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Chapter Text

In the bright light of the morning, five ninja were gathered in the courtyard of the Monastery of Spinjitzu, preparing to test their newest contraption in the names of science and progress. 

Nya was shielding her eyes from the sun as she gazed up at Seliel, who stood on the roof of the monastery with the contraption strapped to her back: a pair of bat-like wings that fanned out behind her. It was partially inspired by what they had seen Wu's ninja use when retrieving the Nunchucks of Lightning, though Seliel had mostly created the design herself.

Ever since their battle against Wu's ninja, Seliel and Nya had been working tirelessly to make improvements to their gear, and the glider was their most recent project. But so far, Seliel hadn't lasted in the air more than a few seconds . . . it was still a work in progress.

Beside Nya, little Lloyd Garmadon held up a stopwatch, his thumb hovering over the button in preparation. "Take-off in T-minus thirty seconds!" he called, although there was no such thing.

"How about you stand back here," Nya suggested, guiding him away from Seliel's flight path. She had let him take over the job of time keeping in the hope that he wouldn't get in the way so much, and yet he still managed to make things difficult. But she supposed that was just how younger siblings were. Sometimes she wondered if this was how she used to make Kai feel when they were kids.

Despite the fact that she was still angry with his decision to stay with Master Wu, Nya couldn't help her thoughts occasionally wandering back to him since his disappearance through the portal created by the Golden Weapons. She often wondered where he might be, if he was safe, and if he would ever come back.

Nya shook her head. She didn't want to think about that now. She turned back to Seliel. "Ready?" she asked.

Seliel nodded, sunlight glinting over her helmet's visor. "Yep. You?" She looked to Pixal who was standing with her hands outstretched, ready to manipulate the metal in Seliel's glider in case she fell. Pixal nodded.

"Don't die!" Skylor called out encouragingly from the sidelines.

Seliel took a couple steps backwards for a running start. "Okay, here goes." She charged forward and leapt off the edge of the roof. The mountain breeze picked her up and held her aloft for a tense moment. Then the wings wobbled, and Seliel flailed her arms as she began to fall through the air.

Pixal's brow furrowed with concentration as she used her power to buoy Seliel into a more steady descent. A second later, Seliel's feet gently touched the ground in the middle of the courtyard.

"Nearly two whole seconds!" Lloyd ran up to her, waving his stopwatch.

"Buy you made it almost halfway," Skylor said as she approached.

Seliel grunted as she lifted her helmet and shook out her bright hair. "It's still no good."

"What went wrong?" Nya asked, equally frustrated.

"The design still isn't strong enough to support very much weight. The hollowed-out rods can't hold me."

"I could feel the strain in the frame," Pixal confirmed. "It's too brittle to hold much of anything."

Nya huffed. "I don't get it! We try one thing and the wings are too heavy, then we adjust it and they're too light. We'll just have to figure something else out."

"That can wait." Nya turned to see Sensei Garmadon coming down the steps of the monastery. "Right now, it's time for you to train."

With a sigh, Seliel shrugged off the glider and gently set it off to the side. "I guess so. But we'll get back to the glider as soon as we're done."

"We've got to be close to a breakthrough. If we can just tweak the design a little, I'm sure it will fly."

"Hey, maybe it'll hold me up!" Lloyd suggested.

Nya ruffled his hair. "Nice try, but that's not gonna happen."

Lloyd swatted her arm away. "Oh come on, you guys always treat me like a little kid."

"That's because you are a little kid, kid," Seliel said. "Maybe when you're older, you can be part of the action."

"You wait until I'm older," Lloyd muttered, still loud enough for them to hear. "I'll show you."

"Lloyd," his father said in warning.

Lloyd crossed his arms and looked away, but said nothing more.

Skylor was already warming up. "You guys need to focus more on your technique instead of those machines. Those things aren't going to be much help in a fist fight."

"Hey, we've been getting a lot of practice in," Nya objected. "And Sensei said we're getting better. These gadgets just give us more of an edge."

"Do not be fooled," Garmadon warned. "While it's true that you've made significant progress recently, you still have far to go before you can reach your full potential. The road ahead is long, filled with many twists and many secrets. If you are to be ready, you must continue to train."

"True Potential," Skylor repeated quietly. "I've heard of that before. But what is it?"

"Oh, oh, I know this one!" Lloyd said, bouncing up and down. "It's when you power gets, like, ten times stronger, and you can do all this cool stuff and you fly up and there's all this energy that comes out like zwoosh, fwoom, bam!" Nya had no idea what Lloyd was trying to illustrate through his wild gestures, but she had to take his word for it.

"It's more than just power," Garmadon said patiently. "You each have the potential for greatness inside of you." He gestured to each of the girls with his staff. "But inside all of us, there are obstacles – our fears, our doubts, our demons. Mental blocks, which keep us from becoming who we are truly meant to be. If you can learn to overcome the obstacles within you, you will unlock your True Potential."

"I've never seen it for real," Lloyd admitted. "But the scrolls make it sound pretty awesome."

"I'm sure your demonstration did it justice," Nya said.

"Don't worry, Sensei. We'll be strong enough when those ninja come back," Seliel growled, punching her hand with her fist. When she saw the look that Garmadon was giving her she quickly added, "And any other threats, of course."

"Mm hmm," Garmadon droned, not looking convinced.

"So what's the plan for today?" Skylor asked.

"It's time that we start pushing the limits of your elemental power and exploring ways to use them. Each one of you will take turns facing your teammates with nothing but your element. We will devise practical applications later, but for now, I want you to get accustomed to thinking on your feet."

"Great. We get to use our powers," Skylor said dryly. She never really used her own element because, well, Nya and Seliel and Pixal never really offered up theirs. Thinking about it now, Nya supposed that it was a bit unfair. But water was her element, and hers alone. If someone else mastered it, especially someone like Skylor, when Nya herself still needed practice, well that would be even more unfair, she thought.

But to everyone's surprise, Garmadon said, "Skylor, you will be the first to demonstrate."

"Me?"

"Girls, take off your gloves and roll up your sleeves. We don't want to make it too hard."

"Hold on, we're all going to fight her at once?" Seliel asked.

"Don't worry, Seliel, you'll get you turn," Garmadon said, as if he thought she was only jealous.

"What about me?" Lloyd piped up. "Can I join?"

"You can watch," Garmadon said.

Lloyd's interest suddenly waned. "Or I could just go inside and play?"

"Take a seat, Lloyd. I want to quiz you on their strategies later."

Lloyd begrudgingly trudged to the monastery's deck and plopped down, head in his hands.

"So I'm allowed to use their elements?" Skylor asked, starting to get excited.

"Your element, Skylor. And only your element. Remember, you are not allowed to make physical contact except to change elements. Use each to your advantage. As for you three, take this as an opportunity to find weaknesses in your powers that you will fix later on."

Skylor moved to the center of the courtyard and stood at the ready while the other girls got into a loose ring around her.

When Garmadon gave the order to start, Seliel was the first to rush forward. Skylor ducked to avoid her fist, sidestepped, and grasped Seliel's arm. The next instant, she Kapowed out of sight, reappearing next to Nya.

For a moment, Skylor looked just as confused as Nya felt. Then she attacked, putting Nya on the defensive until she could sap Nya's power. Nya tried to spray her with a jet of water, but Skylor caught it just in time. She held it in place while they wrestled for control. Nya lost her hold and gasped as she was soaked to the bone in her own element.

By this point, Seliel and Pixal had run toward them. Seliel kicked but Skylor caught her leg. Seliel was caught off guard, which gave Skylor just enough time to boop her on the nose and pop away again. Nya whirled around in search of the amber ninja as the sound of Skylor's dematerialization echoed through the courtyard.

"There!" Pixal pointed. Skylor was trying to regain her balance on the porch step nearby.

Nya charged alongside Seliel, while Pixal tried to attack from farther away. Skylor glanced at them, and right as the two girls were about to reach her, she teleported away again. Seliel stopped short and Nya ran right into her. The two girls crashed and fell on top of each other in a heap.

Nya was dazed for a moment, but looked up just in time to see Skylor pop up next to Pixal and place a palm on her forehead. Quicker than even the android could react, Skylor magnetically pushed her backwards and into the wall.

Skylor lowered her arm and turned to Garmadon. "You think that's good enough, or should I beat them harder?"

"I think that's enough for now," Garmadon agreed, not-so-subtly trying to hide a smile.

"Yeah, Skylor!" Lloyd was cheering.

Nya slowly got to her feet next to Seliel, groaning at the bruises she could already feel forming. Garmadon tapped the ground with his staff. "Now that you know what a practiced fighter is capable of with your elements, it's time you truly mastered them."

"Did you have to douse me?" Nya asked, still cold and dripping over the stone ground.

Skylor shrugged. "It was all I could think of."

"Hmph."

"Not so easy to hop from one place to another, is it?" Seliel teased.

"I'll admit, I have the most trouble with that one. But I think I can get the hang of it, given time."

"I admire how well thought out your strategies are," Pixal commented. "You certainly think quickly on your feet. Will you help me find practical ways to apply my element?"

"Sure. Part of it is just improvising, so if you can figure out your go-to moves . . ."

The sun reached its peak as the girls continued with their training, experimenting with their abilities and discovering just how far they could push themselves. They were on the training course now, practicing against dummies and automated obstacles. Lloyd had been sent inside to take a break. He was just a child, after all, and couldn't keep up for as long with his elder counterparts.

Garmadon observed his students from the deck, but his mind was elsewhere. He hardly noticed when his wife came to stand beside him.

"There's something troubling you, isn't there?" she asked when she saw the look in his eye.

"I've been thinking that it's time they have a proper leader. I won't always be around when they go on missions, and someone has to be able to make hard decisions at a moment's notice. But I can't be sure which of them would be best suited for the job."

"Well, what do your instincts say?"

Garmadon sighed and looked to the edge of the courtyard where Skylor was dancing through moves with speed and precision. "Skylor would be my first choice. She has the most experience, even if a little, and she understands the discipline it takes to be a proper ninja. However," he said, running a hand through his gray hair. "She lacks the sense of justice and honor that motivates the others. Skylor operates by her own motives, and the lack of unity could cause a rift. And, if I'm being honest, I'm still not confident about what it is that she truly wants."

Misako hummed in thought. "Do you think Wu could tempt her into joining his side?"

"I don't think so," Gsrmadon said after a moment's hesitation. "When I first found her, she was reluctant to leave her home for fear of betraying her father. Her loyalty is undeniable, and after their last adventure together, I trust her to protect this team. But until she decides for herself, once and for all, what kind of person she wants to be, I don't think she can handle the responsibility of guiding their decisions."

"So why not the others?"

A hint of a smile played on Garmadon's face. "I would like to suggest Seliel, but her mind is easily corrupted with thoughts of revenge. Normally, her moral compass is strong, and she has the will to lead the others through even the darkest moments. But when it comes to Wu and his ninja, Seliel is too focused on all the wrong things. As for Nya and Pixal: one is too brash, the other too timid. They balance each other out, but neither of them could be a strong enough leader on her own."

"So what does that leave us with?" Misako asked, egging him on.

Garmadon released another heavy sigh. "Again, I come back to Skylor," he answered. "And so it's been these past few days, going in circles, weighing the pros and the cons, until I can find that one thing that will be the deciding factor."

"Perhaps more time will tell. They'll find their own leader. With or without you."

Garmadon turned to his wife in surprise. "You think I should let them decide for themselves?"

Misako simply shrugged. "I think you should watch them closely and see who emerges naturally. After all, the leader will have to be someone that they can all agree to follow."

"Maybe you're right," Garmadon murmured thoughtfully.

"You'll figure it out in time, you always do. But for now, why don't you focus on making sure Seliel doesn't hurt herself?"

Garmadon blinked. He'd nearly forgotten that he was supposed to be keeping an eye on the girls' progress. Seliel had teleported to the top of the pole in the center of the courtyard, perched rather precariously without a glider or anyone to spot her.

"Seliel! Come down at once!" he shouted as he scrambled down the steps into the courtyard. Yes, they most definitely needed a leader, if only to give him a break.

Chapter Text

It was dark. It was always dark in this dimension. No sun, no light – so it seemed, yet there was always enough light to see by. Or perhaps their eyes had just gotten used to the gloom.

There wasn't much to look at, though. Rocks, mostly, and mud and some plant life that looked like it had been handmade out of tar. The sky, though it shifted between shades of dark red and purple, didn't seem to have any attachment to night or day. There was an ever-present sense of dread, like something was going to go wrong, or like something might jump out at you. And sometimes, things did.

So yes, this world was dangerous. But as Master Wu had said, its dangers served to make it the perfect training ground. Wu's ninja had started becoming proficient in harnessing the power of their golden weapons as they learned to navigate this cruel realm. When they had first arrived, Master Wu had given them the simple mission of surviving. Then he had left them to their own devices while he went off to do his own form of training.

Surviving hadn't been as simple as the ninja would have hoped, but so far, they had pulled through as a team, and with their mastery over the Weapons of Spinjitzu, they were stronger than ever before.

This was the world in which Zane awoke once again, only this time he was surprised that his brothers were nowhere to be found. He was troubled by this, because they never split up here. It was too dangerous to be alone.

A shadow passed overhead and he saw a bird flying low over the wasteland. He had the urge to follow it, not even considering the fact that he hadn't seen a single bird of any kind since arriving in this realm. He got up and let it take him deep into a forest of the tall, scraggly trees that were native here and never seemed to bloom. When patches of white snow began appearing amongst the branches and muddy earth, he didn't give it a second thought.

Then, he stopped in his tracks when the bird, a falcon by the looks of it, alighted on the low-hanging branch of a tree. At first glance, it was much like any other bird. Zane slowly crept forward, not wanting to scare it away.

Then, to his surprise, the bird turned to him and spoke. "I know what you are," it said. "I know where you come from."

Zane jolted awake. Or was he really? He questioned whether or not he could still be dreaming, until he heard Kai's voice. "Good, he's finally up."

Zane rubbed his eyes, wondering what his dream could have meant. He seldom ever dreamed, but on the rare occasion that he did, something about it always rang true. He suspected that it had something to do with his sixth sense, that it caused him to have a sort of vision of the future.

But what the bird had said, that it knew about him – Zane didn't know anything about his past. Could it be possible that it was about to be revealed to him, finally?

"Can we get moving already?" Kai said. "I'm ready to get out of here, and I think we've rested long enough." He was seated on a rock, twirling his sword in his hand, his eyes fixed on the mountain top.

At this reminder, Zane squinted at the peak where it glowed with an otherworldly light. Any form of light was otherworldly in this dimension, where the concept of light was nothing but a distant dream. It was a stark contrast to what he and his brothers were accustomed to, even in the Underworld. He would have never said it aloud, but Zane was relieved to be leaving this place.

He remembered now where exactly he was. Zane and his friends had struggled through every day since they arrived here, and just when they thought that they might never leave, their master had finally returned. He was stronger than the last time they had seen him, and to their bewilderment, had grown a new set of arms. He wouldn't give much of an explanation, but Zane remembered what Master Wu had said about no mortal being able to wield all four of the golden weapons at once, and guessed that he was preparing himself to overcome that little obstacle.

Master Wu had told the ninja that it was time for them to leave, though he would not yet be returning himself. He said that he wasn't finished here, but he had a new mission for them back in Ninjago.

Now they were making the journey up the Mountain of Madness where their only chance at escape awaited them. Sitting this close to the portal that would restore them to their own world, Zane was eager to leave, too. An ever-present sense of darkness and evil hung in the air, constantly putting his sixth-sense on edge. He could have sworn that it was affecting everyone's attitudes, as well, making them more touchy and easily frustrated.

Cole stood with his arms crossed, his gaze far-off and unfocused. He seemed to have a lot on his mind recently. After a moment's hesitation, he answered, "Fine. Master Wu wouldn't want us to take too long. The sooner we get out of here, the better."

"That's what I said," Kai snapped. "I don't know why you made us stop in the first place."

"We need to rest, Kai, not everyone can climb a mountain in one go like you."

"Well I sure don't need to rest," Jay retorted. "You all may not be able to handle it, but I'm doing just fine."

Zane closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath to center himself. When he opened his eyes, he said, "Remember what we talked about, brothers. The darkness of this world is strong. Don't allow it to tear us apart. Don't let it win." Zane had lost count of the number of times they had almost let something silly come between them, just because this realm had such a strong hold on their hearts.

Kai simply stood and said, "Let's just go."

Together, they resumed their trek up the mountain. They all kept their eyes out for any sign of trouble, but the slope was silent as a grave. There wasn't even a breath of wind to stir the dust.

"What do you think our mission is going to be?" Jay wondered aloud.

"How would I know?" Kai said. "He didn't tell us anything about it."

"I know! I was just wondering what it could be. We have the Weapons of Spinjitzu already, and now we've mastered them. What else is there?"

He was right. There didn't seem to be anything else for them to do without Master Wu. They could protect the weapons now, from anyone. But Master Wu had always spoken of achieving grander things with the weapons, of ridding Ninjago of all evil and claiming it as theirs to protect. But surely he wouldn't expect them to do that on their own?

Zane thought about how much more complicated this entire situation had become since they first joined Master Wu. What had started out as a hobby had consumed their lives and was now the center of their every waking moment. But it was a life they had each chosen, and one they felt a deep responsibility for.

"Maybe he wants us to defeat Garmadon once and for all," Zane suggested.

"Does he really think we're ready for that?" Cole asked doubtfully.

But before any of them could answer, something moved behind Kai, and Zane shouted, "Look out!"

Kai didn't have time to react as the mud monster rose up from the ground and batted him away like a fly.

"Kai!"

He landed hard on the loose stones a few feet away.

"Zane, go check on him!" Cole ordered. "Jay, with me!"

Zane skidded down to where Kai lay. He was beginning to stir, and Zane helped him sit up. "What was that?" he grumbled.

"Mud monster. How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three?"

"Good. What's seven times four?"

Kai groaned. "Uh . . . twenty-eight?"

"What's your sister's name?"

Kai shot him a look, but answered, "Nya."

"Good. You seem to be alright, but we won't know for sure until –"

"Forget it, that thing's going down!" Kai unsheathed his sword and charged toward the mud monster. With a sigh, Zane followed his brothers into battle.

Cole struck the ground with his scythe and the earth opened at his command. The monster almost fell into the gap, but stopped short. As it stumbled, Kai blasted it with flames from his sword. The monster's movements began to slow as it hardened, and Cole sliced its arms off.

"Ha! Guess it couldn't take the heat!" Jay remarked.

Just then, a second mud monster appeared.

Jay winced. "Spoke too soon."

"We can take him," Cole said. Then a dozen more monsters rose up from the ground, and the boys found themselves surrounded.

"Spoke too soon," Jay repeated.

Cole threw a glance at the mountain's peak. "Retreat! Get to the portal!"

He didn't have to tell them twice. All four ninja made a mad dash for the glowing peak. Zane threw a shuriken, freezing a monster that stood in their way. Cole slashed his scythe, causing a curtain of dirt to erupt on either side of their path. It served as a brief distraction, but the mud monsters soon broke through.

Despite their best efforts, the mud monsters continued to come after them. They were surprisingly fast, which the boys knew all too well, but it seemed more of a problem now than ever before. Their goal shone ahead like a beacon as they raced towards it. They came to a skidding halt when they reached the edge. The portal rested in the mountain like lava in a volcano, and was almost equally foreboding.

"Jump!"Cole told them. Zane didn't take time to think about it. There wasn't time. He took the leap, and the others followed suit.

Zane lost all sense of feeling as lights flashed and space seemed to close around him. He felt like he had fallen into an ocean of darkness that carried him across worlds. He couldn't move, but it moved him. Then he was dazzled by a brilliant light, and he really was falling, straight through the air.

Zane hit the ground first, the others landing on top of him in a heap. The ground beneath him was soft and sandy. There was a sharp stab of pain in his side. "I believe . . . someone's weapon . . . is digging into my side," Zane gasped, trying to wriggle free.

"Well I would move if Cole would get his butt off me!"

"Hold on, I'm stuck, too!"

"Ow! Watch it!"

A shadow passed over them and they fell quiet. Zane lifted his head to see that Master Wu's shadow was stretched out on the sand before them.

"Welcome back, boys. Rough landing?"

They quickly untangled themselves and stood before their master. Upon closer investigation, Zane realized that they were standing on the coast of Ninjago. Waves lapped on the shore and seagulls squawked in the afternoon sun – the sun! Zane craned his neck to see where the sun shone through puffy white clouds. Its light lay over the beach like a warm blanket, making everything glow with vibrant colors.

Zane's attention was brought back to Master Wu when he started speaking again.

"There's a small island off the northwestern coast of Ninjago. Find it. I will give you further instructions before you land."

"Hold on, Master," Cole interjected, and Wu's gaze hardened. "I mean, just, can you maybe tell us what's going on first?"

"In time," Master Wu reassured him. "It still have a few matters I need to work out myself. Do as I say, and all will be revealed to you."

"Of course, Master." Cole said with a slight bow, and the others did the same. "But just one more question: how are we going to get there?"

Master Wu nodded to a structure much farther down the coast line. It appeared to be a dock, teeming with people who were renting boats of all shapes and sizes to take out onto the sea. "I don't think you'll have any trouble finding a vessel."

Chapter Text

Skylor released a big yawn as she stretched beneath the patio in the cool morning air. Garmadon was sending the girls to do some grocery shopping in the nearest village before they started training for the day. It was an exercise that was equal parts team building, responsibility, and discipline. 

Skylor was used to it, though. In fact, she was glad to be waking up after sunrise. Her father had sometimes made her get up for training before dawn broke. Garmadon was a bit gentler as a teacher.

The other girls were slowly coming out of the monastery behind her, Pixal the only one of them who seemed to be completely alert.

"Beautiful morning, isn't it?" Skylor greeted them.

"I'm more of a night owl, myself," Seliel said, eyes still scrunched against the sun.

Skylor rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I've noticed." Seliel and Nya often worked late into the night inventing and building and testing. Garmadon had to give the girls a strict bedtime to keep them from wearing themselves out. "I bet we'll have a good time. We haven't done anything this chill since we met, have we?"

"We've had our moments, but you're right, we've never left the monastery just to hang out," Nya agreed as they crossed the courtyard at a leisurely stroll.

"I, too, am excited," said Pixal. "I've never had friends before I met the three of you, so I have never had the opportunity to do such bonding activities." Skylor often forgot how different Pixal was, or how new she was to the world. Most days Skylor thought of her as a regular girl, just a little odd.

They stepped out of the monastery and into an ocean of rolling clouds. As they began to descend the steps, Skylor threw an arm around Pixal's shoulder. "I'm sure Garmadon won't mind if we spend a little extra time on 'team building.'"

"Oh!" Seliel gasped. "I'm running low on eyeliner, do you think we could take a quick look?"

"Running low?" Skylor scoffed, who didn't wear any make-up. "The bathroom is so cluttered with all of your beauty stuff, how can you run out of anything?"

"Most of it's not eyeliner. And can you blame me? A girl likes to have options."

Nya nodded. "You'd be surprised how fast that 'beauty stuff' runs out."

"Maybe we should get Pixal some makeup too," Seliel said thoughtfully. "Just so she can try it out."

Pixal was taken by surprise, so much so that Skylor thought that if she could blush, she would probably be doing it now. "That's very nice of you to offer, Seliel, but I don't think I could wear make-up. Such products don't stick well to metal."

"Hmm, you're right . . . Nya, put android make-up on our list."

Nya nodded seriously and took out her little notebook which she used to take notes on their inventions and experiments.

"Every girl deserves the chance to express herself through her own outer beauty," Seliel said. "And no friend of mine will be without it."

"Yeah, well, you're not getting any of that stuff on me," Skylor said.

"We'll see about that . . ."

"No."

"Fine." Seliel then pointed to Nya. "We also need to grab some more supplies for the smoke bombs. I want to add more baking soda into the compound."

Skylor raised an eyebrow. "Now there are smoke bombs? What's the point in making your own, why not just buy some?"

"Well, for one, the average formula doesn't create nearly as much smoke as we want." Seliel grumbled sourly. "And what kind of ninja would we be if we were caught without enough smoke to escape by?"

The girls continued their conversations like this, chatting as they made their way down the mountain. Skylor would have liked to fly, but the elemental dragons that had stayed with them for a brief time had recently vanished. Garmadon had said that they needed to go through some kind of transformation, and it was uncertain if they would ever see them again. Skylor was disappointed to see the beautiful creatures go, and a part of her wanted to go with them and see where they ended up.

Despite the long walk, it turned out to be one of the most relaxing mornings of Skylor's life. She realized that, like Pixal, she too had never had an experience like this. She never had female friends her own age, or even time to enjoy herself in this way. It was such a nice feeling that she hoped for more mornings like this.

When they reached the village, they considered splitting up to be more effective, but decided that sticking together would be more fun. So they hopped from one shop to another, picking up baskets full of groceries as their joking and laughter created a racket wherever they went.

Once they had finished with the necessities, Seliel dragged them – rather, she dragged Skylor, the others were more willing – into a shop to look at make-up. Skylor tried to remain agreeable, but by then her feet were starting to ache, and she felt weary from running around all morning. And, they would still have to train when they got back to the monastery. Garmadon may forgive them for being late, but he would still want them to complete the day's training.

Skylor sighed from where she leaned against a shelf as she watched Seliel go through countless flesh tone palettes. Nya and Pixal had disappeared to who-knows-where. "Hey, I don't want to start complaining, but I'd like to go home soon."

"Just a bit longer," Seliel said as she squinted at a case she was holding up to the light. "They don't exactly make metallic grey concealer, so we need to find something we can work with to change the color. Not that Pixal really needs concealer."

