We haven't seen such unsportsmanlike behavior in generations!"
"It wasn't us!" Raya yelled defensively. "We're the good guys!"
"Yeah." Lloyd agrees. "You have it all wrong."
"Lloyd, it's a setup!" Nya said.
"Don't foist your excuses off on us! We saw the whole thing on screen!"
"Bullying is not tolerated." Roby added.
Raya folds her arms. "Did you see the whole thing? Or just part of it? Cause if you really did, then you'd know that Cinder started it!"
"It's disqualification and immediate exile." Roby continued, ignoring her.
"But we didn't, that's not."- Wyldfyre starts.
"Security Bots! Escort the Ninja beyond the city gates!"
Wyldfyre quickly hid behind Raya as the Security Bots approached the Ninja. In a flash, Zane is in front of his friends with his arms stretched out.
"Halt! In invoke article 764!" He commands.
That had everyone looking at each other confused. But Roby's uncle took a few steps forward.
"The Cavern Run?" He asks with surprise. "No one's done that in eons."
"I totally know the rule book inside and out." Roby gloated. "But for those who might not have devoted the hours of patient study, I definitely have, please fill us in?"
"You have never seen any of Master Wu's training." Cole remarks.
Lilly turns to Zane. "Uncle?" She asks, making him smile at her and placing a hand on her shoulder before turning to Roby.
"It is a trial of worthiness." Zane informed. "Compete in a dangerous, high speed vehicle race through deadly caverns, beat the clock, and get immunity from exile."
"A desperate race against the odds?" Roby asks with enthusiasm. "Pure drama!" He cheers. "Stang-zoot, let's do it!"
His uncle turns to him. "But it's. But, uh." He trails off and Roby rushed up to him.
"Come on, Uncle Bleckt, you love old school traditional rules." He reminds. "This is your jam!"
Bleckt sighs heavily as he hands his head. "I cannot deny the legitimacy of article 764." He caves, making his nephew cheer loudly.
"We race tonight!" Roby then gloats. "I knew my games would be the sweetest ever!" No sooner had he said everyone leaves the Ninja standing there.
"What was that?" William asked, Cole shrugs.
"Get out of jail free card?" He offers.
"Sounds like we need a vehicle." Nya said.
"Which we don't have." Raya adds.
"I'd let you use mine, but it got trashed on our way up here." Arin said. "Bleckt told me they dumped it in their junkyard."
The team turns to him. "There's a junkyard here?" Sora asks, then smiles. "That might be exactly what's needed." She activates her powers. "For someone with Elemental Technology powers."
XxXxXxXx
Riyu continued to search for Kai as he wondered the city.
"Riyu, we're putting all our hope in you. Please!" Kai's voice is heard.
"Don't put pressure on him Kai!" Eleanor's voice is also heard.
Riyu turns his head to see a light on in a nearby door, he whimpers as he approaches it, when he started to sniff the ground in front of it footsteps on the other side of the door is heard, making the dragon quickly run and hide and peer around the corner.
The dragon watches as Ras and his goons leave, Riyu again whimpers.
XxXxXxXx
At what looked like a rally. Ras and his goons arrive.
"Still don't have any wheels?" Cinder continued to anger the Ninja (mostly Wyldfyre and Raya). "You gonna beat the Cavern Run on foot?"
"We'll use our Elemental Dragons if needed, ashtray!" Raya yells, making Zane grab her to hold her back. An engine revives and roars making everyone turn to see a race car driving up. "Lloyd!" Raya cheers brightly.
"Ha!" Lilly turns to Cinder. "In your face ashtray!" She exclaims just as the car comes to a screeching halt inches from him, everyone minus Ras and his team cheer as Cole, Sora, Nya and Lloyd stand.
Wyldfyre turns to Cinder. "What were you saying, Cinder?" She taunts.
Lilly jumps up on Cole's part of the vehicle. "Dad!" Her smile vanishes when she took in the only seat. "I can't race, can I?" She asks bummed out.
"I'm sorry honey." Cole shook his head. "Not this race."
She shoulders slouch. "But dad!"-
"Butts is for sitting." He cuts her off.
"Don't play the Master Wu card! Especially when he's not here!" She cries, jumping down and turning around so her back is to him, Cole sighs.
"Zane, could you?" He starts to ask.
"Just worry about the race Cole." Zane told him. "Lilly will be fine."
Arin jumps onto the middle of the car.
"Arin, all eyes will be on the race, including theirs." Lloyd motioned towards Ras.
"So it's a good time for a certain detective to do some detectiving." Arin smiled.
"That's not a word." Raya said as she stood next to Nya.
Arin frowns at her. "I know." He turns back to Lloyd. "But it sounded right in the moment."
Raya turns to Nya. "To think I had a crush on him." She whispers.
"I hear you like Percival Tartigrade from Imperium now." Nya smiled. "Your mom told me he visited you a handful of times while you were unconscious, then a few more times after you awoke."
Raya blushes. "He's a good guy. Grandpa and Grandma like him too. So does mom."
Nya took her hands. "Honey, I know your dad is tough on you. He loves you a lot! He just doesn't want to see you get hurt. He's my brother, he was the same with me."
Twin tears rolled down Raya's cheeks. "I miss him. I want him back."
"I know sweetheart, I do too."
Suddenly Roby comes flying in on his disk. "Hey, Red! We're rolling!"
Raya blew a raspberry at him, she turns to Nya to give her a hug. "Good luck." She whips her tears and turns to Lloyd and Cole. "Good luck guys."
"Thanks Raya." Cole smiles giving her a thumbs up.
"Yeah." Lloyd smiles. "This isn't our first race."
Raya turns to Sora. "Nice wheels."
"Thanks!" The pink haired teen beams.
Raya jumps down and walks up to Zane.
"Racers, to your vehicle!" Roby announces.
The three Ninja sit down down and buckled up.
"The Ninja will be racing the clock, right? Roby asks into his camera. "Well, meet the clock!"
A small dragon flies down from the ceiling and lands on Roby's outstretched hand. "The Pace Dragon! That racing strip? My addition." He lifts his hand and the small dragon flies away. Roby turns back to his camera. "The Pace Dragon will fly the course at the exact rate needed to win the race. If the Ninja beat the Pace Dragon, victory! Zero percent exile!"
Cole yelps suddenly and ducks down when Roby flies in to shove his camera into Lloyd's face, startling him. "Watch where you're flying that thing pal!" Cole yells in irritation.
"High stakes, Lloyd!" Roby exclaims, ignoring Cole's complaint. "Win this, the Ninja are still in the games." Roby exclaims. "Lose, you're out. Do you have the leadership skills to get your team across the finish line in time?"
"Of course he does, pee brain!" Raya yells behind Roby.
Lloyd turns his attention away from Roby, to Raya. "Thank you Raya. Don't need help." He turns back to Roby. "Yes, I do!"
"That's the spirit!" Roby exclaims. "Pure drama!" He cheers. "Stang-zoot!"
"Seriously, what's that word even mean?" Lilly questions.
"You heard the annoying man, he made it up." Raya replies with her arms folded.
Roby flies high in the air, pulling out an airgun. "3, 2, 1!" He shoot the gun in the air. "Go, go, go!"
The vehicle roars as it speeds away and the crowd cheers.
Lilly turns when a hand landed on her shoulder, finding Raya.
"Couldn't help but notice, I heard you have a boyfriend." The red head comments.
"Yeah."
Raya slings her arm through Lilly's. "Tell me about him." The red head pulls her best friend away from the crowd.
Zane watches them, before he soon sees that Arin has disappeared.