"Then why are we still here?" Skylor asked, a whine creeping into her tone.

"Pixal may have a perfect complexion, but this is still part of the recipe."

Skylor pushed off from the shelf. "You know what, I'm going back out. Don't take too long."

Seliel nodded, but was otherwise too focused to say anything.

Skylor went back outside into the active streets to find something more interesting. Out on the street, she found a stand with cute little animal figurines and picked up a small dragon to examine it closer. It was carved from wood and hand painted, detailed with horns and colorful scales.

"Oh, you don't want that old thing," said a woman, presumably the vendor.

"No, I like it," Skylor said. "It's very well made."

"No no no, that one's no good. Here, I have one that I think you'll like much better." The woman picked up another animal from the stand and handed it back to her. Skylor gracefully traded the dragon for it, assuming that the woman was trying to convince her to buy one that was more expensive, although she had really just been looking. But when Skylor took a good look at the little statue, she had to stifle a gasp.

The wood had been carved into the shape of a serpent, its body twisted as if to fit around something. Its fangs were bared and its scales were painted purple with accents of blue and yellow.

An Anacondrai.

But Anacondrai were long gone, fading into myth as far as most people knew. Skylor was just considering the chances that she would stumble upon this particular trinket when a voice sounded behind her.

"What's the matter, Skylor? Don't you like snakes anymore?"

Skylor whirled around to see that Clouse had been standing behind her. Skylor's grip tightened around the figurine and she took a step back so she could put herself between Clouse and the saleswoman. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, of course. Your father has been very worried about you."

"I'm sure he has." Though she tried to play it off like she didn't care, it stung a little to think about. In all honesty, she had missed her father and her island home. But she'd made her choice and she'd gotten past the homesickness. She had friends and a real home now, one where she didn't feel bullied or trapped. She wasn't about to go back.

Skylor fingered the statuette, trying to see if its fangs or tail would be sharp enough to use as a weapon. Meanwhile, she tried to keep Clouse talking. A fight wasn't what she wanted, not in the middle of all these innocent villagers, but she might not get a choice. "Did you come to try and talk me into coming back home or to kidnap me?"

"If I wanted to bring you back by force, you would already be on the island." As if to make a point, he looked behind Skylor. She turned. It took her a moment, but she soon realized that the saleswoman had a sort of glazed look, and that her eyes were glowing with a soft purple light. She must have been under Clouse's influence the whole time.

"Let her go!" Skylor demanded.

"Have you lost your spine so quickly? Your new friends must truly have a strong influence for you to have become so soft."

Skylor was unsettled by how much he seemed to know about her life here. He was right, if he had wanted to take her, it would have already been too late. She glanced around for any sign of her friends, but they weren't around, and no one else nearby took any notice of her and Clouse. "If you're here to talk, then talk!" Skylor seethed, quickly losing her patience.

"Your father wanted me to tell you how much he misses you. He apologizes for whatever he did to offend you and asks that you return home at once." There was no heart in what Clouse said, and he sounded as if he was reading off of a cue card.

"Not much of an apology if he doesn't even know what he did."

"To be fair, you left without a word."

Skylor eyed Clouse suspiciously. "How much do you know?"

"Only a little. I came as soon as you were found. I know that the very man who sent us into exile has convinced you to turn against your own father."

"Garmadon didn't have to convince me of anything!" Skylor snapped. "I haven't betrayed my father, I just couldn't stand being on that island any longer. All dad wanted me to do was help with his ridiculous tournament – and he doesn't even need me for that, anyway!"

Clouse shook his head. "You're wrong, Skylor. Your father simply wished to protect you. And now you've sided with his greatest enemy."

"Is that all you wanted to tell me, or was there more?"

"Just that if you don't choose to return now, you will regret it."

"So now he's threatening me. How sweet."

Clouse began to turn away as he said, "I would think about it if I were you. You seem to be very attached to those friends of yours. I would hate for them to be caught in the crossfire of this little . . . family feud." With that, he left Skylor, feeling dumbfounded at her father's underhandedness. She looked down at the figurine in her hand. The snake was no longer purple, but had a more natural earth tone.

"Did you want to buy that?"

Skylor turned to the vendor. Her eyes, too, had lost their glow, now that Clouse was gone. "Oh, um. Sure." Skylor felt she out to pay the lady for her troubles, even if she didn't know what had happened. Feeling more than a little shaken, Skylor hurriedly offered her payment and stuffed the figure into her pocket before rushing off to find the others.

Seliel was right where she'd left her. "Oh, good, I was just about to go look for you. I think I found the right shade."

"Where are the others? We need to go, Sensei Garmadon won't be happy if we're late."

Seliel gave her a funny look. "We're not that late. I doubt he'll be very upset."

At that moment, Nya and Pixal returned. "Find it?" Nya asked.

"Oh, yes! We'll have to go through a lot of tests just to get the color right, but once we add a few ingredients –"

"Can we talk about this on the way back?" Skylor cut in. "We really should leave."

Seliel appeared more worried now than anything. "Is something wrong, Skylor?"

Skylor tried to reign in her nerves and appear calm. "I told you, I just don't want to get on Sensei's bad side. Now let's go."

Thankfully, it didn't take too long to get them all out of the village and on the way back to the monastery. Skylor would feel much better when they got there, although there wasn't a whole lot of sense in that. The monastery wasn't made to defend against magic, and there wasn't much that could stop Clouse.

Garmadon had defeated him once before. But that was with the help of the other elemental masters, if Skylor remembered correctly. Could he do it again? Skylor was worried that she might not like the answer to the question, and she was on edge for the whole rest of the walk back.

Chapter Text

It wasn't too difficult for the boys to steal a boat. Even if someone had tried to stop them, they wouldn't have been able to keep four trained Elemental Masters from taking the little dinghy. But, because the ninja were so well trained, they were able to set sail without anybody even noticing it was gone.

Jay had some rudimentary knowledge of sailing, and when combined with what Zane knew, they were able to ride the waves without much trouble. The wind was with them, and the seas were relatively calm. They were quiet most of the way. The dark realm seemed to have left an impression on all of them, and Jay for one was simply glad to be back in the world he called home.

Within a few hours, they could see an island on the horizon. It was very large, and as they drew nearer, Jay could see spires of rock jutting up from the surrounding waters.

Jay leaned forward over the prow, trying to get a closer look. "So what do you think's on the island?" he asked, still hoping to figure out their mission before Master Wu told them.

"It's strange that I've never heard of it before," Zane said, his brow furrowed. He stood holding onto the rope in his hand, keeping the sail in its proper position. His eyes were fixed on the shore. "But I don't remember it being on any map that I've ever seen."

"Guess you can't know everything,"  Kai teased from where he sat, directing the rudder. 

"Probably deserted, then," Cole said. He was reclined in the bottom of the boat, his eyes closed as he soaked up the sun's rays. "Whaddya think, boys? Buried treasure?"

At that moment, a particularly cold breeze passed over them. Cole bolted upright and Jay turned to see that Wu's shadow had appeared above them on the ship's sail.

"Well done, boys, you've made it. Don't get up on my account," he said, waving a hand at their rush to rise before their master, nearly tipping the boat over in the process. When they had settled back down, he continued, "Rest assured, you'll know what this is all about soon enough. Now listen carefully: the people here are not friendly, but they will be expecting you. Sail through those rocks there, and you'll see a palace. When you land, don't put up a fight. They will escort you to their master, where I will meet you once again. I will explain everything then."

Jay didn't understand the need for all this secrecy. Why not explain it to them now? He was dying to know what was going on.

"Yes Master," Cole said, nodding his head reverently. "We trust what you say."

"I should hope so. Because I'm putting a lot of faith in you as well." Then he was gone, and they were alone in the vast ocean once again.

"Alright, look alive, boys," Cole said as he stood. "And let's pick up the pace."

"Actually," Jay spoke up, "we'll have to slow down to maneuver through all those rocks."

Cole rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just get us to the island."

Night was beginning to fall. Jay and Zane took over sailing as the island drew closer. They carefully made their way through the pillars of stone until they saw the structure that Master Wu had mentioned. There was a massive stone wall, painted with a snake emblem on either side of a large door. As they drew nearer to the quay, they could see figures that appeared to be waiting for them, just as Master Wu had said.

"Remember," Cole said, "They won't be a problem as long as we cooperate. Just be on your guard, and perhaps we'll finally see what this is all about."

When they were close enough, they halted the ship parallel to the island and disembarked. A hooded man with a snake tattoo covering part of his face greeted them. "Welcome to Master Chen's island, home of Master Chen, owner of Chen's Noodle House."

The boys exchanged confused glances. Noodles? This was getting stranger by the minute.

"Master Chen and Master Wu are waiting for you now. Come."

They followed the man up a long flight of stairs. As they walked, Jay nudged Kai.

"Hey, I think this guy's name is Master Chen," he whispered.

Kai smirked. "What gave it away?"

"Is it, like, a law that they have to say his name as many times as possible?" He and Kai snickered. Jay couldn't remember the last time they'd had a good laugh.

Cole turned at the sound and shushed them. "Try to show a little respect."

"Okay, fine. Killjoy." Jay fell silent again as he followed his brothers up the steps and through two sets of double doors. This led into a courtyard, on the opposite side of which sat a grand palace.

Jay realized then that the others who had watched their boat land – guards, probably – were now following them inside. He was starting to feel a little trapped.

They were led into the palace, down a hall, and into the main room. It was round, with a platform that ran around the edge, and that same snake symbol on the carpet. The dimming light streamed in from colorful windows above. On the far side of the room, a man sat on a snake-themed throne. And there was Master Wu, his shadowy form standing at the back wall.

"Oh, our guests have arrived!" said the man on the throne, probably Master Chen. "Do come in." He wore a spiked headdress with a purple snake draped over it. A fanged skull sat on top of his head, looking as if it was trying to swallow him whole. His hair was dull and dark with age, and his eyes were rimmed with red.

The boys halted in their usual line-up in front of the throne, and they bowed. "Master Wu," Cole said. "And Master Chen, I presume?"

Master Wu nodded his approval. "Master Chen and I were just discussing our plans."

Master Chen hummed with a note of skepticism. "I don't like the sound of it. Everything is already going smoothly. Why would I need you and your ninja to come in here and mess it all up?" Jay didn't like the way he said that, as if they weren't all standing right in front of him.

"I'm not here to claim your victory," Master Wu explained patiently. "I simply need your help. Then we can go our separate ways and battle for Ninjago later."

"You betrayed me once before, Wu. How can I be sure that you won't again?"

"Because I already have what I want," Master Wu said, turning his gaze back to his students.

Jay stood uncomfortably still as Chen scrutinized them. He felt like he was being watched by a hungry cobra. The creepy headdress didn't help.

"The Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu," Chen finally said, a hint of awe in his voice. "I see."

"My students now carry these weapons for me, and I'm confident that they won't lose them," he said pointedly. "As long as they possess the weapons, there is nothing I could want from you. My brother, however, will not allow me to keep them. Right now, he is the only threat to my plans. I thought that perhaps you would like to help me get him out of the way."

Chen looked at Wu suspiciously. "But I already have enough people to do my bidding, and my preparations are nearly finished. What would I need them for?"

"You want elemental power, don't you? If you ally with me, they and their power will be at your command." Jay shifted on his feet. This all seemed to be happening very quickly. What was it exactly that this guy would need their power for?

"Think about how much more you could accomplish, and in far less time," Wu continued. "Not to mention that, as I hear it, you seem to have lost a ninja of your own. Allow mine to participate in your tournament, and they can be your eyes and ears. They will make sure that all goes well from the inside, and that my brother's ninja won't be able to stop you."

"Hmm . . ." A grin broke out across Chen's face. "Alright. You have a deal. But don't think that just because we have an alliance that you can take any share of the victory! If all you want is to be rid of Garmadon, I can do that. But this is still my plot, got it?"

Wu nodded. "Of course, Master Chen."

Chen glanced down at them again, and Jay could see that there was still distrust in his eyes.

Wu's shadow whisked closer to his students. "Listen well: We may have the golden weapons for now, but in Garmadon's eyes, you'll never be worthy of their power. He and his ninja will do anything to take them from you. I must complete my own work in the Dark Realm, but in the meantime, you four will be competing in Master Chen's tournament alongside many other elemental masters, including my brother's ninja. With Chen's help, you'll be able to defeat them once and for all, and we'll be free to create the world we've envisioned."

"What kind of tournament is this?" Kai asked warily.

"A Tournament of Elements. With Master Chen's help, those girls will no longer be a threat to us."

Chapter Text

Weeks had passed since Clouse appeared, and Skylor still found herself looking over her shoulder. She was terrified that any day now he would come after her friends, or that her father's army would come crashing through the monastery doors. She tried to tell herself that they could handle anything her father threw at them. After all, Garmadon had already fought and defeated him once before.

But what scared her the most was what would happen when the others found out about her father. What would they think of her then? Would they still be able to trust her? She wasn't even sure that Garmadon completely trusted her.

Skylor mulled over these thoughts during yet another sleepless night. She didn't want to go back home. She liked living at the monastery, and protecting Ninjago was better than trying to rule it. A part of her liked that she had a noble purpose, and she didn't want to give that up to go back to bossing around mindless goons and running errands for her father's personal vendetta.

Skylor was roused from her thoughts by a muted crash. She sat bolt upright, scanning the room for any sign of danger. There didn't appear to be anything in the girls' bedroom, and no one else seemed to have heard the noise. They were all still sound asleep.

She didn't even consider waking them. Not yet. If this was one of Clouse's tricks, she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of bringing everyone straight to him. So Skylor quietly seized a dagger from her nightstand and crept out of the door, careful not to make too much sound as she slowly slid it shut. Only then did she remember that she was still in her PJs, but it would have to do.

Skylor snuck down the hallway, ears straining to hear. More noise was coming from outside. She came to the front door and wedged it open just a sliver. The training equipment was down, so she had a clear view of the courtyard. When she peeked out, she could see figures crowded around something. She immediately recognized them as her dad's minions. Their snake-themed tattoos and clothing were unmistakable. They were trying to be quiet, but utterly failing. One of them made a racket when he dropped something and their leader, Eyezor, smacked him on the head for it.

"Is it Wu?"

Skylor jumped and almost stabbed Lloyd.

"Lloyd!" she hissed. "What are you doing?"

He didn't even seem fazed. "I thought I heard something, so I came to check it out."

Skylor glanced back at the figures, to make sure they hadn't heard them. "Get out of here! I'm taking care of it."

"Whatever it is, I bet we can handle it together!"

Skylor shook her head. "Your parents would kill me." She turned back to the situation outside and realized that they were leaving.

She could let them get away without a word. Or she could make sure they never returned.

"Stay back," she told Lloyd. Hoping she wouldn't regret her decision, Skylor shoved the door aside and yelled, "Hey!"

When Eyezor and his men saw her, they made a break for the door.

"I've got a message for my dad!" She flung the knife and the blade embedded itself in the door just as it slammed shut behind them. Skylor jogged out into the courtyard to retrieve the knife and make sure they were really gone.

"Nice shot!" Lloyd said, running out after her. "You almost got 'em!"

"I wasn't trying to hit anyone," she assured him as she tugged the knife free. She grimaced at the mark it left in the wood. "Think your dad will notice?"

"He might not, but mom will."

Skylor rubbed the damaged area as if that would make it go away.

"So what did those guys want?" Lloyd wondered aloud, turning back to the display they had left. It had been set up in front of the golden dragon statue in the center of the yard. They were probably supposed to have seen it when they woke up the next morning.

"Whatever it is, it can't be good," Skylor said. She approached it cautiously, still wary of Clouse and his magic. She didn't really know the extent of what he was capable of. She used to be fascinated by the power of his tricks and illusions. But now, as much as she hated to admit it, it scared her a little.

Light spilled out from the monastery's open door, illuminating the table. It was covered with a red silk cloth and held a couple of censers with incense that had already begun to fill the courtyard with lavender scent. And nestled between the censers was a plate of fortune cookies.

Of course.

"What's this for?" Lloyd was already reaching for one of the cookies.

Skylor slapped his hand away. "Didn't your parents ever teach you not to accept gifts from strangers?" She threw another glance at the display. "I'm going to get Sensei Garmadon. You stay here. And don't touch anything." Anxiety bubbled inside her chest as she ran back inside and to the sensei's room. She rapped her knuckles on the door. "Garmadon? It's Skylor. I need to talk to you."

"Come in," said a groggy voice.

Skylor shoved the door open. Garmadon was sitting up on the side of his bed, rubbing his tired eyes. Misako was just beginning to stir.

"It's my dad," she said brusquely. "Some of his men left us something – you need to see it."

She could see that, at the mention of her father, Garmadon was more awake now. Misako, too, had propped herself up to listen. The old sensei retrieved his staff from the bedside, saying, "Show me." Skylor led him back out to the courtyard.

Lloyd had vanished, and Skylor dearly hoped that he hadn't gone to wake the others. "My dad's idea of an invitation," she said, gesturing to the display. "It looks like he's finally ready to put his plan into action, though I can't imagine why he invited us." Really, Skylor would have hoped that he wouldn't invite her and her friends. She didn't think that he would want the threat of such opposition. But then again, it was his turf, and he had been planning this for such a long time. He probably thought that there was nothing to worry about.

Garmadon examined the plate of cookies. There were five. He picked one up and cracked it open, then read the piece of paper inside.

"What does it say? What does it say?" Lloyd bouncing down the steps of the monastery, followed more slowly by Nya, Pixal, Seliel, and Misako. Skylor's heart skipped a beat, but she told herself not to panic. She didn't have to tell them anything. They didn't even have to play her dad's silly game. She just hoped that Garmadon would be willing to keep her secret for a little longer, too.

Nya picked up another fortune cookie and this time read the paper aloud. "'Master Chen has personally invited you to participate in his Tournament of Elements. Secrecy is of the utmost importance. Tell no one or suffer the consequences. Meet on the Ninjago City pier at midnight and leave your weapons behind.'"

"Look, there are five!" Lloyd pointed out. "That one must be for me!"

Skylor frowned. Garmadon had explained some time ago that Lloyd possessed the elemental power of energy, but why would her dad invite a kid? He didn't really expect him to show up, did he?

Garmadon yelped in surprise when his paper exploded in his hand. Nya dropped hers just as it popped. "What the -?"

Seliel hummed. "A Tournament of Elements? Could be fun, if we weren't already busy. Just how many Elemental Masters are out there?"

"And who's this . . . Master Chen guy?" Nya asked. "Haven't heard of him before."

While they discussed, Skylor looked to Garmadon, afraid of what he would say. But he only met her gaze with a questioning look.

Misako came and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's your choice, Skylor. You can tell them yourself, or you can wait. We won't say anything. But know that the truth will come out eventually, whether you're ready for it or not."

Skylor didn't think she would ever be ready to let her past and present come together. But how much worse would it be if she waited?

Skylor sucked in a deep breath. "He's my dad."

The others went quiet, turning to look at her. Skylor could already feel regret creeping up inside. "Chen is my dad," she continued. "And this tournament is part of his plot for revenge."

Seliel furrowed her brow. "Revenge for what?"

Skylor looked to Garmadon for support and he began to explain for her: "During the Serpentine Wars, Chen allied himself with the Serpentine against humans. But when the Serpentine lost, Chen was banished from Ninjago."

"Serpentine?" Nya said.

"Serpentine," Pixal repeated. "An ancient race of reptilian humanoids who were once the dominant species of Ninjago. Most records indicate that the five tribes were locked away in separate tombs to prevent them from unifying."

Nya frowned. "My parents told me stories about the Serpentine when I was a kid, but . . . I thought they were just a myth."

"They're real, alright," Seliel said. "My grandfather fought in the Serpentine Wars."

Garmadon nodded. "As did both your parents, Nya. Though they wished to leave their elemental days in the past, for your sake."

"A lot of people are starting to think they didn't really exist," Seliel said. "I had some pretty stubborn friends who didn't want to believe in them, just because they had never seen one. But my dad always insisted they were real."

Garmadon huffed. "The obstinance of youth. Seeing is not always believing, you know."

"Okay . . ." Nya said. "So snake people exist, and Skylor's father teamed up with them against his own kind?"

"My brother was briefly allied with them as well," Garmadon said. "He studied under Chen in response to the darkness growing in his heart. But soon after the war started, he came to fight alongside me and the other Elemental Masters. When the Serpentine lost and were locked away, Chen was likewise banished from Ninjago."

Skylor heaved a sigh, her eyes fixed on the stone floor. "I've told you before that I grew up on an island," she started. "We were never allowed to return to Ninjago because of my father. But all this time, he's been making a plan to get revenge on the people who put him there, and to conquer Ninjago once and for all. He came up with this tournament to get the elemental powers of masters all around Ninjago and – well, it's complicated. But . . . when Garmadon came for me and offered me a second chance, I wasn't sure at first about all the world-saving stuff. Then I got to know you guys, and I realized that I wouldn't want all of this to be destroyed." Tears were beginning to form in her eyes but she fought them back.

Skylor hadn't realized until now just how much this team meant to her. It wasn't until Clouse had threatened to take it all away that Skylor found that she couldn't bear the thought of having to give it all up.

And yet, here she was, about to lose everything because of her father. Part of her wanted so badly to ignore the invitation and go back to living their lives like normal. But she knew that if she didn't face him now, he would still come for her sooner or later, and then it would be too late. He would stop at nothing to rule Ninjago, and pretending he didn't exist wouldn't do any good.

Skylor met her friends' gazes, but she couldn't read what they were thinking. "My dad's done a lot of terrible things," she said. "But he's going to do a lot worse if we don't stop him. It's true that he's taught me almost everything I know, but I've learned a lot from Garmadon, as well, and from all of you. The fact of the matter is, I know what my father's plan is, and I know how to stop him. You're just going to have to trust me if we're going to defeat him."

Nya's gaze softened from confusion to sympathy and she said softly, "Of course we trust you, Sky." To Skylor's surprise, Nya stepped forward to hug her.

Seliel came next and put an arm around her shoulders. "We know you're alright, Skylor. No worries."

Pixal stiffly tried to join in on the hug. "It would be foolish of us to change our opinions of you so suddenly. We already know that you are good."

Finally, Lloyd came and hugged her around the waste. "Don't worry, if you were evil, we would have noticed by now. But you're actually really nice and cool."

Now Skylor felt even more like crying. A single tear escaped and she hastily pulled away so she could wipe it off. "Thanks, you guys," she said, and she was grateful that her voice was didn't shake. "I'm really lucky to have friends like you." She took a deep, steadying breath before turning back to Garmadon. "We need a plan."

"Let's go back inside, first. We will need to discuss this in-depth."

"Come on, Lloyd, it's time that you got back to sleep," Misako guided her son back toward the monastery.

"No way! I want to help!"

"Let the girls take care of it. This is their fight, not yours."

As the others filed back inside behind them, Skylor through one last glance at the invitations left behind by her father's men. She'd been listening to him rave about his master plan for years. Her entire life, actually. Could it really be about to unfold?

Chapter Text

The sun was just beginning to rise when Pixal sat down at the dining room table by her teammates to discuss Master Chen's Tournament of Elements. She could see that Skylor was all business now, determined to stop her father. Garmadon, on the other hand, looked very troubled.

"I don't suppose that we could simply turn down Chen's invitation," he said, kneading his forehead in worry.

"This is a lot bigger than my dad just getting the power of the elements," Skylor said. "He's got this spell, and when he has all the elements he needs, he'll be able to turn himself and his men into Anacondrai."

Garmadon's eyes widened. "That's impossible," he breathed.

Skylor shook her head. "No, it's not. I've seen the spell. You know how he feels about the Serpentine. He thinks that once he becomes an Anacondrai he'll be the most powerful being in Ninjago, and that no one will be able to stop him."

Garmadon nodded. "He very well may be."

At that moment, Misako entered. "What's this about Chen becoming an Anacondrai?"

"It's Clouse's spell. You know Clouse, right?"

Garmadon and Misako both nodded. "I remember him," Garmadon said darkly. He went quiet for a moment, deep in thought. Pixal observed that everyone was very solemn now, mulling over their options.

Finally, Garmadon asked, "What do you suggest, Skylor?"

Skylor seemed a bit taken back, but nonetheless answered, "Well . . . if we want to stop him, we have to compete. I think we stand a pretty good chance considering that most of the other Elemental Masters won't be ninja like we are."

"But that just makes them all the more dangerous," Seliel countered. "They'll be more likely to fight dirty. What kind of rules will this tournament have?"

"They won't be allowed to cheat, that's for sure. My dad wants a good show."

"That's good, at least. But what's to keep us from just stealing this spell so they can't perform it?"

"Clouse probably has it memorized."

"What if we kidnap this Clouse guy and put him away somewhere?"

Skylor winced. "Easier said than done."

"Okay . . ." Seliel drummed her fingers on the tabletop. "Are there any other components needed for this spell to work?"

"Just my dad's staff, which he plans to use to hold all of the elements," Skylor explained. "It's inset with one of these crystals from the island that can absorb and hold onto elemental power even better than I can."

Pixal watched her friends with fascination, impressed by their collaboration. The two of them were bouncing ideas off of each other like lightning. Garmadon, too, was watching them closely, while Misako and Nya merely listened, not wanting to break their concentration.

"I know what you're thinking," Skylor continued, "But stealing the staff will be pretty difficult. You don't understand how big of an army my dad has created. And they're no Skulkin, either. There will be a ton of guards to sneak past, not to mention an underground labyrinth, Clouse's pet . . . it's too well guarded."

Seliel nodded. "So you think that it would be easier to enter the tournament and win fair and square."

Skylor made a face. "Not exactly. You realize, there's no way that my father is going to let anyone win. It's all a diversion." Skylor brushed her fingers through her hair behind her ear. "But it's still our best chance to get close to the staff."

"She's right," Garmadon conceded. "Our best option is to have you three enter the tournament."

All four girls frowned. "Three?"

Garmadon nodded. "Skylor, I'm sorry, but between your father's desperation to get you back and your ability to absorb the elements, I think it's too risky to let you go."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Your ability may allow you to only absorb one element at a time, but I'm still afraid that he or Clouse would find a way to take advantage of it even if we do get the staff."

Skylor furrowed her brow, thinking. Pixal thought that he had a point, thought she hated the idea of having to leave Skylor behind.

Misako spoke up. "You'll be safer here, Skylor. You may know about what your father is up to, but he also knows you too well."

Garmadon turned back to the rest of the team. "I will be going with you, as well. I know what Chen is capable of, and it would be ill-advised to let you face him alone. We'll pack up and leave for the pier at noon. We should be able to make it to Ninjago City with a couple of hours to spare. For now, however, we should all go back to sleep so that we will be rested for the journey." He rose to leave the room, and the girls followed suit.

But when they got back to their shared room, Pixal could tell that there would be no sleeping. Seliel and Nya were still buzzing with excitement.

"A tournament!" Seliel was saying. "Now we'll really get to test our skills!"

"Too bad he said no weapons," Nya reminded her. "I would have liked to test some of our inventions."

"Yeah, bummer. But it is a tournament of elements, after all. And that way it'll be more fair, especially for our opponents." She hit her palm with her fist. "Hey, I wonder if we'll get to go up against each other."

"Let's hope not," Skylor said. "But knowing my dad, he might arrange that."

Seliel's face fell. "I'm really sorry you can't come with us."

Skylor lifted her head and set her hands on her hips. "Who says I'm not?"

A smile crept onto Seliel's face. "Ooh, I think I see a plan brewing in that big brain of yours."

Pixa'ls eyes widened. "But Sensei Garmadon said that you are not to participate in the tournament. It's too dangerous."

"It would be dangerous for me to stay behind," Skylor reasoned. "You guys are going to need me there to help. I know the island and this tournament better than any other participant. Plus," she said with a grimace, "I forgot to mention that anyone who loses will immediately be imprisoned and have their elemental power taken away."

"Well that's a problem," Nya said.

"You'll get them back if we break the crystal in the staff! But being captured will mean we have less of a chance of breaking out and taking the staff. There's no guarantee that we'll win every round. That's why it's important we have four competitors instead of three – the more competitors we have to lose, the better."

"That's an interesting way of putting it," Seliel said dryly.

"I'm going with you," Skylor said. "You need me."

Nya nodded. "I'm in. We're not a team without all of our members. Nobody get's left behind, right?"

Then they all turned to Pixal.

She clasped her hands in front of her, anxiously running through potential scenarios and consequences. Skylor made a good argument, and Pixal couldn't see how they could do this without her. But she didn't feel comfortable with going behind Sensei Garmadon's back, either.

After a moment, she said, "Your reasoning is sound, but we would be disobeying Sensei Garmadon."

"Come on, Pixal," Seliel said. "What's life without a little rebellion?"

"I know that Sensei thinks he knows what's best," Skylor said. "And usually he does, but right now we can't afford to risk losing. There's too much at stake."

Nya came and rested a hand on Pixal's shoulder. "We're not leaving without you, either. This is a team decision. What do you say?"

Pixal stared at the floor, still computing. If Garmadon found out, he would be very angry, his trust in them broken, they would likely be punished, and if they failed . . .

But humans, even sensei were prone to fault, and if Garmadon was wrong about this, the results would affect the entire world.

"You're right," she finally said. "The fate of Ninjago is more important."

"That's the spirit! Alright, start packing up," Seliel ordered. "We need to be long gone before Sensei wakes up again."

At that, the girls set about gathering their things. Skylor couldn't give them an exact estimate for how long they would be gone, but at least they knew to pack for warm weather. Pixal just hoped that they were really doing the right thing. She would hate to let Sensei Garmadon down.

Master Chen actually wasn't too bad of a host. Between his own men and Cole's team, he had been able to step up his progress and, soon enough, everything was ready for his tournament. It had taken a lot of magic, money, and muscle to get things going, but now the island was prepped, the roster was decided, and the invitations had been sent. All that Cole and his team had left to do was prepare themselves to compete.

Chen had even been nice enough to provide the team with fresh outfits. Cole liked the new gis. The lack of sleeves really showed off his physique.

"I think we look good," he said as he flexed in the dawn light. They were walking to the harbor, to the ferry that would take them back to the mainland. 

"That's what you always say" Kai responded good-naturedly.

"But do our gis always have to be so dark?" asked Jay. "Why can't we have more color? Besides, now everyone is going to know we're teaming up."

"I agree, the other competitors may not like it when they see that we are working together," Zane said.

Cole shrugged. "We'll already have our hands full fighting Garmadon's ninja. But as long as they lose, nothing else matters."

"That may be true," Zane said, "but if the others suspect that the tournament is rigged, then it will not bode well for Master Chen, either."

"We'll be careful," Cole said. "No one will suspect a thing." 

"It's too bad," Jay said. "I know I'd hate to lose my powers. Well, my nunchucks anyway. I mean, I only just got them."

Cole stopped at the gateway leading out to the dock and turned to face them. "Listen, this tournament isn't a game. We almost lost the Weapons of Spinjitzu last time we fought those ninja. This time, it has to be different."

"So you think Master Wu is right?" Kai asked.

"Of course he is right," Zane said. "He has never led us astray before. We cannot lose sight of why we began on this journey. We have something to fight for, and anyone standing in our way, whoever they may be, is our enemy."

"Zane's right," Cole said. "And so is Master Wu."

"They just didn't seem all that bad," Kai said. "At least, not like Garmadon."

"But how much do we actually know about them?" Cole asked. "I mean, apart from your sister. For all we know, they could be just as selfish and cruel as everyone else."

"Nya's not like that."

"I believe you, but while she may not be as bad as Garmadon, she's still helping him. Either way, she's on the wrong side, and if we let them win, we'll lose a lot more than just our weapons." Cole put a hand on Kai's shoulder. "She'll be better off this way. You won't have to fight her any more after this." He looked each of them in the eye as he said again, "This time will be different. Whatever it takes." 

They all nodded, and that was the end of it. Cole turned to push through the main gate onto the large steps that lead down to the dock. The ferry was there waiting for them. 

"We can still have a little fun, thought, right?" Kai asked. "I mean, this is a chance to really put our skills to the test against masters from all over."

Cole couldn't help but smile. "Well . . . I don't see why not, as long as the mission takes top priority." 

"Yeah, but they have full control over their elements," Jay said. "While we have to fight with these things." Jay whipped out his nunchucks with a shower of blue sparks.

He had a point, they were at a bit of a disadvantage. By being limited to their weapons – which would have to publicly be allowed, since weapons weren't technically permitted – Cole and his team wouldn't have as much flexibility or control.

"So it'll be all the more impressive when we defeat everyone," Cole said. Even if the tournament wasn't that important, he also looked forward to fighting the other Elemental Masters. He was excited by the thought of competition. The next few days were sure to be fun.

Chapter Text

It was nearly midnight and the lights from Ninjago City illuminated the pier where the water was crammed full of boats and covered in a thick layer of mist. A chilly breeze ruffled Seliel's hair as she and the girls walked down the wharf where a large group was gathered.

"Those must be the other Elemental Masters," Nya noted. "How many do you think there are?"

"Sixteen," Pixal answered immediately.

"Wow. You really think we can beat all of them?"

"Well, some of them will be pitted against each other throughout the first round," Skylor reassured her. "So no, we won't have to worry about every single one of them."

"That's good –" Nya broke off as something caught her eye. "Uh-oh. Don't look now."

Of course they all looked. Seliel was immediately struck with a bolt of rage and indignation.

"You!" She marched ahead until she came face-to-face with the Ninja of Earth. "What are you doing here?"

Cole raised his hands in surrender. "We got an invitation! We're allowed to participate too, you know."

"Typical." Nya said. "Of course you four would be involved. Did Wu get sick of you, or was this his plan all along? To make money off of underground fighting matches?"

Kai opened his mouth to speak, but Cole signaled for him to keep quiet. "We wanted to test ourselves against other fighters."

"Right, I forgot. We're not good enough for you," Seliel sneered. "You've only said so about a hundred times."

"Sorry to burst your bubble," Skylor cut in, "but the message said no weapons."

"We believe that Master Chen will allow us to use them when he realizes that they are the only way we can wield our elements," Zane answered.

"Good luck with that," Skylor scoffed. Seliel knew she had a point. Chen probably wouldn't want elements he couldn't take. Surely even he wasn't foolish enough to believe he could wield all four golden weapons at once.

"You can't tell us not to fight," Jay said. "This is Master Chen's tournament, not yours."

Seliel would have fought them all right then for a couple of coins, but she restrained herself. "You know what? Fine. But if you go against any of us, it's not going to be like last time. We're winning this thing, and that's a promise."

"Fine," Cole shot back. "Maybe then we'll finally settle this once and for all."

"Oh, sure. Remind me, who was it that ended up flat on their backs during our last fight?"

Kai pointed at her accusingly. "Only because you guys don't fight fair!"

Now it was Nya's turn to scoff in disbelief. "Look who's talking!"

"How could you think –?"

"If you hadn't –"

"You were the ones –"

The wharf quickly erupted into a verbal battlefield as the two teams squabbled back and forth. Seliel barely noticed the other masters clustering around them eagerly, hoping that a fight would break out before the tournament even started.

Cole was practically in her face, now. "Our team against yours. We'll see who's really the better fighter once and for all."

"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get. We won't rest until every one of you has fallen!"

"Enough!" A voice cut in through all of the bickering and they fell quiet. While their backs were turned a ferry had arrived at the end of the dock, shrouded in mist. A man stood before the crowd. He had dark hair, a rather sinister looking mustache, and wore red and purple armor. His features were hard and serious, etched from stone. "You will all have a chance to fight soon enough. But let's save it for the ring, shall we?"

Casting a few final dirty looks at each other, the two teams separated, fitting into a line with all the other masters to board the ship.

"I can't believe this," Seliel growled from where their team stood at the back of the line. She glowered at the ninja's backs as they neared the boat. "They must be after the staff."

"But how could they know about it?" asked Pixal, who Seliel realized had stayed quiet during the argument.

"Who knows? But they're all just like their master, a bunch of power-hungry monsters."

Skylor hummed in thought. "But they sure are cute."

Seliel whirled around, aghast. "Skylor! No!"

"What? We're all thinking it. Right . . . ?" She looked around at her friends' appalled faces and shrugged.

Nya face-palmed. "You've got to be kidding me. You remember they're our mortal enemies, right?"

"Well, yeah . . . but I guess with all the action last time, I never really got a good look at any of them. We were all wearing our hoods just about every time we met."

"Except when that Earth Ninja lost my first helmet in the Caves of Despair," Seliel grumbled. "He still owes me for that."

Skylor waved a hand, as if to brush aside their worries. "It's not like I'm gonna ask any of them out, I know they can't be trusted."

Seliel crossed her arms. "You've got that right." Cute or not, evil ninja were still evil ninja. And those guys were totally evil.

She turned back to the front of the line. The strange man was standing at the plank that served as a bridge between the dock and the boat, welcoming the elemental masters and checking for the weapons that they weren't supposed to bring. To her dismay, he let the boys on the boat with hardly any resistance. It looked like they were right. Mater Chen would let them keep the golden weapons if it was their only means of fighting.

The girls were quiet as the line continued to move forward, and soon it was their turn to board.

"Skylor," the man said as the girls approached. "Master Chen will be charmed to know that you have accepted his offer."

"Did I have a choice?" she asked dryly.

"Of course, Master Chen would never force you to do anything you didn't want to do. There are, however, consequences." And with that comment and a pleasant smile, he gestured for her to board.

"He's kind of creepy," Nya commented once they were out of earshot.

Skylor still threw a cautious glance at him, making sure that he really was out of range. "Clouse is bad news. He's my dad's second-in-command, and a master of dark magic. We'll want to stay out of his way as much as possible."

"So that's Clouse." Seliel nodded. "Duly noted. Now, how long until we reach the island?"

"Dunno, a few hours at least. We've got a lot of time to kill. What do you think, wanna scope out the competition?"

Seliel's mouth quirked into a smile. "My thoughts exactly."

Cole was not impressed by the amateurs on this ship. They all flaunted their elements in a useless game of intimidation, as if they thought they could actually frighten anyone else on a boat full of Elemental Masters. But he knew that there was more to intimidation than a show of strength.

"Whatever you do, don't show off your powers," Cole warned his teammates. "It's better if we save our best moves for later, to take our opponents by surprise."

"Not very bright, are they?" Jay noted. "Maybe this will be easier than we thought."

"Zane, you taking note of all these elements?" Cole paused when he didn't get a response and turned to see what had happened to Zane. Jay was right behind him, but Zane and Kai had come to a stop a ways back, leaning over the edge of the ship and watching as the girls filed on board.

"Hey, ding-dongs!" Cole called, smacking both of them on the back of the head. "We're on a mission, remember? This is no time to get distracted!"

"Ow! Relax," Kai said. "We were just checking out the competition."

Jay snickered. "Yeah, we noticed."

Kai moved to punch him and Jay flinched, making Kai smirk with satisfaction. "Might I remind you that we still don't know what a couple of their elements are."

"Three, actually," Zane corrected him.

"Two. One's teleportation, one's telekinesis."

"I still don't think that is correct," Zane argued.

"Yeah," Jay said. "Telekinesis isn't an element!"

"Look who's talking," Kai shot back.

Cole had to laugh. "He got you there."

"Hey, why didn't we just ask Master Chen what their elements are?" Jay wondered.

Cole groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose as he realized that Jay was right. "Agh, why didn't I think of that?" There was no telling when they would get another chance, either. They had to be careful to preserve the secret of their alliance.

"Well we know for sure that one of them is teleportation," Jay said. "The other one has something to do with lifting objects and throwing them around, whatever you want to call it. That still leaves two more that we have no clue as to what they can do."

"Yeah, and isn't one of them your sister?" Cole asked, turning to Kai.

"Don't look at me. I didn't even know what I was capable of until Master Wu told me. I don't have the slightest idea what Nya's element might be."

"Another Fire Master, perhaps?" Zane suggested.

Jay's eyes widened. "Is that possible?"

Kai shook his head. "I don't think so. I was the only one who could pull the sword of fire out of its resting place." His brow furrowed at the memory.

"There is also the amber ninja," Zane said. "Her element is a mystery as well."

"But didn't she do the same thing as the other girl?" Jay said. "Who, by the way, is apparently a robot?! Did anybody else notice that?"

"I did indeed notice," said Zane, somehow managing to keep a straight face. "She's quite the marvel."

"I wish we had a robot on our team," Jay grumbled.

Cole sighed. "We'll just have to wait until we get another chance to speak with Master Chen. In the meantime, keep an eye out for any clues. We don't want to be caught in a fight with one of them and not know how to handle ourselves."

Kai nodded further down the deck. "Or we could try asking." Cole saw that the girls were on the far side of the ship. The red-head was looking their way, and Kai flashed one of his ridiculous smiles that he thought were so charming. He took a step towards her, but Cole caught him by the back of his gi, pulling him short.

"Not a chance."

The girl laughed to herself before her fuchsia-haired friend pulled her away.

"Aw, come on! Not cool, man," Kai grumbled.

Cole let him go. "I need you to stay focused, not go chasing after some girl. Who, might I remind you, is still our enemy."

Kai crossed his arms. "Yeah, whatever."

Cole started to walk them towards the opposite end of the boat, away from the girls. "Come on. I want to talk strategy. We may not know what they're capable of, but we can still prepare for a battle."

They followed, thankfully, without any more complaints. But Cole was getting worried about his teammates. If they were starting to develop feelings for the other ninja all of a sudden, there could be trouble. They were there for one reason, and one reason only: to defeat Garmadon's ninja so that Master Chen could take their elements and make sure they wouldn't be a problem anymore. If any of his brothers suddenly turned soft towards them, they might hesitate when the time came.

Master Wu was counting on them, but more than anything he was counting on Cole to lead this team well. Cole would have to make sure that his team kept their heads on straight, or it could mean failure.

Chapter Text

"Welcome to Chen's island," Clouse said as he disembarked. "The Tournament of Elements welcomes its brave fighters."

All this talk about the tournament was making Kai impatient. He was itching for a fight. Sure, they were only there to make sure that the girls lost the tournament, but he also wanted to have some fun and maybe even win this thing. He expected that the others felt the same way. At least it wouldn't be much longer, now.

Kai followed his teammates off the boat and up the stairs to the main gates. Chen had really gone all out with this thing. There were dancers and drummers and everything, not to mention all the surprises he had in store for later on. Kai had already gotten a glimpse of a few things during the time that they'd been helping get it ready. This sure was going to be an interesting event.

Clouse led the competitors into the palace and directed them to sit around the giant serpent pattern on the rug. As they took a seat, Jay whispered, "Are you guys as hyped about this as I am?"

"I don't know exactly how 'hyped' you are," Zane answered. "But I myself am pretty excited."

"Just remember the mission," Cole warned them. "That comes first."

Kai took a quick glance at the other masters around them. Some looked tougher than others, but looks didn't count for everything.

There was a guy off to one side with huge metal gauntlets over his fists. Another with skin as gray as ash and a face that looked just as grim. And almost directly across from Kai, a hooded figure whose face was obscured from sight. Kai remembered seeing him on the boat ride here. He was a small guy, obviously a little shy. For the life of him, Kai couldn't recall who he might be from the invitation list, or what his element was. That alone probably made him more of a threat than most of the others here.

When Kai looked further down the circle of fighters, he located the group of girls, including his sister and the attractive amber ninja. Kai was still annoyed with Cole for making him look bad in front of her – what was wrong with a little harmless flirting? Especially if he could get some info out of it. Kai wasn't an idiot, it wasn't like he would let anything slip.

But what's more, Kai couldn't believe he'd never noticed her before. Granted, he hadn't noticed that his sister was one of Garmadon's students before Master Wu told him, either. But it wasn't until they were at the pier, in the midst of all the arguing that he really saw her for the first time and froze up. And boy, was she breathtaking. All Kai wanted was to talk to her, to see if she had a personality as striking as her looks. But Cole was such a spoil-sport, he might never get the chance.

A gong sounded and Master Chen's signature fanfare played. Kai had heard that tune so much that he could have hummed along if he wasn't busy pretending not to know the guy.

"All rise for Master Chen," Clouse said.

Chen's throne was lowered down from above and set down on the platform. "Welcome to the Tournament of Elements!" he said. "Now you can all DIE—"

The front doors snapped shut like a snake clamping its jaws down on its prey. The Elemental Masters gasped.

"—rect your attention to me!" Chen giggled at his own joke. Kai fought the urge to roll his eyes. This guy was too much.

As he rose from his throne, Master Chen continued with more solemnity. "Never before have so many elemental fighters been under one roof. I see master of water, earth, shadow, speed . . ."

He turned and gestured to the gong, which was carved with a winding symbol of a serpent. "This symbol before you is for the Anacondrai, fiercest Serpentine warrior to ever roam this land. It's creed: Only one can remain."

Kai snorted with mild amusement. He'd never understand Chen's fascination with the mythical snake tribe. Zane had tried to convince Kai that the Anacondrai, that all Serpentine, were real creatures rather than a children's bedtime story, but Kai just wouldn't believe it. Ninjago wasn't that big of a place, and if there were any hidden Serpentine tombs, it would have made the news by now.

But Master Chen was obsessed with the creatures, and Kai didn't really care what he thought, as long as they could do what they came here to do.

The gong rang again and this time it split in half to reveal a roster of the fighters. Kai hadn't been able to get a look at the roster beforehand, but he was surprised that most of them wouldn't be facing Garmadon's students to start off with. They'd made a deal, so why was Chen holding off on his part of the bargain?

"Why aren't we facing more of our actual opponents?" Jay whispered, trying to be vague.

"If Master Chen pitted us only against Garmadon's ninja at the start, then they may get suspicious and leave before we've had the chance to fight," Zane said. "And, if we are lucky, another fighter might take out one of the girls before we have to."

"Which will be all the better for us," Cole said with a slight smile. "Then we can have time to focus on winning."

Now Chen turned to Clouse. "Behold, a Jadeblade." Clouse opened a chest and whipped out a sword with a pale green blade. "Here it represents life. Obtain it, move on. Allow your opponent to take it – loser! The rules are simple. Every match will be different, no two fights will be the same. Your powers will keep you in the tournament. Use it or lose it!"

The man with the metal gauntlets asked, "What does Karlof win?"

"Win and stay on the island. Win it all and you will receive fortunes beyond your wildest dreams. And lifetime supply of Master Chen noodles!" Kai had tasted the noodles. That wasn't such a bad deal.

"But no one is here because of noodles!" Chen continued. "You want the glory of being the greatest fighter in all of Ninjago!"

"And what will happen if we lose?" the android girl, Pixal, spoke up.

"Lose? Who here likes to lose?" Chen laughed, as did the rest of the Elemental Masters.

Kai, for his part, tried to keep a straight face. She was right to be concerned. Not for the first time, he felt a slight twinge of discomfort at the thought of what would happen when his sister lost. But he remembered Master Wu's words, and reminded himself that she would be safer this way. If she didn't have her elemental power – whatever it was – then she wouldn't be able to fight, and he wouldn't have to face her in battle ever again.

"Now please, enjoy my island," Master Chen was saying. "It's a super fun, happy place! Fun time on me!"

"You'll now each be shown to your rooms." At Clouse's signal, the double doors opened and a procession of Chen's kabuki servants filed in. They wore white face paint with red designs and fancy silk kimonos. The whole time they had been here, Jay wouldn't stop saying how creepy he thought they were.

With rehearsed precision they surrounded the assembled group of masters and, each taking one by the arm, led them to the sleeping quarters.

As they were dragged along, Cole looked back at his team. "Be on your guard," he whispered. "We may be allies, but I still don't trust Chen any farther than I could throw him. There's no telling what tricks he has up his sleeve."

Zane cocked his head. "Couldn't you throw Chen quite far?"

"Yeah," Jay added. "Super strength. I bet you could throw him halfway across the island!"

"You know what I mean!" Then Cole lowered his voice even more and added, "Just don't get kicked out in the first round, okay?"

That would be humiliating. While Chen hadn't told them everything about his plan, they had been given a brief overview of how things would go. Soon the first round would start, and they would be battling against all the other masters for a Jadeblade. Imagine Master Wu's fury if one of his prized pupils lost the very first round. Chen would probably be angry, too, if he didn't have a fighter he could take powers from.

The boys were separated as the kabuki led them to different floors. Kai paused as the kabuiki gestured to his door. "Your fire suite, M—"

"Yeah, yeah," Kai said, waving her away. He'd practically watch as his suite was put together since he'd been living here for the past few weeks. He even had a little input. They were going along with all of this just for show, so that the other fighters wouldn't get suspicious.

Kai was rather fond of his room. It was so much better than living in a dank cave, or camping out in a forest where anything could kill you. Not to mention that he didn't have to share it with anyone. Instead of being shrouded in darkness and shadows, a set of windows lining the far wall provided fresh sunlight. The room was decorated with warm red tones, accented in gold.

There would be a bit of time to relax before the first round started, so he headed for the balcony, winking at the painting of himself as he passed. He opened the doors to the outside and breathed in the fresh air. When he glanced to his left, his heart nearly stopped.

The amber ninja was next door, leaning over the edge of her own balcony. The wind gently stirred her cherry red hair, and the sun made her eyes sparkle.

Kai couldn't believe his luck! But, oh, what was her name? Kai racked his brain as he tried to remember any clue, maybe a passing comment from one of her friends. When nothing came to mind, he decided he would just have to make do.

Kai leaned against the banister and put on his best smile. "Looks like we're neighbors," he called out.

She turned to him, one eyebrow raised in question. At least he had her attention.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Kai, Master of Fire." He unsheathed his sword and twirled it in his hand, the golden blade alight with flames. He threw in a wink for good measure.

"Skylor. Master of . . . wouldn't-you-like-to-know?"

So close! But she was too smart to fall for such a simple trick. Even so, Kai didn't mind a mystery.

Lost in thought, Kai let his still-burning sword drop too low and brushed his pants. There was a slight twinge of pain and Kai realized that the cloth had caught fire.

"Owowowow!" He hurriedly patted his leg to smother the flames. He was fire resistant, but not fire proof.

Skylor was giggling by the time he had put out the fire. That was a good sign, right? "Master of Fire. I can see that."

Kai's face flushed as he replaced his sword in its sheath on his back. "That doesn't usually happen." Time to change the subject. "I remember you. You're a pretty tough fighter. How long have you been training?"

The light in her eyes dimmed. "My whole life, actually," she replied.

Okay, bad subject. Kai rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think. "Me, too. How did you get mixed up with Garmadon?"

"How did you get mixed up with Wu?" she countered.

This was not going well. Normally flirting came so easy to him, but right now he felt like his brain kept stumbling over itself. "Never mind, forget I asked. I just want to hear about you." She glanced away, but Kai could see that she was smiling again. "Where are you from?"

"Guess."

Kai laughed in spite of himself. "Don't I at least get a clue?"

Skylor pushed away from the banister, moving towards him. "Why do you get to ask all the questions? You haven't told me anything about yourself."

Kai leaned over his balcony towards her. "Alright, fine. I grew up in a small village in the south. Your turn."

"Did you like it there?"

"Come on, now, we had a deal."

"But that's nothing new," Skylor argued. "Nya's already told me about your village."

That caught him off guard. He had forgotten that she and his sister must be close. Nya must have already told Skylor all about their home and their parents and even about him. Frustration canceled out amusement as he thought of the things Nya must have said about him. He averted his gaze. She didn't understand why he had to do the things he did. "I'm sure she has." 

"You know she still misses you," Skylor pressed.

Kai's brow furrowed. "It's not my fault. She chose her side, and I can't disobey Master Wu."

Skylor opened her mouth to say more, but she was cut off when Master Chens' signature fanfare blasted over the speakers throughout the island.

"Hello fighters!" Chen's disembodied voice greeted them.

Great, Kai thought. The first round's about to begin. He might have to fight Skylor. But he wasn't ready to get her kicked out of the tournament just yet. If he could only convince her that Garmadon was the real enemy, then she could join Wu's side and they wouldn't have to fight each other.

Chen's voice continued giving instructions to begin the first round. "Hidden around my island are enough Jadeblades for every participant except for one. The one who returns to the palace arena empty-handed loses! The tournament begins . . . NOW!"

Chapter Text

"May the best fighter win!"

Nya dashed out of her room. She hadn't expected to start so soon, but she wasn't about to let herself be caught off guard, either.

Many of the Elemental Masters were in the hall already. She spotted a Jadeblade in a sword display on the furthest end of the hall, but some of the others had already seen it and were pushing and shoving to be the first to get it. She decided that it was too popular to waste her time on.

Another visual search revealed one nestled in a vase at the bottom of a nearby staircase. At the same time, the Master of Earth had come out of his room next to hers and saw the same blade. Nya raced past, shoving him aside. "Hey!"

She didn't make it much farther before the ground started shaking and she lost her balance. "Nice try!" he said as he ran past with that stupid sythe in hand.

But Nya reached out and caught him by the foot, making him trip. They got to their feet at the same time and Nya swung her fist. He prepared to use his scythe again – Nya had half a mind to try and take it from him – when a blur zipped past them. It was the Master of Speed, and he was the first to make it to the Jadeblade. He nipped it out of the vase and dashed away again.

"Agh! See what you did!" Cole complained.

"What I did?" Nya repeated, incredulous. But she didn't have time to argue, so she left him and went to look out over the floors below.

When she didn't see anything below, she looked up and found another blade attached to the wooden beams above. Nya climbed onto the railing and then leapt off, catching one of the hanging lights's wires in her hand. It swung forward and she gasped as she slid a few inches, tightening her grip. Then she began to pull herself up, hand over hand.

Nya finally heaved herself onto a beam at the top and balanced there. She inched along the beam to where the Jadeblade hung. But as she reached out to grab it, a man with dark hair and grey skin materialized in front of her. She only had just enough time to step backwards before he could kick her off the beam. He snatched the Jadeblade and then faded back into the shadows with a dark chuckle.

"No!" Nya shouted, but he was already gone.

She desperately scanned the action below her. She had to get a blade, she had to!

It looked like everyone was busy brawling for a blade. She couldn't see Skylor or Seliel, but she glimpsed Pixal running outside with one in her hand.

That's it!

Nya carefully made her way down from the rafters to the floor below, then made a mad dash for the bottom floor. Everyone was so busy fighting for blades inside the building, but Chen had said that there were Jadeblades hidden all over the island. So there must be some outside, as well. She sure hoped so, or else she was condemning herself to failure.

Nya burst out the front doors and turned in circles searching for a blade. A glimmer of light revealed one atop the wall next to the sleeping quarters. She climbed the outside of the building and then hopped onto the wall, but just as she landed, the Jadeblade began floating away of its own accord. For a brief moment she stared, confused. Then she realized. It must be a master of invisibility.

Not again! Nya thought with determination.

She ran after the floating blade and punched at the air. She heard a cry and the Jadeblade flew out of the master's hands, clattering to the ground far below. Nya did a sweeping kick where she imagined the fighter was and hit him so hard that his clothes became visible as he stumbled to the edge of the roof. She gasped as he teetered over the edge and leapt forward to catch his hand just as he fell.

Nya clung to the invisible fighter's wrist and tried to heave him up. But he was scrambling too much and she wasn't strong enough to lift a grown man. Looking down, she could see that the fall wouldn't be enough to hurt him now that he could land on his feet. But the Jadeblade was down there. She tried to pull him up again, but she just couldn't do it. With no other option, Nya let go.

The Master of Invisibility landed on his feet, then dived toward the blade and snagged it off the ground before she could follow him down. "Thanks for the Jadeblade," he called teasingly, waving it in the air. Then he ran off.

Nya sat there on the wall and put her head in her hands. It was useless. There wouldn't be any time left to find another blade, and now she would be kicked out of the tournament already. She might as well run away now, or else Chen would take her element away. She felt like a total failure.

"Nya? You okay?"

Nya raised her head to see Seliel standing next to her. "Where did you come from?" she asked, as she hadn't heard the tell-tale pop of Seliel's element.

"Up there," she pointed. "I was checking the rooftops. I came outside for a blade at the start, since everybody was going crazy inside. Is something wrong? You seem pretty upset."

Nya couldn't meet her gaze. "I couldn't get a Jadeblade in time. They must all be gone by now. The tournament's only just started and I've already lost."

"Is that all? That's not a problem, look." Nya looked up as Seliel lifted a Jadeblade in one hand, then a second blade in the other. "I got two."

Nya gaped at her in surprised.

"Like I said, I was wandering around up here when I found the first one. I saw the second hidden in plain sight, and I thought I just had to get it in case one of you guys needed it. Guess I was right." She held it out for Nya to take.

Nya hesitated. "Isn't that cheating?"

Seliel huffed and gave her a half-smile. "Can you really cheat a cheater? From what Skylor's told us about her father, it won't be weighing on my conscience at all."

Nya supposed that she was right, and accepted the blade.

"Let's go," Seliel said and she began to make her way to the ground. Nya followed, and they raced for the palace arena.

Zane found a Jadeblade almost as soon as he stepped out of his room. He could see it just a little ways down the hall, sitting in a sword display. He made a run for it, but had to dodge as the Master of Smoke tried to trip him up and instead froze the master's feet to the carpet.

Some of the other fighters had spotted the same blade and made it there before him, but they had fallen into a struggling pile. Zane moved to step around them, but was suddenly whipped backwards and rammed into the wall.

It was the purple ninja who approached him, the pretty android from the docks. Pixal, if he remembered correctly. Her hand was extended, holding him in place with some invisible force. Zane was growing very tired of her using the same old trick.

"I would appreciate it if you could stop tossing me around like this," he said with restrained frustration.

"Perhaps you should stop wearing so much metal," she replied.

"Metal?" The only metal he had were the shurikens in his hand.

Before he could ask more, she was whacked on the back of the head and fell to one knee. Zane's feet hit the ground and he charged at her attacker, the Master of Gravity. But Zane was quickly outnumbered as the Master of Sound joined in.

He ducked and then hit Sound square in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. Then he roundhouse kicked Gravity in the head, putting him out for a good few seconds. When he turned back to the blade, Pixal was already wrapping her fingers around the handle.

"Thank you," she said. "And I'm sorry."

Zane might have let her take it anyway, but he didn't get a choice before she again used her element to throw him backwards.

Irritated, Zane lay there for a moment, trying to gather himself. This could not keep happening. Perhaps they were enemies, but couldn't she at least have the decency not to keep doing the same thing over and over again? Zane sighed to himself and pushed the thought to the back of his mind as he got to his feet. Right now he needed to focus on finding another blade.

He wasn't having much luck upstairs, so he looked to the floors below. Sure enough, a handful of fighters were battling for another blade on the ground. But across the room, on the second floor, Zane saw the glint of a green blade that was stuck to the side of the banister overlooking the room. No one else appeared to have noticed it yet.

He created a ramp of ice to slide across the room to the blade. But reached the other side, he was met by a short, cloaked figure, who seemed equally surprised to see him. Zane froze the fighter's feet to the ground before he had a chance to move. The cloaked figure waved his arms as he almost lost balance.

When Zane returned his attention to the blade, a cloud of smoke wreathed in front of him. The smoke gathered and solidified to reveal that it was the Master of Smoke again, standing between Zane and his Jadeblade.

Zane took a defensive stance. He would have to think of something clever to defeat this fighter. A direct attack wouldn't work, or he would simply disappear. Zane needed to come up with something he wouldn't expect.

"Move, or I will move you," Zane said.

"Ha, I'd like to see you try!"

"You won't last long in the tournament," Zane taunted him. "Even if you win this round, you won't make it through the next." The Master of Smoke growled in warning, but Zane continued as if he didn't notice or didn't care. "And what humiliating defeat it will be. Smoke is weak and dissipates against the slightest opposition, just as you will."

That did it. He charged, fist raised, and Zane didn't flinch. The Smoke Master hit him square on the cheek, and Zane stumbled backwards. But, right at the moment of contact, he reached up and grabbed the Smoke Master's wrist. Zane tugged him forward, driving his knee into the master's stomach before he had time to disappear. The Master of Smoke collapsed to the floor, groaning in pain.

Zane dashed to the Jadeblade, reaching down to remove it from its perch on the banister. Finally! All he had to do was it in, and he would be allowed to move on to the next round. He just hoped that it wouldn't be such a hassle next time.

Chapter Text

Immediately after her father made his announcement, Skylor glimpsed a Jadeblade nestled on the edge of the roof right above her head.

At the same time, she heard Kai muttering under his breath, "Is that—?"

"A Jadeblade," she finished.

Their eyes met.

Skylor vaulted herself over the banister at Kai. "That one is mine!" She shoved Kai to the ground, then jumped up and grabbed the awning overhead. There was only one floor between her and the Jadeblade, and she tried not to think about the four floors between her and the ground.

"Hey!" Kai was quicker than she anticipated and followed her up.

"Stop!" She tried to bat him away, make him lose his grip, but he fought back.

"You stop!"

Within moments SKylor found herself resorting to a one-armed catfight. He reached for the roof where the Jadeblade lay, but she caught his arm, intending to pull him away. He shrugged her off, and she lost her grip. She gasped as she fell backwards. Her hands reached for something to break her fall when she stopped short. She threw a concerned glance at the ground overhead before looking up to see that Kai had caught her by the foot. Oh, this was too easy.

Skylor reached out towards him, eyes pleading. "Help me!" she called desperately.

He fell for it, and with impressive strength, he swung her up, flinging her towards the roof. She caught hold of the tiled edge, and without even taking time for a breath, she plucked the Jadeblade from its perch. Kai's dismayed look made her grin.

"Sorry, Hot Tamale," she gloated. She heaved herself up onto the roof, dashed across to the other side, and made her way back to the ground.

When she arrived at the palace, she found that she was one of the first. Only the Master of Speed had beaten her there. She went to the rack where the Jadeblades were to be displayed and put hers into a slot.

"Well done, Skylor." She flinched at the sound of her father's voice. She hadn't noticed him standing nearby. "Of course I knew you would win."

Skylor harrumphed and turned away, not wanting to look him in the eye or even talk to him. It was hardly a compliment. Naturally, she had an idea of where all the blades were hidden, not to mention that she knew the layout of the island better than any of the other fighters. Yes, of course she would win. He didn't have to point that out. Or was he just trying to make her feel guilty for her advantage? Irritated, Skylor went to a distant part of the room to wait until her friends arrived.

It was bad enough seeing her father again after being away for so long, but now she could feel the tension between them, even as she kept her distance. Her gloved hands clenched and unclenched with agitation. She felt like everyone would be able to tell they had a history and find out who she really was. But why did it matter to her if the other fighters knew? She had nothing to hide. And yet, she didn't want to admit to who she really was. Maybe her friends could accept her, but that didn't mean anyone else would.

It didn't take long before Pixal came in and joined her, followed by the Masters of Ice and Lightning. Every time the doors opened, she would look up expectantly, and she realized before long that she was waiting for Kai to arrive. She had no doubt that her own friends could make it, but she might have taken his best chance to get a blade and move forward. Did she really want him to stay in the tournament that badly?

She hadn't been lying when she told Seliel that she wasn't about to go on a date with a dark ninja. She couldn't think of anything more bizarre than being with someone who you knew you would have to face in battle. But this was a tournament, where the fights were controlled, and Skylor would have liked the chance to have a proper fight with Kai one-on-one. He was a bit of a dork, but a handsome dork, and the first person to have ever shown an interest in her. She didn't think it would hurt to play along, just as long as the tournament lasted.

Seliel and Nya ran in when the palace arena was starting to fill up with fighters. "Good, the gang's all here," Seliel said after they handed over their blades. "Looks like we'll be making it to the next round."

"It appears that Wu's ninja are not faring as well," Pixal pointed out.

She was right. Only two of their members had made it back, and it looked like most of other fighters were already there. The display at the front of the room only had a place for two more Jadeblades.

Just then, the doors were flung open.

"Wait!" The black ninja came running in, waving a Jadeblade over his head. "I got one!"

"So much for that," Nya muttered sourly.

Skylor looked to the door again. She had really thought that Kai would find another Jadeblade. But then, it wasn't like she would have let him get away with hers either way. That would have been ridiculous.

Besides, there was still time, still one blade left to be found.

Skylor could see that her dad was growing impatient. The other fighters, too, were getting tired of waiting around. And now Kai's teammates were huddled together, probably trying to figure out who had seen him last and where he could be.

She was snapped out of her thoughts as heavy footsteps sounded from the hall. Everyone fell quiet, looking to see who would walk through the door and be declared a victor. The footsteps grew steadily louder, making Skylor's heart beat steadily faster. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Haha, Karlof wins!" The Metal Master held up the final Jadeblade victoriously as everyone cheered.

Skylor sighed. It's probably for the best, she told herself as she clapped along with the others. One less ninja meant one less competitor. But Skylor's father would only be able to take Kai's sword. He didn't have any other elemental power to speak of. Skylor wondered if her father would really want the sword, or if it could be used for the spell at all. She shuddered at the thought of all the damage he could do with the power of fire. Maybe it wasn't for the best.

As Karlof was celebrating his victory, one of his metal gauntlets, the one holding the Jadeblade, fell to the ground with a clang! Kai appeared from behind him, a screwdriver in hand.

"Looks like you've got a screw loose!" he remarked. With Karlof momentarily distracted, Kai snatched up the blade and dashed across the room. The Metal Master was hot on his heels, but just a hair too slow, and Kai leapt up to the display and set the final blade in its place.

All the fighters – all except Skylor and her team – cheered once again, their loyalties quickly changed.

Skylor herself felt torn. She should have been happy that he was going to lose, or at least satisfied that her opponent would be gone. But instead, she'd been disappointed, and now that he'd won, she didn't know what to feel. What's more, his tactics were muddy. At one time, she might have admired his resourcefulness. But now, she didn't think that it was something Sensei Garmadon would approve of. Then again, there was a lot at stake in this tournament. Maybe she would have done the same thing, if she'd been in his place.

Kai glanced in her direction, but she refused to meet his gaze.

"We have a loser!" Skylor's father announced with grand authority.

"That's not fair. He cheated!" Karlof whined.

Kai shrugged. "I did what I had to do," he said matter-of-factly.

Karlof was practically pouting as he said, "Fine. I lose. Karlof never wanted to be on stinking island!"

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear you did not enjoy your stay," Skylor's father said with fake sympathy. "I guess it worked out for the best. This is – goodbye!" At the press of a button, a trap door opened and Karlof dropped down a hole away from view, his cries fading as he plummeted deep into the heart of the island. Skylor knew all too well what would happen to him from there.

Chen returned his attention to the competitors. "As you can see, lose and you are out. Break any rule, you are out."

One of her father's generals removed Karlof's image from the roster, dramatically crushing it with one hand into splinters. "Never bite the hand that feeds you: Master Chen delicious noodles! Now rest up. Tomorrow the tournament will recommence!"

The cafeteria on Chen's island, or 'chow house' as he called it, was as extravagant as the rest of the island. Red tables and glossy floors were accented with purple rugs and bright, warm lighting. The restaurant-style booths were walled off, providing enough privacy for the ninja to talk amongst themselves.

Jay hadn't thought he would care much about what happened to the other fighters during this tournament, and yet, the thought of Karlof beneath the island, beneath his very feet, kept pressing on his mind all throughout dinner. He was struggling to focus on his brothers' conversation.

"Skylor must be related to her," Kai said. "Or else they couldn't have the same element."

Cole made a face and spoke through a mouthful of sushi rolls. "How exactly can one be related to a robot?"

"I don't know, how would you explain the fact that they both have the same element?"

"Maybe the robot doesn't have an element at all. Maybe she's just programmed to do that stuff." Cole turned to Jay. "What do you think?"

Jay groaned. "I don't know. I don't know anything about elemental power! It's not scientific, it's just . . . magic, I guess. You couldn't program a robot to replicate that."

"Then how does she do it?" Kai asked.

"I don't know!" Jay said, throwing up his arms. "Nothing makes sense anymore!"

"I agree," Zane said. The one of them who was usually so calm and at ease had practically been sulking since the round ended. He had hardly even touched his food. "There is no logical way to explain it."

"I still say it's telekinesis," Cole said stubbornly.

But Zane shook his head. "The purple ninja said something to me earlier about metal. That would indicate some sort of manipulation over magnetism. Except that the only metal I've had each time we fought are my shurikens." His frown deepened and his gaze hardened. It looked to Jay like he was trying to solve an equation that hung right before his eyes.

"Surely that would not be enough to incapacitate an entire person," Zane continued. "And why would she not have simply used that ability to take the golden weapons from us before? And why is it always me?"

Kai laughed to himself. "Maybe she just likes you."

"Zane's got a point, though," Cole said, waving his chopsticks as he gestured. "We need to figure out what their elements are. We've got to be ready for whenever one of us finally fights them in the tournament."

"I wish we could just ask Master Chen," Jay said, looking around as if he would just be wandering around the cafeteria. But they had to take great pains to keep their alliance a secret, and they needed to wait for the right opportunity.

Jay thought again about Karlof, about him losing his elemental power to Chen. Jay didn't actually know what would happen to him after that, he'd never thought about it before. Chen couldn't just send him home, could he? And what would that mean for the girls . . . ?

Jay was tempted to bring up his concerns to his brothers, but he didn't know if they would feel the same way. Maybe he was just being too soft. Garmadon's ninja already had their chance to back out. Whatever happened to them now wasn't on his conscience.

"And what about Chen and his staff?" Kai asked. "There's no way we can trust him with that thing, right? But Master Wu didn't seem like he cared much about it."

"Too many questions," Zane said thoughtfully.

"Alright, here's the deal," Cole said. "Master Wu may not be worried about Chen, but I sure don't trust him. There's more going on here than he's letting on. We need to find out what."

"But how?" Jay asked. "If Chen suspects of us breaking our alliance he'll kick us out and Master Wu will be furious! Of course we know he's keeping secrets from us, but it's not like he's going to let us wander around the island until we figure them out."

Kai smirked. "Then it's a good thing we're ninja." He leaned forward and said in a low voice, "Meet me in my room at midnight."

A nasally voice broke into their conversation. "Mind if I join you?"

Jay felt a flash of alarm as the Master of Invisibility approached their booth. How long had he been standing there? "Disappear, pal!" he snapped. "This is private!"

Paleman did exactly as he asked and his figure faded away, leaving behind a hovering tray of food.

Jay sighed in exasperation. "I know you're still here. I can see your lunch tray!"

Without a face to show any expression, Jay could only guess at what he was thinking when he rematerialized. But as he walked away, Jay felt a twinge of guilt when he saw the others exchange glances.

The guilt quickly ebbed and he became defensive. "What? He was butting into our conversation. You know what Master Wu would say. We can't even trust Chen, let alone any of these guys!" Then he glanced around to make sure that no one else was nearby. "I'll see you tonight."

With any luck, they would be able to find out something useful.

Jay stealthily climbed down the balconies outside of the sleeping quarters, his dark clothes helping him to hide in the shadows and avoid the gazes of passing guards below. Kai was waiting for him when he reached the terrace crosswise from the fire ninja's room.

Just as Jay hopped down onto the handrail, Kai shoved him off. Jay let out a cry of alarm as he lost his balance and plummeted towards the ground. He narrowly caught the underside of the banister and was about to ask Kai what he thought he was doing when another voice cut him off.

"What was that you said?"

Skylor! Her room must have been right next door. Jay sorely hoped that Kai would get rid of her soon, because he wasn't sure how long he would be able to stay there. Just as he thought this, one of his hands slipped, and he found himself hanging by one arm.

Kai hurriedly tried to cover for Jay's outburst. "Uh, I said – OH what a beautiful night!" He threw a glance down at Jay.

"Come on, man!" Jay whispered through gritted teeth. He could feel his muscles straining already with the effort to hold on.

"What do you think happened to Karlof?" Skylor asked.

Kai hesitated. "At least he's out of the way, right?" he said, because it was the perfect time to have a deep conversation. "But I think we all knew what we were signing up for when we came here."

There was another moment before Skylor replied, "I guess you're right. I'm sorry if I was cold to you earlier . . ."

Okay, this is getting ridiculous, Jay thought. Out loud he said, "Psst! Kai!"

"Jay!" Kai hissed back. "Would you stop making noise!" The girl was still droning on about something when Kai finally cut her off. "Uh, yeah. Whoa, it's so cold out," he said, and shivered for emphasis. "Better call it a night!" He stepped back inside the room, sliding the door shut.

"Oh, okay. Sorry to have bothered you . . ."

Kai popped back out for one final, "Oh, okay. Good night!"

Jay might have felt for him, if he wasn't hanging on for dear life. But it was Kai's own fault he had taken so long about it. Skylor finally left, and Kai rushed back out to help Jay back onto the balcony.

"You just had to leave me hanging, huh Romeo?" Jay was relieved when he put his feet back on solid ground. At least now they could focus on more important things and get back to the issue at hand. Jay just hoped that, when the time came, Kai would be able to remember whose side he was on.

Chapter Text

Late on the night after the first round of the tournament, Pixal gently knocked on Skylor's door. The girls had agreed to meet regularly throughout the tournament, so that they could discuss a plan of action as events unfolded.

A few moments passed, and when the door opened, Pixal didn't miss the brief look of distraction in Skylor's eyes, as if her mind was already elsewhere. But she perked up when she saw Pixal and asked, "Did you have any trouble?"

"I did come across a guard, but I told him that you wanted to see me and he left me alone, as you predicted."

Skylor nodded. "Well, I'm glad to know that worked. My dad has probably all but disowned me in front of his staff, but that doesn't erase the years of respect I've built up among them. The whole island practically helped raise me, after all."

Pixal stepped into Skylor's room, locating potential weapons, escape exits and hazards. Skylor's room was simple enough, though not nearly as simple as Pixal's, which contained little more than a lavender bed and a small closet. But Pixal liked it that way. Any extra decorations and furniture were unnecessary in her mind.

The floors here were made of amber-colored wood, and the walls were a warm yellow. There was a sword rack off to one side, and a large red rug with a similar symbol to Master Chen's snake motif. Pixal stopped short, her eyes skimming over a painting of Master Chen that took up a large part of one wall.

"Ugh, I know. Awful, isn't it?" Skylor said. Pixal had to agree, it wasn't exactly a masterpiece. "You know how my dad's been planning this tournament for so long? Well he did my room ages ago. That painting was one of the first things we put in here. I didn't get much say in the matter, but at the time I didn't care. Now I have half a mind to burn the thing."

Pixal looked to her friend and felt a stab of sympathy. At times, Skylor acted like she hated Master Chen, but anyone could see that wasn't true. In spite of everything, he was still her father, and there would probably be a part of Skylor that would never forget that.

Another knock sounded from the door. Skylor opened it again to find Seliel. "I know you said that this place is well-guarded," she said as she walked in, "but I still didn't expect there to be so many. I ran into a couple of your dad's henchmen and they were real jerks until I mentioned your name. That shut them up real quick."

Skylor gave her a wry look. "You better not start name-dropping for perks."

Seliel laughed. "Now that you mention it . . ."

The door opened a third time and the girls were distracted by a loud commotion.

"Okay, okay, just let me go!"

"Not a chance," came Nya's voice. "You're in big trouble, mister."

The water ninja was tugging a small, cloaked boy through the doorway, who was struggling against her iron grip. Pixal, Skylor, and Seliel all gasped.

"Lloyd?!"

Cole was outraged at the sight of Kai's room. It was lavishly decorated, with warm red tones, glossy wooden floors, and the most comfortable cushions in all of Ninjago. He even got his own painting! Although, Cole would have to say he had a better selection of food, Kai's room looked way more cozy than his own. He did enjoy the shell peas, though, and took the liberty of munching on a few while he reclined on the chaise lounge.

Now that the first round was over, he was feeling a lot better. His team had made it through, and even though it had been a close call for Kai, all-in-all it hadn't been that bad. They had an idea of what they were up against now, and Cole was confident that they could handle it.

Zane sat next to Cole, gazing around Kai's room intently as if he was trying to memorize every detail. Cole wondered what his room looked like. Master Chen took their elements so literally, it was probably like an icebox in there.

"Whoa-ho-ho! Nice digs," Jay commented when he saw the room.

Cole threw up his hands. "I know! His room is so much nicer than mine!" He rolled over on his stomach, pointing at the bowl of snacks. "Look, chocolate-covered shell peas. I love these!" He snatched up the bowl and leapt onto Kai's bed, crashing there with a contented sigh. "And look how soft your pillow are! Man, mine are made of rock. What a crock!"

"Okay," Jay said, getting back to business. "It was almost impossible to get here. This place is swarming with guards. Any ideas on how we get around the island?"

Kai had a simple answer for that. "We travel by shadow. Cover every square inch of this place until we find out what Chen is really up to."

"I doubt we'll discover anything we don't already know by searching the compound," Zane said. "If we are to find out what deeper secrets he's hiding, we will probably need to go below ground . . ."

Their fearless team leader was listening in on their discussion, only slightly distracted by the shell peas he was tossing into his mouth. If he was the leader, anyway, shouldn't he have the nicest room? Maybe he could get Kai to trade with him.

But as Cole stretched on the comfy mattress, he heard a click and was suddenly flipped upside down!

He shouted in surprise as he was dangled upside down, struggling to hold onto the bed sheets as he tried to figure out how to undo what he'd just done. Another click and he was spun back around, and found himself gazing at the ceiling of Kai's room again. Bewildered, he slowly sat up, careful not to trigger anything. "Uh, guys, this bed is, uh . . ."

Kai was more than a little annoyed. "Cole! I get it, you like my bed. Will you stop playing around?"

But an idea was forming in Cole's mind and he grinned. "I think I know how we can get below the island."

"What are you doing here?!" Seliel practically shouted at the young ninja.

Nya had finally released Lloyd, but stuck close to his side, probably ready to stop him in case he tried to run. "I found him on my way here," she said. "He thought he could pass right by without me noticing, but I could tell that something was up. You should have seen it! I got him talking, and he was trying to disguise his voice and everything. But I got a good look under the hood and then dragged him over here."

Pixal was admittedly a little ashamed that she had not recognized him before now. She had noticed the hooded figure keeping his distance from any other fighters in the tournament, but she never would have guessed it to be Lloyd.

The little ninja grinned sheepishly. "I didn't want to let you guys go without me . . . I was invited, too . . ."

"Lloyd, that' s exactly why you can't be here," Skylor explained testily. "My father is after power, and your element is pure energy. This isn't a game, he just wants as many elements as he can get his hands on."

Lloyd glared at his feet. "I never get to do anything. You and Mom and Dad always get to be part of the action. But I want to fight, too! I've trained for this."

Skylor sighed and knelt down to his level, resting one hand on his shoulder. "You'll get your chance, Lloyd. Someday, when you're older."

"That's what they always say," he grumbled.

"And it's true. When you're big enough, you'll be able to help out and fight alongside us. That's what your parents have been training you for, right? Don't you think they'll let you use the skills you've learned someday?"

Lloyd didn't answer.

"I guess we better call your parents," Nya said. "They must be worried sick."

Now it was Skylor's turn to look guilty. She stood back up. "I suppose I don't have any room to speak. I would just be setting an even worse example if I tried to get mad at you for doing the same thing I did."

Seliel glanced around the room. "So anybody got a phone, or . . . ?"

Pixal raised her hand. "I can help with that."

Cole had convinced the others to lie next to him on the bed, but he was disappointed to find that nothing was happening.

"I feel . . . ridiculous," Zane stated.

Jay sighed contentedly. "You're right! The pillows are soft!"

"Is this meant to be a joke?" Zane asked, genuinely confused.

"I must have done something to trigger it." Cole couldn't understand it either. What had he done to open the secret passage? He tried retracing his steps. "I was laying here, then I stretched –" As Cole repeated his movements, the bed flipped into the floor and the boys found themselves hanging below Kai's room.

"Whoa, secret passage way!" Jay exclaimed. "Cool!"

They dropped down to the ground of what appeared to be a lengthy underground hallway where they could see the frame of the surrounding rooms. It was musty and damp, reminding Cole of their days in the Underworld.

Kai had brought his golden sword – Cole had stashed his own weapon under his bed in his room, just to be safe – and set it aflame to use as a torch. "Now that we have a way into Chen's underground lair, he won't be able to hide anything from us."

Zane paused, his eyes narrowing in concentration. "I hear something."

They all fell silent. Cole could just make out voices coming from one of the rooms. He turned to see light filtering through a couple of round gaps in the wall.

"Ooh, secret peep holes!" Jay giggled. "Super cool!" He climbed up to get a look. "It sounds like someone's arguing on the other side of this wall."

"What do you see? Who's fighting?" Cole demanded. He wanted to see, too, but the holes looked like they would be too small for more than one person to use.

"I think it's Skylor's room, and her whole team's here!" Jay whispered. "It looks like they're yelling at some kid."

"Let me see, let me see!" Kai quickly sheathed his sword, extinguishing the flame and scrambled up beside Jay.

"Kai," Cole said warningly.

"What? They're competition," Kai argued."Aren't you the one who said that we need to find out what their elements are?"

Cole knew that he was just making excuses, but Kai did have a point, so he let it slide for now.

Kai tried to shove Jay aside, but Jay wasn't having it. "Wait your turn!"

"We can at least share." They settled for looking with one eye through each hole.

Zane frowned. "I'm not totally comfortable with this. It feels like an invasion of privacy."

Kai didn't seem to hear him. "Aw, her room doesn't reveal anything about her power."

"Wait, what are they doing now?" Jay wondered aloud.

"What? What can you see?" Cole asked, getting frustrated with being left out. It sounded like they'd stopped yelling, but he couldn't see what they were doing.

"It's the android, she's taking something out of her arm," Jay explained.

Now Zane perked up. "What is it?"

"I don't know. Oh, oh, now she's holding her arms up. Is she going to use her power? Shh!" Jay shushed even though he was the only one speaking. "They're talking again."

"I swear I had no idea, none of us did."

Pixal waited patiently as Skylor finished up her explanation to Garmadon. She held her hands high above her head, transmitting the signal to Borg Industries satellites so that her friend could reach the monastery. Her creator, Cyrus Borg, had been sure to incorporate a design for communication at any time and any place in Ninjago, extending even to the wide expanse of the Endless Sea clear on the other side of the world. He had seemed intent on making sure that she could contact him whenever she needed to.

Skylor insisted on being the one to call their sensei, seeing as she had to make her own apology for running away. Pixal saw Skylor sigh.

"I'll bring him back. I was supposed to stay at the monastery, too – maybe it's my fault Lloyd ran away at all. But I'll bring him back to you. I'll make it right."

Lloyd sat next to Nya on Skylor's bed, his expression equal parts ashamed and disappointed. His black cloak was wrapped around a green gi that was way too big for him, with the sleeves and pant legs rolled up to fit. Seliel was pacing the room, furious that they were losing a fighter before the second round of the tournament had even started.

Skylor was listening to Garmadon's response. She lifted her head, her eyes wide with surprise. "Really? You mean . . . Okay. Okay. Thank you, Sensei! We'll see you soon."

She hung up and grinned. "He says I can stay!"

"Me, too?" Lloyd asked hopefully.

"Sorry, Short Stack, but you've got to go. He doesn't want us going it alone anyway, so he and Misako are coming here. You're going home with your mom."

"Ugh!" Lloyd flopped backwards onto the bed. "I hate being a kid!"

Seliel was elated. "This is great news! Those boys are so going down. I even have a plan."

"I've been thinking, too," Nya spoke up. "About what Sensei told us before."

"I have also given a great deal of thought to our enemies," Pixal added.

Skylor crossed her arms and sat on Lloyd's other side. "Well it looks like we've got a lot to discuss. Okay, Seliel, shoot."

Chapter Text

Kai had been trying to ignore his sister's obvious presence in the room, but that was difficult to do when his vision was so limited through the little spy hole. He could still remember the hatred in her eyes the last time he saw her. Now she was seated on Skylor's bed, her expression hard and determined as she spoke with her friends. Would she ever be able to forgive him? He wouldn't blame her if she didn't.

"So who's the kid?" Jay asked as he shoved his way to the hole again. Cole had gotten impatient and booted him out earlier.

"Stop that!" Kai growled, shoving him back. "It's not your turn yet."

It wasn't easy sharing two little peep holes between three guys. Zane on the other hand was trying to stay out of it on the grounds that he didn't feel it was right to be spying. But Cole had agreed with what Kai said, that they needed to know what they were up against.

Kai wouldn't admit it to the others, but he was really happy to hear that Skylor was going to stay in the tournament. He wasn't sure why Garmadon wanted to keep her out in the first place, but that didn't matter anymore. Maybe Kai would even get to fight her!

As he realized that the girls were talking again, he listened closely, Jay and Cole pressing in on either side of him. He craned his neck, but couldn't quite see the teleporter when she spoke.

"Most of the fighters in the tournament have probably never fought against another Elemental Master," she was saying. "But with your element, you could absorb their powers and we can spar with you to get some practice in beforehand."

Skylor was nodding. "It's an idea. But it may be more difficult than you think. It's not easy getting that close to someone, let alone to touch them, without them being suspicious."

"I know, I know. But maybe, working together, we could manage it. And better yet, you'll be able to match any of Wu's ninja with a counter element. Whichever of them you have to fight, as long as you know ahead of time, you can get the element that would work best against them."

"It wouldn't hurt to try," Skylor agreed.

Kai leaned away from the wall and exchanged a look with Cole.

"She can absorb powers?" Jay asked in disbelief.

"Fascinating," Zane said from below, where he would still be able to hear most of the conversation. "By the sound of it, she would be able to imitate the element of anyone she touches."

"That explains why Skylor and the android used the same element before," Kai concluded. "She must have absorbed Pixal's element. And now they want to use that to defeat us."

Cole scoffed. "Good luck with that. Now that we know what they're planning, they don't stand a chance."

"But we shouldn't know what they are planning," Zane pointed out. "We are intruding on their privacy just to get information. Is that really the kind of ninja we want to be? There is no honor in spying. We already have the upper hand, let us leave now."

Cole glanced back through the hole in the wall. Kai could practically see the gears turning in his head as he weighed their options. On the one hand, there was a chance that they could still learn more if they stayed. But on the other hand, Zane kind of had a point.

But what would Master Wu say? Would he find it dishonorable or would he say it was more important that they do anything they could to win?

Cole sighed and said, " Fine. We wouldn't want to get caught down here, anyway. Let's go."

Kai hopped back down to the tunnel floor. "Do you still want to look for clues about Master Chen?"

Again, Cole hesitated. "That's the thing. I was just thinking, if we get caught, Master Chen won't be happy that we broke our agreement. And Master Wu will be even more upset if he finds out we ruined our alliance."

"So you want to go back already?" Jay asked. "This whole thing was your idea."

"I'm just saying, we've already learned something valuable tonight. Let's not waste our luck all at once, or we could run out."

"I agree," said Zane. "It was risky coming down here at all."

Cole waved them back down the hall. "Come on. We'll try again another time."

"I think you just want more of my shell peas," Kai said with a light smile.

"Actually, I dropped most of them," Cole said, glancing around the shadowy floor. He found the half-empty bowl and picked it up. "You got any more?"

Kai took out his sword again to act as a light and the four boys headed back the way they had come.

Seliel took a seat on the floor next to Pixal as Skylor turned to Nya, her nerves buzzing with excitement. She was enjoying discussing ways they could win, and couldn't wait to put their ideas into action.

"What was your plan, Nya?" Skylor asked.

"Remember what Sensei Garmadon told us about our True Potential? If we could figure out how to utilize that power, we might have a better chance at winning."

Seliel didn't remember much of what he had said, only that it had been as vague and confusing as ever. "But does anyone actually know how to unlock it?"

"Sensei Garmadon said that we must each overcome obstacles inside of ourselves," Pixal recalled. "But I think that it will be up to us to find out what those obstacles are."

Skylor hummed thoughtfully. "We'll keep it in mind. Let the rest of us know if any of you feel like you've overcome an obstacle or something."

"Oh believe me," Lloyd piped up. "When you find your True Potential, you'll know."

"Have you done it before?" Seliel asked in surprised.

He looked at her as if she was crazy. "Of course not! But I heard a lot about it."

"Maybe Garmadon will be able to tell us more when he gets here." Finally, Skylor turned to the last girl. "What have you got, Pixal?"

"Nothing concrete, just a hunch. I can't understand it myself, but there's something that doesn't add up about the white ninja."

Skylor tilted her head to one side. "How do you mean?"

"Perhaps you have noticed it yourself. When you used my polarity during the fight in the Underworld, did you notice anything strange?"

Skylor scrunched her brow in thought, but shook her head.

Pixal turned to Nya. "Surely you would understand, Nya. When you are manipulating a body of water, can't you feel every part of it? It's weight, it's shape, it's movement?"

Nya nodded. "It's like I'm in tune with every particle. When I move, it move's with me, as if it were a part of me."

Seliel couldn't quite relate. As the Master of Teleportation, she didn't have control over anything external; she was still figuring out how to teleport other objects besides herself. She could imagine that it felt very different to the way Nya controlled water, or Pixal controlled magnets.

Pixal continued. "At first I could not explain what was happening, or why I had so much control over Wu's ninja when I could not sense very much metal on them. I was confused, because my senses are more cluttered than yours would be, Nya. I can sense my own body as much as any other metal around me. It requires a lot of focus to manipulate my personal magnetic force.

"But as I have become more attuned to my elemental power, I have realized that it does not feel the same with all four of them, only the Ice Ninja. I can sense metal on him, covering his entire body."

"Must be some type of armor," Seliel said.

"Maybe he's hiding a ton of weapons," Lloyd said, genuinely trying to be helpful.

"But it's strange that I can defeat him so easily, and yet he does nothing about it. Surely, since it proves to be his weakness, he would have removed whatever it is from his person."

"Maybe they still don't understand your element," Skylor suggested. "They might not realize yet that you're the Master of Magnetism."

Pixal nodded thoughtfully. "You may be right. Even so, it didn't look like he was wearing that much metal."

"Maybe it's something new he invented," Nya suggested.

Seliel nodded. "Like those gliders that they used at the Lightning Ruins. We know they make some of their own gear, this could be something like that."

"I've gone through numerous possibilities and scenarios already," Pixal said. "But nothing makes sense according to my parameters."

"Maybe one of your parameters is wrong," Seliel said with a shrug.

Pixal blinked. "What?"

"You're trying to figure this out based on what you know about the ninja, or what you assume you know. But how much do we actually know about them? Is there anything you've assumed that you don't have direct evidence for?"

Pixal frowned, thinking hard. "You're right. I can make no suppositions. I must start from scratch."

"Okay," Skylor said. "I guess that's something for all of us to a consider. It may be nothing, but if it is some kind of new armor, we'll need to know about it. Anything else?" She met everyone's gaze, but they all shook their heads. "Then get some rest. "We'll regroup in the morning. Some of us might have to fight soon, so be ready. Lloyd, you're staying with me until your father comes."

"What?! But I like my room!"

Nya frowned. "Hold on, does Master Chen know you're here? I mean, does he know that he invited a child?"

Skylor closed her eyes and sighed. "If he sent Lloyd an invitation, he must have had a room prepared for him. He must know Lloyd's here, even if we didn't. That's why it's all the more important that he stays hidden until his parents can sneak him out of here."

"Why would your father invite a child to a fighting tournament?" Seliel asked, voicing everyone's thoughts. "That sounds like a terrible idea."

Skylor kneaded her brow. "Who knows? Maybe he thought Lloyd was older or something. Or maybe he doesn't care as long as he can do the spell. I'm getting tired of all these questions. I think it's time we call it a night."

As Skylor began making room for herself to sleep on the floor, the other girls filed out to head to their own rooms. Seliel felt more confident now that they had a few clear goals set. Tomorrow the tournament would continue. With any luck, they would be ready for whatever Chen had in store.

Chapter Text

Later that night, when Zane finally returned to his own room and had a chance to get some sleep, he had another dream.

This time, he imagined that he had woken up in his quarters on the island. But when he came out of his room, the building was strangely empty. He wandered around in search of anyone else, but he seemed to be alone. However, when he reached the top of the grand staircase, he was surprised to see that Master Wu was on the bottom floor, his back turned to Zane.

Zane was delighted to see him. Maybe now he could help them with their mission in person. Zane jogged down the stairs and called out, "Master Wu!"

Master Wu turned to him, and Zane was surprised for a moment to see the extra pair of arms enfolded in his robes. He had nearly forgotten about that.

"Master, I thought you were still in the Dark Realm."

"I have returned for the Weapons of Spinjitzu." Master Wu held out his hand. "Give me your Shurikens of Ice."

At that moment, Zane heard a falcon's cry, and the bird from his previous dream swooped down from the rafters. It dived at Master Wu as if to attack, but he didn't seem to notice. Then Zane saw a shadow looming behind his master. "Lookout!"

Master Wu anticipated the figure, as if he'd been expecting it, and whipped around using his sword to block the attack just in time. The figure appeared to be a young man in a green ninja gi. His mask hid his features, and Zane didn't think he recognized him.

Master Wu cut through a rope that Zane could have sworn wasn't there before, and a large crate dropped out of nowhere. But the green ninja caught the crate and threw it aside as if it weighed nothing. Master Wu attempted to strike him, but the ninja leapt aside. Zane thought about helping his master, but he seemed to be stuck where he was. He watched with fascination as Master Wu and the mysterious ninja exchanged blows. The mysterious ninja appeared to be overpowering Master Wu, almost effortlessly.

Zane was astounded further still when the ninja pulled out Jay's Nunchucks of Lightning. With a well-aimed blow, the ninja shocked Master Wu, throwing him on his back on the other side of the room.

"Master!" Zane called. He turned to the mysterious ninja with a tinge of awe and fear, only to see that the ninja's eyes were burning. Literally, fire spouted from his eyes, and his fist, too, was on fire. The falcon came and alighted on his outstretched arm.

"Who are you?" Zane demanded

The ninja didn't speak, which just made him that much more eerie. Zane tried to take a step back, but he still felt as if his feet were frozen to the floor. The falcon looked him in the eye, then leapt off the ninja's arm, flying straight at him.

Zane jerked awake.

He looked around and breathed a sigh of relief when he found that he was back in his room. At least it had only been a dream. A strange dream, though. What could it mean? The falcon had been there again, so did that mean it was connected to the other dream he'd had? The only thing Zane felt certain of was that he needed to keep an eye out for a powerful new foe. Master Wu could be in danger.

That morning, Zane stood with his brothers in line for breakfast, the dream still fresh in his mind. A little ways ahead of them stood Garmadon's ninja. Cole had advised staying clear of the amber ninja so that she wouldn't be able to steal their powers. But there were still a couple of the girls' elements that they didn't know of yet.

Ahead, Zane could see the android, Pixal. She was as much a mystery as her elemental power. Where had she come from? Who had created her? As she turned to one of her friends with a delicate smile on her lips, the light caught in the fine strands of her silver hair. The marvel of such technology as to replicate human life seemed impossible and yet, there she stood, alive and as real as anyone else in the room.

"Zane – Zane!"

The Ice Ninja was jerked from his thoughts when he finally heard Jay calling his name. "Yes?"

"I was trying to ask what you thought today's fights are gonna be like, but you were spacing out."

"Sorry . . . I was lost in thought."

"Yeah, I noticed. What's up?"

"Something on your mind?" Kai asked.

"I had a strange dream," Zane lied. Well, technically that much was true.

A hint of a smirk played on Jay's expression. "Aren't your dreams supposed to be, like, prophecy or something?"

Zane didn't much appreciate the tone Jay used. He had never known why his dreams always seemed to come true in some way, they just did, for as long as he could remember. But Zane had never asked for such an ability, it was just another way in which he stood out. He often wondered what kind of dreams people normally had.

Cole nudged Jay sharply. "Yes, they are. What was the dream about, Zane?"

"I wouldn't quite call them prophecy, but there is usually some element of prediction contained within them. In this dream, I saw Master Wu fighting with another ninja."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Another ninja?"

Cole put a hand on Zane's shoulder, drawing him a little ways away from the other fighters. "You mean, like another one of Garmadon's students?"

"I'm not sure," Zane admitted. "I suppose he may be, since he attacked Master Wu. But I didn't see his face and . . . even stranger, he shared attributes each one of us possess."

"How so?"

"He had Kai's fire, Jay's nunchucks, your super strength, and . . . well, I can't explain it, but there's a bird that I keep seeing in my dreams. I feel as if it's been following me . . . Or perhaps I am following it."

Jay snickered. "Was it a cuckoo bird?" Kai, too, seemed to find this funny, but Zane didn't get why.

"No," he answered simply. "It was a falcon. But the bird was in this dream, too, and it alighted on the ninja's arm. I get the feeling that the four of us were meant to be represented in this way."

"So what do you think it means?" Cole pressed, moving further away from a group of Elemental Masters that were getting too close for comfort.

"I have no idea," Zane admitted. "There was nothing revealing in the dream, just a string of questions."

"Hmm. Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out, pal. It might just take some time before it makes sense."

"Or maybe it meant nothing," Jay suggested. "Don't you ever have normal dreams?"

Zane shook his head. "Not that I remember."

"I still say it was nothing."

Cole looked like he wanted to argue, but a gong sounded from the P.A. system and Master Chen's voice rang over the chow house. "The Tournament of Elements continues. Funtime! Would the following masters please make their way to their assigned arenas: speed, gravity, smoke, nature, mind – ooh, and last and hopefully not least . . . FIYAAAH!"

They all turned to Kai. So he would be the first of them to fight. He didn't look at all concerned though, and was wearing a smug grin which indicated that, in his mind, he'd already won. Zane just hoped he wouldn't let his confidence get in his own way. Because, although he would not be facing any of Garmadon's ninja, it was still all-too-important that he moved forward in the tournament.

"Remember," said Master Chen's voice. "Only one can remain."

The first three fights of the day were to be held as one-on-one matches. The rest of the Elemental Masters were invited to watch and cheer for a favorite until one of the competitors obtained a Jadeblade. First up was Speed versus Gravity.

Nya was trailing behind Skylor and Pixal on their way to the match, which was set on a cliffside high on a mountain. For now, Seliel had hung back in Skylor's room to watch Lloyd. The girls had agreed to take turns watching him until Garmadon and Misako could come and take him home.

As she walked, Nya looked to the open air on her right side. They were nearing the top of the mountain, and already she could see clouds for miles. It reminded Nya of the skies that surrounded the monastery, and she was surprised to find that she was a little homesick.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?" someone said behind her.

Nya smiled. "It sure is. I was just thinking about how the clouds remind me of –" Nya cut off short when she turned to the speaker and found herself walking next to the blue ninja.

He was smiling too, but that quickly faded when he saw her expression. "Relax, I'm just making conversation. I'd rather save the hostility for the ring. It's like they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer, right?" He gave a nervous chuckle.

Nya was still eyeing him warily. She glanced at her friends further up the path, wondering if she should catch up with them, or call out to them. Then he spoke again.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced yet. I'm Jay, Master of Lighting."

Nya narrowed her eyes. "I'm Nya, the girl you and your friends tried to kidnap."

That seemed to get the right point across. Jay shrunk back and he raised his hands defensively. "Right. About that, it was nothing personal you know. But we had to follow orders. For what it's worth –" He was interrupted when Shade, Master of Shadow, pushed his way between them.

"Do ya mind?" he growled. "Some people are trying to get to fight. Pick up the pace a bit."

Nya let him pass, not wanting to make any trouble. She'd already learned from what little she'd seen of this guy that he was always in a bad mood. There was just no reasoning with his type

Jay, on the other hand, didn't seem to think the same way. "Hey, watch it!"

Shade, came to a stop and rounded on them. "What was that, Bluebell?"

Jay stepped closer until he was nose-to-nose with Shade. "I said, 'watch where you're going!'"

"Or what? You'll tickle me with your little sparkles?"

"Big words coming from a man who likes to hide in other people's shadows."

"I ain't hiding now, Sparky," Shade sneered, his hand curling into a fist.

Nya got between them and shoved them away from each other. "Stop it! Do you want to get kicked out of the tournament?" The boys glared at each other, but they knew she was right.

"You'd better watch your back," Shade said, jabbing a finger into Jay's chest. "Your girlfriend won't be able to protect you if we meet in the arena." At that, Shade finally stalked off.

Jay scoffed. "Can you believe that guy?" But his face fell when Nya rounded on him.

"What's your problem? There was no reason to pick a fight with him, he would have left us alone! What was that you said about 'saving it for the ring?'" Jay stumbled over his words in an attempt to answer and Nya rolled her eyes. "I swear, all you boys are the same. You all think you've got to be the 'tough guy.' I hope your master's proud of you."

She ran ahead to catch up with her friends. Pixal slowed down and met her halfway. "I apologize, I did not notice that you were falling behind." She cast a backward glance at the ninja and asked, "What did he want?"

Nya frowned. "Who knows? Forget him, let's just get to the fight." They walked on and Nya tried to put the foolish blue ninja out of her mind and focus on the tournament instead.

Chapter Text

After the Master of Speed defeated the Master of Gravity, and the Master of Mind defeated the Master of Nature, it finally came time for the third fight of the day: Fire versus Smoke.

Nya had taken over babysitting Lloyd, which Skylor suspected she had planned so she didn't have to watch her brother fight. Now Skylor sat with Seliel and Pixal in the stands, which were positioned next to a bubbling canyon of lava. Sharp spires of rock poked through the molten river, and a single, thin bridge linked the two fighters in the distance, the Jadeblade on the bridge between them.

"This oughtta be good," Seliel said.

"Yes, a chance to assess their skills," Pixal agreed. "We haven't yet seen what the ninja can do with their weapons."

Seliel huffed. "'Their weapons.' They may be able to control the four elements, but they still stole the weapons from Sensei Garmadon. They have no right to wield them."

Skylor remained silent and turned her attention to the fight.

"Kai, Master of Fire," Skylor's father announced, "versus Ash, Master of Smoke. Fight!"

As soon as he gave the signal, Kai brandished his sword and sent a bout of flames at Ash. The smoke master flipped over it and landed on the bridge hard enough to make it rock violently on its supports. Both Kai and the Jadeblade were flung from the bridge, Kai narrowly catching a handhold on the planks with his free hand. The Jadeblade fell down towards the lava and miraculously landed on one of the flat-topped rock formations below.

"Come on, Ash!" Seliel shouted, actively rooting for their enemy's enemy. Next to her, Pixal merely watched with detached interest, probably studying their fighting patterns. But Skylor secretly hoped Kai would win. She'd much rather he stayed in the tournament than Ash.

Ash was charging towards Kai while he struggled to pull himself back onto the bridge. The sword in his hand was already proving to be an obstacle. He heaved himself onto the planks just as Ash reached him and rolled away from a harsh punch to where his head had just been.

As they exchanged blows, Ash proved to be just a hair faster than Kai, who struggled to pin him down. Kai swung his sword left and right, fire spitting from its blade, but Ash would simply vanish before the flames touched him. And because they fought on such a flammable surface, Kai's fire had to come weak and at a short range. Ash was just toying with Kai, wearing out the fire master before he could land a single blow. Skylor clenched her hands in worry, bunching up the pant legs of her gi and silently hoping that he would figure this out for himself. Kai would have to find another way to fight him if he was to win.

Ash landed a blow that sent Kai flying. Kai crashed into the bridge, breaking a dozen boards before he nearly fell again into the fiery canyon. He dangled with his free hand above the open air as splinters of wood were sent tumbling down into the hungry lava. Most of the rest of the audience was applauding Ash for what looked like a sure victory.

Ash threw puffs of smoke at Kai, and the fire master had to use his momentum to swing out of the way. Skylor saw him cast a glance at the churning magma beneath his dangling feet. She couldn't stand to watch and had to look away.

"Ninja-go!"

Skylor looked back when Kai used his Spinjitzu to land safely on the bridge. Ash had to scramble hastily backwards so as not to be caught up in the cyclone. Skylor saw that Kai had sheathed his sword, relying now on his fists alone.

Still, as he punched and kicked at the smoke master, Ash simply disappeared, reappearing moments later to strike a blow of his own.

Come on, Skylor silently urged him. You can't defeat him directly!

Ash dodged around Kai, materializing at his back and restraining him from behind. Smoke wafted from Ash's body, filling the air around him so that Kai was choking on it. He squirmed in Ash's hold, and Skylor couldn't see why he didn't just break away until Kai drew his sword again, nearly slicing through Ash's arm. Ash gasped but was too slow to stop Kai before he aimed a ball of fire at the ropes holding the bridge up. The rope and planks went up in flames, eating through the supports until it snapped away from the opposite end of the bridge. Kai finally broke free as he and Ash leapt off the collapsing bridge, landing nimbly on the stone pikes near the Jadeblade.

Kai sheathed his sword as Ash landed opposite from him. Their eyes met, and they sprang at each other.

It looked as if Ash was done running from the fight now. They exchanged blow after blow, wrestling for the Jadeblade that stood nearby. Lava spewed around them, threatening to gobble up either one of the fighters for a misstep.

They landed precariously on another stone, hands locked as they pushed against one another in a battle of strength. Then Ash threw a glance at the Jadeblade, and with a devious smile, he vanished. Kai pitched forward, almost falling into the unforgiving canyon.

Ash was drifting toward the Jadeblade, but he kept a wary eye on his opponent. Kai whipped out his sword again, then leapt and sent a burst of flames at the smoke master. Unsurprisingly, Ash evaporated from view, and Kai passed right through him. Kai reached for the Jadeblade as he flipped overhead, tugging it from its purchase. He landed safely on another rock, a sword in each hand.

"Winner!" Chen announced.

Skylor, lost in the moment, punched the air. "Yes!" Then she realized that Seliel and Pixal were staring at her in bewilderment. "Uh . . . I mean . . ."

Ash slumped in disappointment as the crowd that had rooted for him only moments ago now cheered at his opponent's victory.

"Loser! Master of Fire moves on." Chen pressed one of the many buttons on his throne and a trapdoor opened up under Ash. The smoke master dropped into the abyss, and that was the end of it.

As Jay followed his brothers through the halls of Chen's palace, he was preoccupied with thoughts of what Nya had said to him earlier. Her words had been echoing in his mind all day. Had he really been wrong to incense the Shadow Master? What was so wrong about standing up to the guy? Jay couldn't let a jerk like that push him around, especially not in front of a girl. Jay had had enough of that in the past. He'd learned that the only way to deal with bullies was to strike first and strike harder. Then they'd know not to cross him ever again. 

But her comment had still stung. All day, he'd wondered whether or not Master Wu really would be proud of him. Surely he would have wanted Jay to stand his ground like he did? They ninja had never been separated from their master like this for this long. It was turning out to be harder to predict what Master Wu would want them to do than Jay thought.

In some ways, Jay felt bad for Nya. He didn't so much pity her, she didn't seem like the kind of girl who needed pity, but he supposed he sympathized with her. It couldn't be easy fighting her own family. And yet, she stubbornly stuck to her guns and fought for what she believed. One thing was for certain, that girl knew exactly what she wanted.

"I almost thought he had you!" Cole's voice stirred Jay out of his contemplation and back to the conversation at hand. They were on their way to finally speak with Master Chen again. In the intermission after Kai's fight, he had discreetly called them to his palace arena, most likely to regroup and discuss how the plan would progress going forward.

Kai was still gloating about his victory over the Master of Smoke, taking advantage of the attention and praise he received from it. "Me, too! I was getting so sick of his disappearing act, but then I thought, hey, if he wants to keep doing that, why not use it against him?"

"I have to say, it was an impressive move," Zane said.

"Heh, thanks. Sometimes I even impress myself."

Jay shook his head, amused. He wondered if Nya had as big an ego to match her brother's.

They reached a pair of double doors which Master Chen's guards opened for them. When they entered, Jay saw Master Wu's shadow to one side of Chen's throne, and Clouse on the other.

"Congratulations on your victory, Master of Fire!" Chen said as they entered.

"It wasn't easy, no thanks to you," Kai answered, suddenly serious. "This isn't all fun and games you know. If I would have lost –"

"Ah, but you didn't lose, did you? I don't doubt that you four can defeat any fighter in the tournament. But – if I were to tip the scales in your favor, don't you think there would be suspicion?"

Kai crossed his arms and looked to Master Wu, as if he hoped to get some support from him. But Wu only said, "Master Chen is right. If the other ninja caught wind of our plan, everything would fall apart."

Cole stepped forward. "They're already suspicious of us. We overheard them plotting ways to take us out."

Master Chen clapped his hands. "Ooh, I love secrets! Tell me what you found out."

Jay glanced at Wu, trying to gauge his reaction, but his master's shadowy silhouette betrayed none of his thoughts.

"We didn't learn much," Cole admitted. "We've been trying to figure out what each of their elements are –"

To Jay's surprise, Chen merely scoffed. "Well you could have just asked. I know all of the elements! There's Skylor Master of Amber – that's the best one – and Seliel Master of Teleportation, oh and your sister the Master of Water," Chen said to Kai. "Isn't that fun? And the other one is . . . uh . . . oh what was it . . . ?"

"Pixal," Clouse spoke up. "Master of Magnetism."

"Oh yes, that's it. I hope you discovered something else that's actually interesting."

Well that was easy. Jay had to suppress an "I told you so" as Cole continued.

"They were with some kid. I guess he was one of the fighters, but it sounded like Garmadon was coming to get him or something."

"Garmadon?" Chen asked, his curiosity piqued. "Coming here?"

"Likely come to retrieve his son," Clouse said. Now Jay was curious as well, and he saw the same surprise reflected in his brothers. That kid was Garmadon's son? Did that mean he was capable of great evil, too? "We were lucky enough that the boy ran away to participate in the tournament. If what Wu tells us is true, then we cannot afford to lose him."

"I can assure you that it's true," Master Wu said calmly, though he shot Clouse a harsh look. He turned back to Master Chen. "I advise you not to let Garmadon onto the island. His students are crafty enough on their own, but with his help, they may discover what we're up to and put an end to your tournament."

"Pfft, let him try! He was useless in the Serpentine Wars, he'll be just as useless now. Everything will work out, wait and see."

Chen and Wu would often talk about the mysterious 'Serpentine Wars,' but they never filled the ninja in on the details. Jay had never encountered a serpentine himself, and he hoped he would never have to. It was clear that there was a deep history there, but Jay figured it was better not to ask questions. Supposedly the creatures were locked up in tombs hidden all across Ninjago. Jay had heard enough bedtime stories in his youth to know what bad news they were.

"Might I remind you," Master Wu said testily. "That we won that war. My brother has already defeated us both before, it would be foolish to underestimate him again."

Clouse took a step forward. "Master, I would also remind you that we have agreed to eliminate Garmadon's ninja from the tournament as quickly as possible. Yet only two of our fighters are scheduled to face his ninja. If Garmadon is coming, it may be wise to expedite the process."

"Yes, I was thinking the same thing," Master Wu said, agreeing with Clouse for what Jay thought had to be the first time ever. "You're wasting time, Chen, time that neither of us have."

Clouse held out a hand that was wreathed in purple wisps of magic. "I beg you, let me use my sorcery to put an end to this."

Chen smiled in spite of Wu's scolding. "We'll use your magic in time, but not now. Not when there are other ways of whittling them down. You may have confidence in your students, Wu, but I don't." Jay frowned, and he saw Kai and Cole tense as they exchanged a look. "Perhaps it's time to switch things up!"

Then Master Chen laughed to himself with a lack of sanity that Jay didn't find very reassuring, and he had to wonder just what Chen had planned for Nya and her friends.

Chapter Text

Evening had fallen by the time Seliel and her friends returned to the guest hall. They were surprised to find that most of the remaining fighters were clustered around the golden roster. 

"What's all the fuss about?" Seliel wondered aloud. She came up behind the crowd and, to her surprise, they parted to let her through. Some of them were grinning in a haughty sort of way, and when Seliel reached the golden board, she could see why. 

Someone had been messing with the brackets. The images had been moved around and now it showed that Nya and Pixal were scheduled to fight next. 

"What?" Nya exclaimed, outraged. "What happened? Pixal and I were never supposed to fight!"

"This has to be a joke," Seliel said. "He can't switch it up like that when the tournament's already started!" The other fighters were drifting away now, and Seliel wished they would wipe those smug grins off their faces. They thought they were safe, but they had no idea what was really at stake.

"He can and he did," Skylor said solemnly. "It's his tournament, his rules."

"Is there a problem, ninja?" Seliel whipped around at the sound of Clouse's voice.

"This isn't fair!" Seliel shouted. "You can't just change the brackets like that, it's cheating!"

Clouse chuckled darkly, as if it were some kind of practical joke. "Oopsie."

He turned away and Seliel had the urge to grab him from behind and throttle him. She really, really didn't like that guy.

Skylor crossed her arms, head down. "This is just like my dad, to change things at the last minute. I'm so sorry you guys."

"Apology is unnecessary," Pixal assured her. "You had nothing to do with this.  We came here to stop Chen, it was only inevitable that he would target us eventually."

"But we haven't even done anything!" Seliel argued. She shook her head. "We have to stop this. I won't let you guys fight each other. We're a team!" 

"There's nothing we can do," Skylor argued. "It's his tournament. Whatever he says goes."

Seliel wasn't going to accept that. It was obvious Master Chen had it out for them. Whoever lost this fight would lose her powers, not to mention be separated from the team. Seliel had to wonder if that had been Chen's goal all along, to remove Skylor from her friends one by one.

"Okay, hold on," Nya held her hands out, placating. "The fight isn't for another few hours, right? So we still have time to find Chen's staff and put an end to all of this."

"That is a very narrow time limit," Pixal said. "We haven't even seen the staff once. Probability of success –"

Nya pointed at Pixal. "Never tell me the odds! We still have time, we can do this!"

Seliel agreed with Nya, but Pixal also made a fair point. They would need a way to find out where the staff was hidden, but only Chen would know where it was.

What they needed was a way to get inside his head . . .

Seliel snapped her fingers. "I've got it!"

"A plan?" Nya asked hopefully.

"Oh, yeah! Skylor, it's time for you to work your magic."

Seliel crouched in the shadows of the palace square. Crickets were chirping loudly and, despite the lack of sun, it was still rather warm. The moon was waning and the night was dark, so staying hidden wasn't going to be too hard. It was catching the element of surprise that was the trickiest part.

They had found Neuro sitting atop a boulder on one side of the square, deep in concentration. Seliel was positioned to the right of him, keeping enough distance that she hoped he wouldn't detect her. Skylor and Nya were elsewhere, but Pixal was just now approaching him. They had decided as a group that Pixal would be the best choice to speak with him, because she would have an easier time focusing her thoughts.

She didn't bother announcing herself, because there was no need. "Might I speak with you, Master Neuro?"

Indeed, he was already probing her mind for answers of his own. His back was turned as he said, "You think I can read the dark ninja's minds and help you gain an advantage in the tournament." 

"Precisely. You see –"

"You're at war with them over the protection of Ninjago and you think I'm obligated to help you for the greater good."

"You seem to understand my dilemma perfectly. So what is your answer?"

Neuro turned to look down at her, but his expression was cold. At the same time, Seliel could see Skylor creeping out of the shadows behind him. Seliel silently stepped forward, knowing that Nya was doing the same on his other side. They were slowly closing in.

"Why would I help you?" he asked, which was more or less what Seliel had predicted he would say. "Being your ally would only put a target on my back. I would rather keep my distance while your two teams take each other out. Where are your friends, anyway? Do they know you're asking for outside help?"

"I came alone," Pixal lied.

Neuro was silent for a moment. Skylor was close now, reaching out with one hand to touch him.

"I'm impressed," Neuro said. "You seem to really believe that." Neuro reached back and caught Skylor's hand. She let out a cry of shock as he yanked her arm at an awkward angle. Seliel tensed, preparing herself. "Your teammates, however, aren't as committed to the same story."

Skylor struggled under the grip of his gloved hand. "Fine, you caught me."

Neuro let her go and hopped off his seat on the boulder, and in the same breath, Seliel snapped from her hiding place. But when she materialized, he had already moved. She reached out to grab him and he swiftly stepped to the side, and then Nya crashed into her and they both hit the hard stone ground.

"Nice try," Neuro said. "But one distraction isn't enough. A true Master of the Mind can hear many thoughts at once."

Seliel pushed herself to her feet. "It was worth a try," she grumbled.

"Why ask for my help if you planned on stealing my element anyway?"

"Because this isn't really about a personal rivalry," Skylor began to explain, much to Seliel's dismay. "It's about much more. We didn't think you would want to help us, but we're desperate." She sighed. "And maybe what we need right now is trust instead of more deception."

Neuro put one hand to his temple and closed his eyes to search her thoughts.

This was not part of the plan. Seliel didn't trust anyone else to know about the staff or the spell. What if he decided he wanted the power for himself? But she glanced at Nya and Pixal, remembering how desperate they were, and decided that Skylor may have been right. It might be the only option they had left.

"There's more to this tournament than winning," Skylor said aloud. "My father is stealing powers to perform a spell that will make him invincible." She was really leaving it all out in the open. There was probably no point trying to hide anything from Neuro. "There are lives at stake, all of Ninjago in fact, including yourself. My father won't let anybody win, and it's only a matter of time before you lose your powers, too."

Neuro hummed thoughtfully and lowered his hand.

"We just need information," Seliel explained quickly. "If you're subtle, Chen will never have to know that you helped us."

Skylor nodded. "If you can just find out where my father is hiding his staff, we can put an end to this."

"And prevent your friends from having to fight each other," Neuro clarified.

"And prevent my father from taking anyone else's powers," Skylor said in return.

Seliel tensed, waiting for Neuro to think it over. Finally, he nodded. "I'm in."

Cole had wondered what Master Chen planned for Garmadon's ninja, but in the end, switching the brackets didn't weigh much on his conscience. This way, they could achieve their goal much faster. At least now one of the girls was guaranteed to lose. Then Chen could take her powers, and they would have one less opponent. It wouldn't be long until the match started.

Cole and his team had arrived at the arena early and were loitering around in the stands while more of the audience trickled in and waited for the match to start. But then Cole spotted Clouse approaching and nudged his brothers to get their attention. They straightened up as Clouse reached them, and Cole wondered what it was that Chen wanted from them now.

"Ninja, it seems that the Elemental Master of Mind is snooping around the arena where he shouldn't. Take care of him, won't you? I have . . . other matters to attend to." His smirk indicated otherwise, but they couldn't exactly argue with him. Cole got the feeling that Clouse simply found joy in bossing people around the way his master did to him all day.

Cole nodded. "Sure, we'll get right on that." But he waited until Clouse had left. Then he nodded to the others. "Come on. Looks like we gotta take care of Chen's messes for him."

"Ugh, that is so not fair," Jay said. "I thought we were trying to make sure that no one suspected us of working together. "

Cole shrugged. "Chen can't afford letting people suspect him of deception, either. C'mon, we'll be subtle." Cole led them into the prohibited section of the arena and found Neuro slinking through the hallways. He was just about to enter Chen's dressing room when Cole called out to him, "Hey, Neuro!"

Neuro tensed and slowly turned to them.

Cole did his best to appear friendly as they approached. He stopped in front of Neuro, but the other three drifted to his side and behind him, so he was practically surrounded. "Hey, you know this place is off limits, right?"

Neuro's gaze darted around. "I could say the same to you."

"That's Kai's sister in the ring," Cole said,nodding to the fire ninja. "We were allowed back here before the fight, but we were just leaving now."

Neuro gave him an odd look, and Cole was wary of his mind reading powers. How exactly did one hide something from a mind-reader? Cole just tried to stay focused on what he was saying and nothing else. At least it really was Kai's sister fighting. 

"Master Chen does not like unexpected guests." Zane stated as he moved between Neuro and the door to the dressing room, so that all paths were blocked except the exit. "Perhaps it is time for all of us to leave." 

"Give him some space, Zane," Cole said. "If he wants to talk to Master Chen, he can. I'm sure he has a good reason to be trespassing."

"Actually, I was just leaving," Neuro said quickly.

"I'm sure you are, Nerdo," Jay said. Neuro frowned, but was clearly in no position to correct him.

He just nodded and stepped away. "I guess I'll see you around, then." He hesitated for a moment more, then finally turned to leave.

"Phew," Jay sighed when he was out of earshot. "That was close. You think he's suspicious?"

Kai narrowed his eyes at Neuro's retreating form. "He's the Master of Mind. He may know more than he lets on."

"I don't think we need to worry," Cole reassured them. Neuro was no fool, and Cole didn't have to be a mind-reader to see that he had a healthy sense of self-preservation. "I have a feeling it won't be too hard to keep him from talking."

Chapter Text

Nya and Pixal's match was to be held in a more traditional style of stadium. The wide stone arena was surrounded on all sides by the audience overlooking them. A single pole stood at the center with a Jadeblade perched on top. There was a full audience in the stands, with Master Chen and his throne at the head. It almost looked as if he had invited his entire waitstaff to watch the fight.

The competitors had been placed in alcoves on one side of the arena until it was time to begin. Pixal sat like a prisoner behind the barred door, doing a meditation of sorts. She was running through all the potential ways this could go and trying to find the best possible outcome. Skylor stood outside her door, waiting impatiently for Neuro to return and give them some good news. Seliel was over with Nya. 

As for Lloyd, they had left him in Skylor's room with plenty of food and plenty of threats. Pixal at least felt better knowing that Master Chen had brought the majority of his followers out for this fight. For tonight, all attention was on the girls. 

The match was scheduled to begin any moment now, and Pixal had already resigned herself to fighting. The fact was, someone was going to have to lose tonight, and although it was clear to Pixal who that would have to be, she also knew that Master Chen would not be satisfied with surrender.

Skylor, too, seemed to have realized how hopeless it was, but she still perked up when Neuro came running towards them.

"Way to leave it until the last minute," she said, voice laced with frustration. "What did you find?"

"I'm sorry, I wasn't able to get to Chen. I couldn't get past the other ninja."

Skylor's eyes widened. "What?"

"They caught me before I could get to Chen and wouldn't leave me alone until I left. I tried probing their minds, but I didn't have time to see much. What I did find out is that they aren't here by accident. They're in league with Chen somehow, and I think they may even know about the staff."

Pixal's eyes widened. She looked to Skylor, and she could see that they had come to the same conclusion.

"Of course!" Skylor said, half to herself. "I should have known they'd be working together. No wonder my father wants to get rid of us."

"That must be why they came to the tournament," Pixal said. "If Master Chen takes away our elements –"

"Then we can't stand in their way," Skylor finished.

"I'm sorry it's not enough to stop the fight," Neuro said. "I wish I could have done more."

Skylor put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. You've done what you could." Skylor met Seliel's gaze across the arena and shook her head. There was no getting out of this. Despite what they knew now, they still couldn't keep Pixal and Nya from fighting

Pixal got to her feet. "Don't worry, Skylor. This was inevitable. You know better than anyone how much power your father has here."

"But what are we going to do? It won't stop after tonight. If he really is helping Wu, then he'll do whatever it takes until we're all out. One of you will have to lose, and then what will happen? What if he makes us fight each other again?"

"Then you must keep fighting until only one of you is left," Pixal answered. "Then whoever is left standing will have to do everything she can to stop Master Chen. At least, being captured may provide us with a better chance to learn more from the inside and find the staff."

Skylor gazed at her intently through the bars, and Pixal realized t hat she must have picked up on her word choice. "Are you sure about this?"

Pixal nodded. 

Skylor sighed. "Just . . . be careful. Whatever you think, you're important to the team, and you're important to Nya and Seliel and I. We don't want to lose Nya either, but it's between you two who goes."

Pixal lowered her eyes for a moment. When she met Skylor's gaze again, she said, "Thank you. You are all very important to me, too."

"I won't let this happen again," Skylor promised. "I'll find a way to stop my father, and we'll all be together again soon."

Skylor looked like she wanted to say more, but at that moment, the bars which stood between them began lowering into the ground and Chen's anthem played through the arena. The fight was about to begin.

Skylor and Seliel and Neuro were forced to leave the arena and join the audience to watch. For a fleeting moment, Pixal couldn't help but entertain fanciful thoughts, wishing that Garmadon had been able to reach them in time. But maybe not even he could have found a way to stop this.

“Let the tournament continue!” Master Chen declared to the excited clamoring of the audience. “Pixal, Master of Magnetism versus Nya, Master of Water.”

Pixal slowly made her way out of the alcove, ready to defend herself. Nya was doing the same on the other side.

“Fight!”

Even when Chen gave the signal, they hesitated. But Pixal knew Nya well enough to know she wasn’t going to attack first, so Pixal had to make the first move.

She lunged at Nya with a flying punch, which Nya narrowly avoided. She clearly hadn’t expected such a fierce attack, and Pixal kept her on her toes. Nya tried to retaliate, but she was missing easy openings, holding back. 

“Fight, Nya!” Pixal encouraged her. “Chen will not be satisfied unless we fight!”

Nya swerved away from each strike. “I can’t fight you, you’re my friend!”

Pixal paused for a moment, fists raised. “It’s just like a sparring match. You can defeat me if you try.”

A hint of a smile was visible beneath Nya's mask. "Easier said than done. You sound like you want me to win."

"I want you to try!" Another kick sent Nya sprawling on her back. Pixal had already decided how important it was for Nya to win instead of her, but it needed to be real. If either of them simply surrendered, Chen would be liable to throw a fit and kick them both out.

Nya got to her hands and knees and took a deep breath. She whirled around and summoned a jet of water that pushed Pixal back, making her stumble. From above, the audience cheered again, now that the fight was in full swing.

Good girl, Pixal thought. She barely had time to block as Nya followed up with a barrage of punches and kicks. Pixal dodged them and then flipped backwards to escape. She used her element to fling a knife from her belt, this time wide enough that Nya could easily roll a way. She faced Pixal and they both stood still, squaring each other up, Nya catching her breath.

But then Nya dropped her fists. “I can’t do this,” she said. “I can’t fight you. It’s one thing when we’re training, but the stakes here are high. Whoever loses now loses her element. I don’t want to be responsible for that."

“We have no choice, we cannot both win.”

Nya stood up straight and crossed her arms. “Then you win. But I’m sick of fighting against people I care about. Wu’s already turned my brother against me, I won’t let Chen turn us against each other, too.”

Pixal threw a wary gaze up at Master Chen. “I know how you must feel,” she said carefully. “But I have to lose. It’s better this way.”

“No it’s not! We’re a team, and that means no one is more important than the others.”

Pixal shook her head. “Think about it: If I’m captured, I’ll presumably be closer to the inner workings of the tournament,” she reasoned. “I have tools that could help me break out and find the staff. I’m built with abilities that Master Chen can’t take away. But you, Nya, you’ll be able to help the most from here in the tournament. Now that we know he's after us, you and Skylor and Seliel have to look out for each other.”

There was turmoil written in Nya’s expression. She knew that Pixal was right, even if she didn’t want to admit it.

But then Master Chen's voice rang out over the arena, "Release the Condrai Crushers!" Just as Pixal feared, Chen had grown bored at the lack of entertainment, and was trying to make things more 'interesting.'

The audience's shouts swelled as a large set of red double doors opened on one side of the arena and two vehicles shot out. They were snake shaped, as all things had to be on this island, with glowing eyes and sharp teeth on the front, trailing long, spiked tails at the back. Pixal noted the blades spinning on either side of the "heads," sharp enough to slice through any ninja, human or android. Two more vehicles appeared and soon Pixal and Nya were back-to-back, surrounded by the Condrai Crushers slowly inching closer as they drove around them.

“We’re going to do this together,” Nya said. “And show that snake-loving bully that he can’t tear us apart!”

Pixal didn't think it would do any good, but at the moment they had no choice. One of the cars veered towards them. Nya and Pixal used Spinjitzu to dodge out of the way. The driver missed and crashed into the into the edge of the arena and was launched out of his seat, slamming into the wall as well. Foolish guard. Clearly he hadn't been wearing a seatbelt.

Pixal faced another car that was coming around and raised her arms. With her element she lifted it into the air, then sent it flying into a third car. They rammed into each other and exploded into a puff of smoke and flames.

"Lookout!"

Pixal hadn't noticed the fourth car charging toward her, until Nya leapt between them and sprayed it with a deluge of water that built up under the tires and made it skid off-track. As the driver hastily tried to swerve back to his target, the vehicle tilted and rolled across the ground, finally coming to a halt on its side.

"Yes!" Nya turned to Pixal, grinning beneath her mask. "We did it!"

But Pixal better than to get excited. They were fighting together instead of against one another, and Master Chen –

"Enough!" Pixal turned to see Chen, standing furious above the ring. "I know what you are trying to do. If neither of you will win, then both of you will lose!"

Nya and Pixal exchanged the same, fearful glance. Now this was definitely what Pixal had been trying to avoid. Why couldn't her teammates ever listen to reason?

Chen began mashing the buttons on his throne and pieces of the floor fell away into a black abyss under the arena. The audience yelled with excitement as the two girls had to leap away to safety. Sections where they had been standing moments before fell away into nothingness. Pixal hopped from one area to the next, looking for anywhere that was still safe and narrowly avoiding the fall as the ground slowly crumbled beneath her feet. She couldn't even see what lay beneath, only darkness in the depths of the island.

As she nimbly landed on a piece of the still-stable part of the floor, a glint of light caught her eye. She looked to the Jadeblade which remained atop the pole, waiting for a victor to claim it.

“We cannot both lose!” Pixal called out to Nya. “Master Chen is right, there can only be one.”

“But we can’t let him win!” Nya protested. “There has to be another way!”

Pixal was growing tired of Nya's obstinate behavior. Her mind was already made up. As soon as she had seen her image next to her friend's on the roster, she had known what had to happen.

“There is no other way,” she said. Instead of running from Master Chen’s traps, she sat on the ground and crossed her legs. She met Nya’s dismayed gaze across the gap forming between them. “Take the Jadeblade, Nya. I know it feels like Master Chen has beaten us, but sometimes we must lose the battle in order to win the war. We are not turning against each other, we are working together to win the only fight that really matters.”

Nya’s pained expression touched Pixal, and she was glad to know how much her friends really did care for her.

"I'm sorry," Nya said. Pixal wanted to reassure her, but Nya leapt over yawning spaces in the floor toward the Jadeblade. At any moment, the ground would drop under Pixal, for one reason or another. In little time, Nya scaled the pole but Pixal saw her hesitate at the top.

Be strong, Nya, Pixal urged her from afar.

Nya snatched the blade from its perch, and the crowd cheered. She stared at the blade for a moment, then looked to Pixal. She'd done what she had to. Pixal nodded to her, satisfied.

"Winner!" Chen declared.

Pixal got to her feet as the ground became steady again.

"Loser! Master of Water moves on," Chen said, obviously glad just to have a victor.

Pixal turned to Nya as she dropped back to the ground. “You couldn’t have stopped this Nya. Don’t blame yourself.” Pixal smiled. “And rest assured, we’re always on the same team.”

Then ground beneath Pixal dropped. She didn't scream, she could only prepare herself for whatever came next, for whatever destiny had hidden for her in the darkness beneath the island.

Chapter Text

Kai couldn't help but be relieved when Nya's match was over. He had been on the edge of his seat, knowing what Chen had in store for her if she lost. He had been telling himself over and over again that Nya would be better off if she lost her elemental power, but watching her in the fight, he still couldn't help the concern that he felt for his little sister. Kai couldn't stand watching her be threatened by Master Chen and his silly game. Taking her out of the feud was one thing, but her being captured by a madman like Chen was another. Kai liked him less and less every day.

But even though she had won today, Nya wouldn't be safe for long. She had to lose eventually, Kai knew. He found himself feeling torn between his master and his sister. But he couldn't possibly protect both. He could only wish that Nya had chosen differently.

Since the match ended with the android girl sacrificing herself, the tone had shifted and a silent reverence fell over Zane. Kai didn't get why, but it was clear that Zane had a thing for her. He supposed there really was someone for everyone. Kai just hoped he wasn't so obvious when it came to Skylor.

Cole was now leading them back to the guest hall, saying something about their plans for tomorrow. Kai wasn't really paying attention, he was still focused on Nya. So far she avoided him throughout the tournament, but if he got a chance to talk to her, to really talk to her, maybe he could make her see things his way, and then she wouldn't have to be part of Chen's plot anymore.

As they passed through the square, his concentration was broken when a soft "Psst!" caught his attention. He looked up and saw a blaze of red hair peeking out from behind a tree.

"Psst!"

Kai got the message. "Uh, hey, you guys go on ahead," he said to his friends. "It's a nice night, I think I'll just stay out a little longer."

Cole stopped in his tracks. "No way, we've still got to talk about tomorrow. Zane and I have fights coming up. And there's still a lot we don't know." Kai knew that he was referring to Master Chen, but didn't dare say anything out loud in case someone overheard.

"Well, I've already won my match," Kai argued. "So I don't really need to be there, do I?"

"It's a team meeting, Kai. Everyone needs to know what's going on."

Come on, man! Kai knew he couldn't be honest with Cole, he had to find some way to get out of this. "Give me five minutes. I just need a little fresh air." He hesitated. "Nya's fight just got me a little rattled."

Cole sighed. "Don't be long. We'll wait for you."

Kai waved as they walked off. "Yeah, okay, I got it! See ya!" As soon as they were out of sight, he cast a glance over the square to see who else was around. There were a few stragglers still coming back from the match, but it looked like everyone was heading straight for the sleeping quarters. It was getting pretty late.

Kai casually took a few steps toward the tree.

"Not too cold out for you?" Skylor asked as she stepped out and leaned against the trunk.

Kai chuckled nervously. "Right. Sorry about last night. I, uh –"

"I know you were trying to hide something. You're a terrible liar." She nodded in the direction his teammates had gone. "Your friends probably suspect that you're up to something, too. I won't ask any questions, though. We've both got secrets to keep."

"Thanks, I guess. Um, I'm sorry about your friend losing, by the way."

Skylor's eyes narrowed. "No you're not," she retorted. "This is what you wanted all along, right? To get us kicked out of the tournament so one of you could win it."

Maybe she was half right, but it wasn't like Kai could tell her that. She couldn't know about the staff or the spell or their alliance with Chen or any of it. But he meant what he said. "No really, I am. If it wasn't for your friend, Nya would have lost instead."

Skylor opened her mouth to say something, then thought better of it. "Forget it. Every time we talk about the tournament, it just makes things worse."

"Then . . . what did you want?" Kai asked. "You were the one who called me, remember?"

Skylor took a step towards him. "Nothing in particular. I just wanted to talk."

"Really?" A small ember of hope burned in Kai's chest, but he was wary. He remembered what they had heard, that she could absorb and replicate powers. "What's wrong with talking on the balcony?" he asked.

She shrugged and took another step closer. "Why not here? The balconies are too far apart, don't you think?"

He might have agreed with her under different circumstances. But as she reached out a hand to touch his shoulder, he jerked away. Almost immediately she followed up with a punch. He cut her off with one arm, only touching her sleeve, and shoved her backwards.

Kai smirked in spite of himself. "Nice try, but I know what you can do. You're not getting my element."

"I'm impressed," Skylor said with a smile.

"Thanks. You're pretty quick yourself."

"I try." She kicked him in the stomach. He yelped and doubled over in pain, and she tried to grab his arm again. He had to roll sideways to avoid her. When he got back to his feet, Skylor charged and he barely had time to dodge as she ran past him. He elbowed her in the back, and Skylor collapsed on the ground.

Kai gasped and realized that he might have been a little too harsh. "Ah, I'm so sorry, are you okay?" He had gotten caught up in trying to defend himself and had forgotten to hold back.

But Skylor shot back up a moment later with a wide kick. He barely managed to step back in time, but then she struck at him over and over again and there was nothing he could do but duck and dodge out of reach.

"I could do this all day," he lied, feigning confidence.

"So could I," she said, and he almost believed her.

"You're not too bad for a ninja trained by Garmadon."

She smiled and finally took a step back. "Was that a compliment?"

Kai tugged on his gloves, wishing he wasn't so vulnerable. Without sleeves on his gi, it was a lot harder than it should have been to avoid her. "Don't let it go to your head. I'd say I'm still leagues above you."

Skylor scoffed. "Think again. I've been training longer than you have."

He wouldn't be surprised, seeing as she was the best fighter out of all of Garmadon's students. Her family must have an impressive fighting history. "But everybody knows that I'm the best ninja around. Just wait until I win the tournament."

"You're not that great!" Skylor leapt forward, but Kai ducked again and tried to take the offensive. "You're fast, but you're sloppy," she said as she ducked under his punch. "Even your defensive moves are poorly thought out – your guard is terrible." His eyes widened right before she landed a straight kick to his side.

"Oof!" Kai stumbled.

Skylor watched him with a smile, one hand on her hip. "You should be more careful."

Kai rubbed his side. "Okay, you may be right. Master Wu does say that a lot. But you've got your flaws too, you know."

Skylor narrowed her eyes. "Oh yeah? Like what?"

"You're too predictable." A moment of confusion crossed her face before he shot forward and his fist nearly grazed her cheek. Skylor almost lost her footing when she dodged, but the moment passed and she retaliated.

It did nothing to disprove Kai's point, though. He blocked and evaded every move. Skylor was shouting as she put all the strength she could muster behind her punches, but Kai saw each one coming. He caught her by one wrist, then the other, holding her in place. Skylor tried to wrestle herself free, but Kai wouldn't let go.

He flashed a teasing smile. "Like I said: Predictable."

For a moment, Skylor just looked surprised. Then she tugged him forward and before he knew it, her lips were firmly pressed against his. Kai tensed and felt his face flush – he was so startled that the jerked away without thinking. Then he just stared at her, wide-eyed and shocked. He wanted to say something, but for all his wit and charm, he couldn't find the words.

"That'll teach you to call me predictable," she said. Kai's hands had gone slack without realizing and Skylor slipped out of his grasp. He took a hasty step back, still on guard.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you." She seemed annoyed as she took her gloves out of her pocket, and Kai realized that he had given her the wrong impression. "Look, I'm putting my gloves back on. No danger, okay?"

Kai struggled to find something he could say. He wasn't angry or even displeased, he was just . . . confused. He liked her but, well, they barely knew each other. Wasn't this only the third conversation they'd ever had? And yet . . .

She was turning away.

"Wait!" He couldn't let her leave yet, not without explaining himself. "I'm sorry, I just – I didn't know . . . I mean I hoped but . . . what I mean is . . ." He cleared his dry throat. "I guess I underestimated you. But I didn't really mean what I said, you're not predictable. You're not like any girl I've met before."

He could see the ghost of a smile on her lips. "Thanks for the fight, Hotshot. I'll see you around." She ran off in the direction of the guest hall, and just like that, Kai was left standing alone, mystified, in the square.

And he was none the wiser.

Chapter Text

The boys were grouped in Kai's room again, and once Kai had returned from his break outside, Cole immediately went to business. But Zane was having trouble focusing as Cole and Jay discussed their plans. He couldn't stop thinking about Pixal, trapped beneath the island.

Had Master Chen already taken her element? What would he do with her afterwards? Chen hadn't told them what he planned to do with the losers, even after taking their elemental power away. It wasn't their business to know. But Zane doubted that the defeated masters would be released, especially since none of them had been seen since losing their respective battles.

Zane wondered if it wouldn't hurt to ask Master Chen about it. Maybe he could even convince him to let Pixal go. After all, without her element, she couldn't be much of a threat anymore.

"Zane!"

The Ice Ninja met his leader's gaze, ashamed at being caught off guard again. "I'm sorry, I –"

"What is up with you, man? I know you're distant sometimes, but you're usually more vigilant when we're on a mission."

Zane's eyes flitted to the floor. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"I sure hope not." Jay nudged Cole and nodded to the Fire Ninja, who also seemed to have his head in the clouds. "You, too, Kai."

Kai jumped at the mention of his name. "Sorry, what?"

Jay rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on! Cole and I can't do this by ourselves! Couldn't you at least pretend to be interested?"

"Zane you've been acting funny all day. But Kai, you were fine before the fight. You just started acting different after you came back from the square. What happened while you were out there?"

"I . . . um . . . well . . ."

"Kai," Cole said, his tone edged with warning.

Kai hesitated before blurting out, "I ran into Skylor, okay? She tried to get my elemental power, but I didn't let her. That's it, honestly."

Zane wasn't quite ready to believe him. He was acting too strange. His lack of focus, the glazed look in his eye, the small smile that would appear for just a moment . . .

Cole seemed to come to his conclusion at the same time that Zane did. "You kissed her, didn't you?" he said accusingly.

Kai's eyes widened and he opened his mouth as if to deny it, but he could only stammer over his own words.

Zane's blood went cold. If Kai had kissed Skylor then . . .

"I'm right aren't I?" Cole said. "Kai, what were you thinking!"

Kai immediately turned defensive. "I don't see why it matters to you. You're the leader, that doesn't mean I have to ask your permission before I kiss a girl!"

Cole pinched the bridge of his nose. "She absorbs powers by touching you," he said slowly. "Didn't you stop to think that maybe she was just using you?"

Realization gradually dawn on Kai's face. "She kissed me!" was all he could manage as justification.

Zane couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Kai! I have to fight her tomorrow!"

Kai's eyes bugged. "What? Since when?"

"Since this entire time!" Jay cut in. "Did you even look at the roster?"

"And now it's fire against ice," Zane said. "How am I supposed to beat fire with ice?"

Kai groaned and hid his face in his hands. "I'm such an idiot!"

"This is just great!" Jay said, throwing his hands in the air. "Now Zane's going to get kicked out, and we'll be right back where we started! Three of us against three of them!"

"Hold on, who says Zane's going to lose?" Cole asked.

"Have you seen that girl fight?" Jay asked. "She's good, like, really good! Zane doesn't stand a chance!"

Zane didn't like how certain Jay was. "Now hang on a minute –"

"Okay, that's enough." Cole ordered. "Everybody just calm down. Nobody's going to lose. Zane can practice against Kai and maybe figure something out. I still expect you to win, got it?"

Zane nodded. Of course he expected himself to win, as well. Unlike Jay, he wasn't about to give up just because it looked bleak. Even if Kai did completely ruin everything.

"And both of you, try to stay focused. No more 'distractions.'"

"What about Chen?" Jay asked.

"Chen can wait," Cole said. "Our first mission is to defeat the other ninja, and right now this new development is our top priority."

Kai had his head in his hands. "I'm sorry, Zane. This is all my fault."

Zane sighed and tried to focus on forgiveness. "You didn't do it on purpose. She tricked you, I'm sure."

"I swear, I didn't even have time to react, she just –argh!"

"Yeah, well, it's not going to happen again, is it?" Cole asked. Kai simply shook his head.

Zane felt for him, but he was more worried about himself. Skylor had so far proven to be a crafty opponent. He only hoped that he would be smart enough to defeat her.

Nya and Seliel had met in Skylor's room after the match. Surprisingly enough, Skylor was the only one who wasn't there yet. Seliel was pacing in one corner of the room while Nya was sparring with Lloyd.

Seliel had already told her about what Skylor had learned from Neuro, just before the round had started: Wu's ninja had been working together with Master Chen this entire time. The fight had been orchestrated as part of their plot to remove the girls from the tournament and take their elements. Despite what Pixal had said, Nya still felt like Chen was the only one who was really winning right now.

Nya still had plenty of energy left over from her match, so she was helping Lloyd get some practice in. She knew that she was really just avoiding thinking about Pixal, but she didn't want to have to consider what had happened to her, or how it was all Nya's fault that she had let Pixal sacrifice herself. Nya felt like she should have been able to do something. She felt that even though they had all worked as a team to do keep the fight from happening, they clearly hadn't tried hard enough. If they had, then Pixal would still be there with them. What kind of ninja was Nya if she couldn't even protect her own friends, let alone the entire world?

Lloyd punched Nya's arm, rousing her from her thoughts. "Ha! Gotcha!"

Nya ducked and swept his legs out from under him, landing him on his back. "Gloating gets you nowhere, Green Bean."

Lloyd jumped back up with a resilience that Nya had to admire. "Try it again! I'm paying attention this time!"

"Okay. Ready?" But just to throw him off, Nya faked a punch to his head before ducking down again. Still, Lloyd avoided both maneuvers, leaping so that she missed him this time. Nya stood up. "Well done. You catch on pretty quick."

"Quick enough to be in the tournament?" Lloyd asked hopefully.

"Keep dreaming."

Lloyd shrugged. He knew it was a long shot.

The door finally opened, and Skylor entered wearing a big grin.

Seliel whirled around. "Finally! Some big stuff's been happening, in case you didn't notice. What were you doing that was so important?"

"Oh, nothing much." Skylor strolled over to her bed and flopped down on top of it. "Just securing my victory for tomorrow." She snapped her fingers and ignited a small flame.

Nya and Seliel gasped.

"Cooool!" Lloyd ran over for a closer look.

"You got Kai's element?"

"But how?"

Skylor shrugged. "For a fire ninja, your brother's not that bright. Not a bad kisser, though."

Lloyd pretended to gag. "Gross-gusting!"

Nya's mouth fell open, and she almost thought she hadn't heard right. "You – you what?"

Skylor was still smiling smugly, as if she had just won a bet, not kissed Nya's traitor of a brother. "I'm all set for tomorrow. And Garmadon and Misako should get here before my fight, so I guess you two can leave now. Meeting adjourned."

"No," Nya seethed, feeling betrayed all over again. "Meeting not adjourned."

"Nya's right, this isn't okay," Seliel said, only slightly calmer. "Sky, you can't go around making out with our enemies."

"Look, I was half joking," Skylor said. "I barely kissed him, I guess I just surprised him too much. It was just enough to absorb his element."

"Okay, this is getting weird," Lloyd said, moving to the other side of the room. "I'll be over here."

"Don't go outside," the girls said in unison, and Lloyd rolled his eyes.

Nya turned back to Skylor. "Of all the ninja, you just had to pick my brother."

"Oh, come on, it's fire against ice. What element do you expect me to go for?"

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," Nya said, her anger at Kai bubbling over and spilling onto Skylor. "You've been flirting with him ever since this whole thing started. Even when you're not talking you're . . .lookingat each other from a distance, smiling and giggling and –" Nya could barely contain herself. How could Skylor sit there and act like nothing was wrong? "Have you forgotten what he did to me? He betrayed his own family! And now, we've lost Pixal because of him and his friends!"

Skylor sat up, finally looking slightly ashamed.

"This isn't a game," Seliel said more gently. "If you're not more careful, you could really get hurt."

"Whatever," Skylor mumbled. "I won't lose tomorrow, that's all that matters."

Seliel sighed and tried to change the subject. "What about Pixal?"

"She seemed to think that she'd have a better chance of locating the staff after getting captured," Nya said, kneading her forehead.

"There's nothing we can do for her now," Skylor said. "Once my dad takes away her element, she'll be put to work in his factory. If we tried to break her free before we're ready, I guarantee that we would just be captured along with her. Pixal's a tough girl, I'm sure she'll be okay."

Seliel huffed. "Fine. But sooner or later, Chen's going to pay for this."

Now their meeting was finally over, and Nya rapidly made her way back to her room. She wasn't just angry with Skylor for kissing her brother, she was mad that she could be so flippant about her actions. Didn't she realize how much Nya had been hurt by Kai? Didn't she care? What could Skylor possibly see in him that could make him worthy of her attention after everything he'd done? Everything he was still doing?

Nya realized that a part of her was fearful for Skylor as well. Seliel was right, if Skylor wasn't careful, Kai might end up hurting her, too.

Nya hesitated just outside the door to her room. Their mission had started out so simple: stop Master Chen from becoming an all-powerful snake monster. So when had things become so complicated?

"Hey, Nya!"

Not him again.

Nya turned to glare at the blue ninja walking towards her. What was he doing out so late? They were probably having their own team meeting, gloating about their victory of Pixal's defeat.

"I just wanted to say –"

Nya didn't give him the chance to say anything. She went into her room, slamming the door behind her. She felt no guilt, just anger. Why couldn't these guys leave her and her friends alone?

Nya leaned against her door and took a deep breath, listening to the trickling wall fountain in her room. She vowed that she would do whatever it took to win this, one way another. She would fight her hardest and hope she was strong enough to protect her friends. And hope her friends were wise enough to make the right choices.

Chapter Text

Morning came and Skylor was on her way to get some breakfast for herself and Lloyd. She was still thinking about everything that had happened last night. Part of her didn't understand why Nya was so upset. What business was it of her friends who she liked? Maybe Kai had done some bad things, but maybe he was just misguided. He didn't really seem like such a bad guy. Besides, hadn't Skylor been on the wrong side at one time, too?

"Skylor!"

She froze at the sound of someone calling her name, whispered in secret. Skylor looked at the shadows around the square for the source of the voice. Then she spotted a familiar gray head crouching in the shadows of a narrow pathway between two buildings. She hurried over as the head ducked back into cover.

Garmadon and Misako were waiting when she crept into the walkway. "You're here!" she exclaimed, a smile breaking across her face. Then she thought to herself, I've really got to stop having these secret meetings with people.

"Skylor, how are you? Is everyone alright?" Garmadon's tone was urgent, but she was surprised that he didn't seem very angry.

"Thank goodness you've come, we could really use your help. We've already lost Pixal."

"What?"

"Last night my dad changed the matches to make Nya and Pixal fight each other. Pixal sacrificed herself so that she could find the staff." Skylor sighed and looked away. "Honestly . . . I'm starting to think that it was a mistake to bring them all here. We've done okay so far, but Dad will do whatever it takes to make sure we lose . . ." Skylor trailed off as Garmadon put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"It wasn't your choice to bring them, Skylor. It was their choice to come. Nya, Pixal, and Seliel knew the risks, and they decided to fight anyway."

"It's not easy doing the right thing," Misako added. "But we believe that you four have the power to stop Chen together."

"I hope you're right," Skylor looked up at her sensei again, pushing her anxieties to the back of her mind. "You should know, Wu's students are here. We found out that my dad has teamed up with Wu, and they're working together to get us out of the tournament."

Garmadon's expression became grave. "Then the situation is even worse than we feared."

"Wu must be helping him in the hope that he'll take their elemental powers away," Misako mused.

"That was our guess, too. Oh, check this out!" Skylor plucked a leaf off a nearby bush and held it between her thumb and forefinger. The middle of the leaf started sizzling and a thin trail of smoke wafted up. Soon, a small hole began to open, orange embers eating away at the edge of the expanding circle. "Pretty cool, huh? I've been practicing all night. Thanks to that Fire Ninja, I'll be ready for my fight later."

"Well done, Skylor. You seem to be mastering your own element very well."

Skylor beamed at his praise. "Thank you, Sensei."

"Well, I think it's about time I see my son and give him a stern talking-to," Misako said. "Where is he?"

"My room, second floor in that building. First door on the right from the stairs. We've all been taking turns babysitting; I was just about to grab some breakfast for our little green gremlin."

Misako turned to her husband. "You go meet up with the girls and make sure Skylor is prepared for her fight. I'll see to Lloyd."

Garmadon looked worried. "Are you sure you'll be alright?"

Misako smirked. "Who's the one that got us here in the first place?" She kissed him on the cheek. "I can find him without getting caught. Don't worry about me, worry about your students."

"Come on, the others will be relieved to see you." Skylor led him out of the narrow passage, but they didn't get very far before another voice called to them.

"Sensei Garmadon . . . . It's been a while."

They both recognized the voice instantly. "Clouse," Garmadon said, turning to meet the sorcerer's gaze. "I see Master Chen still has you running his errands."

"Leave us alone, Clouse," Skylor said. "There's nothing in the rules about outside help. He has every right to be here as my Sensei." Clouse had never liked Skylor, she knew that. She suspected it was either because he was jealous of the attention she got from her father, or because he thought she was a distraction from her their plans. Either way, she was almost certain that any influence she might have once had over him was gone since she ran away from home.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to compete," Garmadon reassured him. He glanced at Skylor. "Only to look out for my interests."

"I can't say I'm surprised. I thought I saw your son competing in the first round, but . . . I'm sorry to say that he seems to have since vanished."

"I sent him home," Garmadon said, without giving away the slightest hint that Lloyd was, in fact, still on the island. "This tournament is no place for a young boy."

"Hmm. You're probably right. It is rather dangerous . . . even for a boy wearing the Green Ninja's gi."

"I'm sure you know how unruly children can be, getting into things that aren't theirs. And I have five of them."

"I do indeed," Clouse said, looking pointedly at Skylor. She had the sudden urge to stick her tongue out and show him just how childish she could be. But she kept her cool, wanting to get out of this conversation as soon as possible.

"I will let Master Chen know that you're here," Clouse said. "I'm sure he'll be delighted to see an old acquaintance."

They went their separate ways, and Skylor breathed a sigh of relief. "I was almost certain he would kick you off the island. I'm surprised he was willing to let you stay at all."

"I'll bet Chen will find some advantage in it, even if to get rid of me once and for all." He glanced around before saying, "We mustn't let them know the truth. If they knew Lloyd was still here, he and Misako would never make it off the island."

Skylor nodded. "Of course. But . . . why was Clouse so concerned about Lloyd's gi color?" Skylor didn't miss much, and she thought it was odd that Clouse would mention it at all. 

Garmadon sighed. "It's a long story, one that I'd rather not worry about now. Perhaps I'll tell you all about it when this is over."

Skylor spotted the chow house ahead. Right now she wasn't concerned about much else besides winning. As confident as she was, a part of her worried what would happen if she did lose her match. She had to wonder, if she was captured, would her father treat her the same as any other prisoner?

Zane's fight with Skylor wasn't scheduled to take place until later in the day, after the fight between the Master of Sound and the Master of Form. This, at least, gave Zane some time to prepare.

Cole had Kai and Zane practicing together in the square all morning. Jay was almost surprised that Kai hadn't complained even once. He'd been quiet and focused all day. He must have felt really bad about the mess he'd made. Jay did sympathize with him though. That girl had tricked him just to get his power. That couldn't feel good.

It wasn't until noontime came that they finally took a break so Zane could rest up before the fight. Then it was a long, tense wait until the match started. There was a lot riding on the Ice Ninja's shoulders. But surely, because of their alliance, Master Chen wouldn't let Zane lose?

Dark clouds were rolling in as the hour drew nearer. The wind was picking up, the air growing colder. A storm was brewing, and Jay wondered if they could be lucky enough for it to break in time for the fight.

"What do you think Master Wu will do if we fail?" Jay asked as they walked through the palace grounds towards the arena.

Cole glanced sideways at him and simply said, "Master Wu is fair. But I don't want to hear any talk about failure."

Jay sighed. "I miss when being a ninja was just fun and we weren't fighting people who hated us."

"Yeah, well, life's not all fun and games," Kai said, still in a sour mood.

"I would appreciate more positivity," Zane said. "You know, a little encouragement can go a long way."

"Sorry. It's just, it feels like nothing is going the way we wanted. I know that one of the girls is out, but we didn't even do that, it was Master Chen."

Cole huffed. "Chen may be our ally, but we don't need him to win our fights for us." He turned to Zane and said, "Just do your best. That's all anyone can ask of you."

Zane nodded. "Of course."

Jay still couldn't shake the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He hoped his brothers were right.

Chapter Text

It was raining.

A fight was about to go down between the elements of fire and ice, and now it was raining.

If Seliel didn't know any better, she would have thought Chen planned it out himself. But Skylor said that her dad had no elemental powers to speak of (besides those that he stole of course) and even Master Chen couldn't command the weather to do his bidding without the proper elements.

The arena for this round was set in a quarry, starting at the base of a mound of boulders, each at least twice as tall as Seliel's own height. The Jadeblade rested far above at the peak. Seliel stood next to Skylor in the pouring rain at the bottom of the incline while she stretched and readied herself for the match. Behind them, the rest of the fighters were seated under sheltered stands, with Master Chen's throne at the center. Nya and Garmadon were already in the stands, but Seliel wasn't ready to let Skylor go so easily.

"Forget the rain," Seliel was saying as thunder rumbled overhead. Beside her, Skylor was throwing air punches and visualizing the match in preparation. "You're still the best fighter here by a long shot. Waaaaay better than that Ice Ninja." She didn't really know this for sure, but she hoped that if she hyped her friend enough, Skylor might have a better chance at winning. Skylor was good at talking herself into a defeated mindset sometimes.

Skylor paused and raised her eyebrow. "You really believe that?"

Seliel sighed, exasperated. "What really matters is if you believe it! Look, no matter the circumstances, you gotta pull through."

To her surprise, Skylor actually smiled. "I think you're more worked up about this fight than I am."

"But aren't you usually the one who gets discouraged when things look bad?"

Skylor shrugged. "Plans change, that's just part of the battle. I don't know, I guess maybe I feel more confident since I'm on my own turf. Fire or ice or rain, I'll be the one winning this round." She laid a hand on Seliel's shoulder. "I've been training for this tournament my entire life," Skylor reminded her. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

Seliel grinned, bolstered by her friend's confidence. "Yeah you are! Now go out there and kick that boy's butt!"

They hugged and Seliel went to join the audience. She found Nya and Sensei Garmadon and took her seat beside them. She was glad to be out of the rain, but shivered in the cold air.

"You think she'll be okay?" Nya asked worriedly.

"She seems to think so. She'll have to be. It's bad enough that we lost Pixal, I don't want to lose her, too."

Garmadon nodded. "If there's anyone who could win a round with the odds stacked against her, it will be Skylor."

Lightning struck in the clouds overhead, and Seliel turned her attention back to the fighters as they took their places and Chen's voice rang out over the arena:

"Skylor, Master of Amber versus Zane, Master of Ice! Fight, fight!"

Immediately, Zane and Skylor took off scrambling over the stones toward the Jadeblade. Zane was already picking his way over the large rocks lying at the base, finding the smoothest path possible. Skylor was following close behind, until he whipped around, shurikens in hand, and threw a sheen of ice over the wet boulders.

Skylor swiftly raised her hands and created wave of fire around herself. It didn't last long in the rain, but it was enough to melt the ice before it could reach her. Still, much of the path before her was frozen.

However, Zane was also struggling up ahead. The rain had made the boulders slick enough that they might as well have been covered in ice, and he struggled to gain ground as he climbed. Seliel saw Skylor creating more bursts of fire to melt the ice while Zane hauled himself upward, inching closer to the blade. But when Skylor saw how much he was also struggling, she paused and looked about.

"What's she doing?" Seliel wondered.

"Looking for another way," Garmadon said. "She knows that neither of them are going to get very far as it is. Skylor knows that she'll have to find another way if she's to get to the top."

"What other way is there?" Nya asked. But just as she said this, Skylor crouched, then leapt into the air, propelled by jets of fire shooting from her hands and feet. It was just enough to jump to the top of the boulder in front of her, then the next.

Seliel whooped cheered alongside the other Elemental Masters for her ingenuity. Zane was heaving himself onto a jagged stone when she surpassed him, and Seliel suppressed a laugh at his bewildered expression. They were halfway up the incline, but Skylor was closing the distance fast, much faster than Zane. He got to his feet and took aim with his shuriken. But instead of aiming at Skylor, he flung it at the Jadeblade, freezing it in its place.

Skylor reached it seconds later, but when she tugged on the blade she couldn't pull it free.

"That's not fair!" Nya cried.

"She reached the blade fair and square," Seliel said. "He can't keep her from taking it, she's already won!"

Sensei Garmadon looked across the stands. "That would be up to Chen to decide."

But one look at Chen made it clear that he wasn't eager to stop the fight any time soon. In fact, he appeared to be relishing the closeness of the fight.

Now Skylor was desperately trying to melt the ice around the blade, but she couldn't create enough fire to withstand the rain without being too hot and damaging the blade as well.

Not far below, Zane was catching up. Abandoning the blade, Skylor got behind one of the large stones and pushed. It teetered in place, threatening to roll downhill. Zane, who was now nearly to the top, realized too late what her plan was. With another push, Skylor sent the boulder tumbling toward Zane. Thinking quickly, he threw his shuriken and an arc of ice froze the boulder in its path.

Skylor turned back to the blade, but when the shuriken returned to Zane's hand he threw it again, this time coating the top half of the mound in a layer of ice. Seliel saw Skylor gasp as she lost her footing and fell hard on her bottom. Zane rushed forward, climbing up the last boulder to the top.

Then Skylor reached out and laid a hand on the frozen ground. Steam began to rise, hissing beneath the patter of rain. The mist crept across the arena floor until a thick layer engulfed Skylor, then the Jadeblade, and finally Zane just as he pulled himself to the top. The mist spilled over the stones, engulfing everything and shrouding the arena from sight.

By now the entire audience was out of their seats, leaning forward to try and see what was happening.

"Where is she?" Nya whispered.

Come on, Skylor, Seliel thought. You have to win! We can't do this alone.

The audience's murmuring fell silent when they heard a commotion from deep within the mist. It was still too hazy to see, but a sharp cry sounded over the rumbling thunder, then there was a flash of light from Skylor's flame. Seliel squinted through the fog as it began to clear. She could make out some shapes, but what was happening?

The tip of the Jadeblade appeared above the mist and Seliel's heart stopped for a moment. The steam was clearing more quickly now, and soon an orange sleeve appeared.

"Winner!" Master Chen announced.

"Go Skylor!" Nya and Seliel cheered, the loudest amongst the crowd.

Garmadon let out a sigh of relief. "Well done, Skylor."

Skylor was grinning. Zane, they could now see, had his feet encased in ice and was still struggling to break free.

"Loser! Master of Amber moves on."

"That's not fair!" a voice shouted above the others.

Seliel searched out the speaker and saw Kai facing Chen from the audience.

"We didn't even see what happened! You can't let her win like that!" The cheering died down as everyone turned to Chen, wondering how he would react.

Master Chen didn't appear to like having his authority challenged. "Clearly she won. What does it matter how? Your friend loses. But if you want, I can send you away, too." His fingers hovered threateningly over his plethora of buttons.

"Chen," Kai growled, but Cole put a hand on his shoulder to hold him back. Jay kept looking back and forth between them and Zane and Master Chen, like he didn't know whose side to take.

Seliel looked to the two fighters. Zane had stopped struggling. "I'm sorry, brothers. I failed you."

Skylor was kind enough to use the Jadeblade to break the ice around his feet. But then Chen jabbed one of his innumerable buttons, and with a yelp, Zane fell out of sight.

Seliel glanced back at the fire ninja who was still glowering at Chen as his friends tried to usher him away from the arena. Neuro had told them that Chen and Wu's ninja were working together. But they didn't look like it now. Was this all just staged? That didn't seem possible. After all, they couldn't have known that Skylor would win.

Unless Zane had thrown the fight. Kai was right, no one knew what had happened, he could have simply let Skylor take the Jadeblade. But Seliel didn't think that he would have anything to gain from letting her win. She just couldn't understand why Chen would be insistent on him losing if they were allies. Perhaps he was just being merciful to his daughter – or maybe it was just Chen being Chen.

She didn't have any more time to think about it because Nya was already rushing down to meet Skylor as she descended the mound of stones.

"You did it, Sky! Now they'll regret messing with one of us!"

Skylor didn't look so enthusiastic anymore. She had been looking back at the stands, towards the other ninja. Kai hadn't been very happy that she had won. In fact, he had practically been arguing for her to be dropped beneath the island like all the rest of the losers.

Seliel nudged her. "You did good, Sky."

Skylor broke into a smile and twirled the Jadeblade in her hand. "Yep. And this isn't all I got." She held it out in front of her and a lacy white pattern began to creep up the blade. "I got good enough at using fire, I figured I'd try my hand at ice now."

"Good thinking," said Garmadon. "You'll want to be well-versed in all the elements, so you can use them at a whim."

Seliel and Nya gave her a big hug, but their celebration was cut short when Master Chen spoke again.

"I hope the Tournament of Elements has entertained you as much as it has me," he addressed the audience from atop his throne. "To thank you, I wanted to give everyone fancy jewels and untold shiny things." Seliel could make horde of riches he held in his hands. The other fighters cheered excitedly, but Chen cut them off.

"Then, in yesterday's battle, Masters Nya and Pixal tried to undermine me by teaming up and refusing to fight each other. And that made me very upset." He threw away the treasures in his anger, scattering priceless jewels like garbage. "For their insubordination, all you fancy quarters will be taken away, and tonight everyone must sleep together in the chow house! That is all. Thank you, you can go."

In an instant, all the Elemental Masters had turned to glare at the girls, as if it was their fault Chen threw a fit every time he didn't get his way.

"That can't be good," Nya observed.

"Misako and Lloyd!" Skylor whispered. "Where are they going to hide?"

"They'll have to leave right away," Seliel said.

"No," Garmadon said. "Tonight, when Chen's guard is down and everyone is asleep. No one can know that they're here, and the less eyes to see them, the better."

"You've got that right," Nya said, throwing another glance at the bitter fighters. "None of us are too popular right now."

Seliel crossed her arms. "Who cares about them? We didn't come here to make friends."

"That may be," said Garmadon, "but your exclusion of others has only made enemies. Beware how you treat those around you, for they will treat you the same."

This time, the boys didn't wait for an invitation from Master Chen. It was all Cole could do to keep up with Kai as he burst through the doors into Chen's palace arena.

"What happened out there?" Kai practically shouted when he entered.

Master Chen didn't look nearly as concerned from where he lounged in his throne. Clouse stood to his left, as grim and as vigilante as ever. And, of course, Master Wu's shadow was hovering at Chen's other side. This would not look good for Cole if he couldn't get Kai under control.

"Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing," Chen said.

Before Kai could speak again, Cole caught him by the arm and hissed, "That's enough, Kai! Let me handle this."

"But –"

"I said enough!"

Kai begrudgingly backed off. Cole turned to Chen. "This wasn't supposed to happen," he said. "We have a mission, remember?"

"Yes, and so far you have failed your mission. I am the only one who is doing anything!" Chen dramatically flopped over in his chair. "All this scheming is exhausting. Wu, you're ninja are making me do all the work!" he whined.

Cole was getting real tired of these games. "Where's Zane?" he asked bluntly.

"With the other losers, of course."

"Aren't you going to bring him back?" Cole glanced at his teacher for backup. "Or did you want him to lose?"

"I was wondering the same thing," Master Wu said, his silhouette shifting towards Chen. "I'm concerned about your . . . conflict of interest. The girl –"

"Skylor won fair and square!" Master Chen snapped. "It's not my fault if your ninja can't hold their own against a well-trained fighter."

"Hmm. Even so, I can't seem to see anything beneath your island, even to find my pupil."

Chen waved his hand. "Of course not. I run a noodle company, trade secrets! No peeking! You'll have your useless pupil back when I have what I want."

Cole winced, knowing that Kai would not respond well to that.

"Listen here –"

Cole sharply elbowed him in the side to make him shut up. He couldn't let Kai make him look like an poor leader in front of Master Wu. What's more, he was putting Clouse on edge, and Cole did not want to have to fight a sorcerer of all things. "Master, you can't let him keep Zane prisoner," he pleaded.

"I can't?" Master Wu echoed.

Poor choice of words, dummy! Cole scolded himself. If he wanted to make a case for Zane, he would have to speak more carefully. "What I mean is . . . we're a team, and Zane's our brother. We can't function without him."

Master Wu's voice was cold as he answered, "Why not? Zane has failed me, now he deserves to suffer the consequences."

"Yes, you see? Your friend is in good hands. You will see him again once our deal is finished."

"And the shurikens?" Master Wu asked.

"Of course, of course! You worry too much, Wu. I have no use for your puny weapons, you'll get that back, too."

"For your sake, I dearly hope so," Wu said. He turned back to the ninja. "As for the rest of you, I expect better. Do not let me down."

Chapter Text

Far below Chen's island, Zane was being escorted through a network of tunnels. After falling beneath the trapdoor, he had landed deep beneath the island, where he found that a couple of Chen's sentries were already waiting for the loser of the match. Now he was being led along the inner workings of the island, to where, he didn't know.

Zane had already been aware that there was more to Master Chen's compound than just the palace, but he and his brothers were forbidden from ever going beneath the island. They hadn't exactly discussed what would happen if one of them lost the tournament, mostly because they hadn't expected to lose. He didn't know whether he was to be released or simply hidden away until the tournament was over.

The guards weren't much help. He had tried speaking with them, but they had very rudely indicated for him to keep quiet. But what worried him most was how they very obviously kept a close eye on him. One guard in front, one behind, as if he was a prisoner being led to his execution. He told himself that Master Chen simply didn't want to let him wander where he shouldn't, but Zane couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. His suspicions only grew when he heard low, ominous chanting echoing through the tunnels.

At times, Zane couldn't distinguish his sixth sense from mere anxiety. In this case, however, he didn't think it mattered which he was feeling.

Zane reached for the shuriken on his belt. He whipped it out and struck the guard in front with a blast of ice. Then he rounded on the guard behind and his kicked him in the chest, knocking him to the ground. He sprinted back the way they had come, as fast as his feet would carry him. He didn't quite know what Chen was up to, but Cole had obviously been right when he said they couldn't trust him.

However, Zane didn't get very far before he ran straight into another, larger group of guards and they overwhelmed him.

"Let me go!" he shouted as they seized his arms. "I demand to speak to Master Chen!" But they wouldn't listen. Someone snatched the golden shuriken from his hand when the two guards he who had been escorting him came running. He was vastly outnumbered now.

As he was half dragged, and half stumbled down the corridor, the chanting grew louder. Then the tunnel opened up in front of him and Zane found himself standing in a large room. A couple dozen of Chen's followers were bowing in front of a flight of steps, murmuring the chant. The stairway in the center of the room had been sculpted to look like the lower jaw of a serpent. The upper half of its head jutted from the ceiling above. One the back wall, more tunnels led deeper into the island. And on the dais in front of all the chanters, Master Chen stood in the stone serpent's mouth, staff in hand.

"Chen!" Zane gasped. "What is the meaning of this? Tell your men to release me!"

"Oh, I will in due time. But first . . . you have something I want."

Did he mean his elemental power? But surely the staff couldn't take that away, could it? The majority of his power came from the golden shurikens.

"Wu will not be pleased when he finds out about this," Zane said.

But Chen only laughed. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but your master has already abandoned you! You failed him, and now he has left you to me."

Zane didn't believe that for a moment. Master Wu wouldn't abandon him so easily, and besides, the golden weapons were too important. He would never let them fall into the hands of a madman like Chen.

"You won't get away with this. My brothers will come for me."

Chen simply shrugged. "We will see. But for now . . ."

One of the guards and handed the shuriken to Chen, who attached it to the front of his staff. "Use it or lose it!" he said triumphantly.

Master Chen aimed the staff at Zane. The Ice Ninja was overwhelmed by a painful sensation as what little elemental power he had was drained out of him. In moments he felt weary, as if he had fought off Chen's entire army. His knees gave out and the guards finally allowed him to slip from their grasp as he collapsed on the floor.

Master Chen was chuckling, terribly pleased with himself. Zane mustered what little strength he had left and propped himself up on his elbows. "You . . . will not . . . get away with this . . ." he gasped.

"You already said that, and yet, I have! But not to worry, I will let you go now – to the factory!"

The guards picked him up again by the arms and began to drag him away. Zane had no more energy left to fight, and he had to let himself be taken away.

As promised, every one of the remaining fighters was given a place to sleep in the chow house. With eleven fighters among them, it was very cramped, and the 'beds' – most of which were just a stiff mattress on top of a table, and a few bunk beds – weren't nearly as comfortable as what they'd had in their original rooms.

Kai struggled to get any sleep that night. He had already had a rough night the day before, too. He felt like an idiot for letting Skylor take his element so easily, but now he felt even worse knowing that he was responsible for Zane losing his round.

No matter what Kai did, it seemed like he kept messing everything up. No wonder Master Wu was always so mad at him. Kai couldn't really blame him. But he wanted so badly for Master Wu to be proud of him, to know that Kai was the great ninja he had trained him to be. Cole had been right about what he said before, Kai couldn't afford to let himself be distracted any longer.

But even still, he couldn't get Skylor out of his head.

For the most part he was stuck between anger and disappointment. He was angry she had tricked him, but had she really only wanted his power? Even thought they had only just met, Kai was legitimately starting to like her. He had thought she felt the same way, but now he was starting to think he was wrong. Even if they were on opposite sides, it wasn't right to trick him like she did. Honestly, what kind of a person would do that?

It was one thing to trick an enemy, but toying with Kai's emotions was taking it one step too far. It seemed as if she really was willing to do whatever it took to win.

With all these thoughts in his head, Kai simply couldn't fall asleep. But he noticed that Jay had been tossing and turning for the past hour, too. Just then, Jay rolled over and their eyes met across the aisle. Jay tossed his blankets and hopped off the top of his bunk at the same time Kai did. Beneath Kai's bunk, Cole stirred and got to his feet as well.

"Couldn't sleep, either?" Jay asked.

"Not until we get Zane back." Kai hesitated. "And finish off those girls. That's what we came here for, right?" Chen would take their powers, and without any elements to fight with, Kai wouldn't have to cross paths with any of them again. Then Kai could show Master Wu what kind of a ninja he really was.

"I don't like any of this," Cole said. "There's something else going on, there has to be. Why else would Chen be so insistent to keep Zane as his prisoner?"

"Do you think he's after the Golden Weapons?" Kai asked.

Cole took a moment to consider it. "Maybe. He might realize that we'll be a threat even once he's collected all the elements. It's possible he's trying to finish us off early." Cole sighed, and Kai remembered that they had already lost their change to investigate behind Chen's back. Without access to their rooms, they didn't have a way of going beneath the island. And no way to get to Zane, even if they were willing to break the rules just to find him.

"But what's he going to do even if he gets the weapons?" Jay asked. "Doesn't he know that 'no mortal can possess them all'?"

"He'd be a fool to try," Cole said. "But no more foolish than Samukai. Maybe that's why Master Wu isn't worried about it. But I still think –" At that moment, Cole was cut off by the clanging of a small gong. "Back in bed!" The three boys dived back under their covers just as the lights came on.

Clouse entered with a handful of Chen's thugs. Two of them were making a racket, banging repeatedly on their gongs.

"Good morning fighters," Clouse greeted when the ringing finally stopped. "Oh, that's right. It's the middle of the night."

"Hey!" One of the thugs had approached Kai's bed and was strapping something to his feet.

"Do you know what time it is?" Jay asked grumpily as another thug did the same.

Kai hopped out of bed again, only to wobble unsteadily on his feet. He looked down and his stomach dropped. "Roller skates?"

Why skates? Kai was terrible on skates! He let himself roll forward a few inches, trying to find his balance. He was watching his feet, but when he glanced up, Skylor was standing right in front of him. His breath caught and he lost his balance and landed flat on his back.

Kai propped himself up on his elbows. What did she want now? Did she really think he was so dumb that he would let her steal his power again?

She offered a hand to help him up, but even though she was wearing her gloves, he wasn't about to accept it. "Thanks, but I got it," he grumbled. He unceremoniously struggled back onto his feet, ignoring her confusion. He wobbled unsteadily again, drifting away from her.

Another one of Chen's thugs had only managed to get one of Seliel's feet before she tried to kick him in the face. He quickly backed away and Seliel examined the footwear. "Must be another one of Chen's brilliant ideas," she said.

"You know, I'm getting real tired of his shenanigans," Cole said.

Seliel got to her feet and hung on to the table until she found her balance. She carefully pushed off from the table and rolled forward. "Maybe this one isn't too bad."

Meanwhile, Jay was practically rubbing it in Kai and everyone else's faces how easily skating came to him as he maneuvered around the tables with ease.

"Roller skates!" he said as he glided by. "I love roller skates!"

To demonstrate his point, he leapt, spun in the air, and stuck the landing. Okay, so maybe it was kind of impressive.

He was grinning proudly. "Did I ever mention that I once placed first in the Mother-Son Skate-Off?"

Or maybe it wasn't so impressive.

Nya looked at him curiously. "Really?"

Jay's eyes widened. "I mean . . . no! Of course not. That would be super lame." He gave a weak laugh and Kai just shook his head.

Most of the other fighters were getting the hang of it now, too, but Kai still wobbled uncertainly. If everyone else could figure it out, why couldn't he?

"Master Chen wants everyone in the Royal Arena," Clouse informed them. "I wouldn't be late, if I were you."

"If most of us have already fought, why are we all in skates?" Skylor asked.

She made a good point. Kai knew that Cole should be in wheels, because his fight was coming up next. And wasn't he supposed to be fighting another one of Garmadon's ninja . . . ?

"Only two of you will be fighting," Clouse answered. "But the rest of you will have a chance to . . . affect the outcome."

"Who's fighting?" the Master of Speed, asked eagerly. "Tell us now!"

Clouse gestured to the henchmen as he began to back out of the room. "The Master of Teleportation versus the Master of Earth," he said, and the doors slammed shut.

Kai looked to Cole, then Seliel. She threw a nasty look in their direction before skating away. Kai didn't know if he should be relieved or worried. On the one hand, this was a chance to redeem themselves. On the other hand . . . if Cole was right, and Master Chen had it out for them . . . then there was no telling who he would let win.

Nya skated alongside her teammates and the rest of the Elemental Masters as they made their way to the arena. Seliel was already working on a strategy while Skylor told her what she could about the match.

Skylor had to stifle a yawn before she said, "There will probably be rules about how you can use your power. But he'll be pretty limited too, since there's no earth on the track."

"Clouse said you guys can 'affect the outcome.' What does that mean?"

"My guess is that Nya and I will be able to fight, too, and can help you win," Skylor answered, rubbing at her eyes. "Which is great news because I'm pretty good on skates, if I do say so myself."

"At least none of us are as bad as Kai," Nya commented as she threw a glance back at her brother who, at that moment, toppled over for the umpteenth time.

Seliel was frowning at Skylor. "Are you okay? You don't look so good."

Skylor shook her head. "I'm fine. Just a little tired is all. I was up all last night trying to master using fire, and now this . . . I'll be alright though. I can sleep when it's over."

Whether or not she was right, Nya couldn't help but wonder if Skylor was pushing herself too hard. Then again, they had known when they started that Chen wasn't going to take it easy on them.

The tunnel ahead began to slant upward and the Elemental Masters streamed through the hatch and came to a stop on the track. To their left were two lines of helmets. The track wound around in a circle, and in the center was a large billboard that displayed the images of the main competitors with a couple of zeros hanging underneath for score keeping. There was also a timer that said they had a total of fourteen minutes.

Seliel winced at the blown-up photo of herself. "Ugh, my hair never looks right in photos." She self-consciously ran her fingers through her hair.

Skylor gently nudged her. "Nah, you look great!"

"Mm. Thanks." Seliel didn't seem to believe it, but there were more important things at hand, so she didn't say anything more.

"Welcome to my favorite event: Thunderblade!" They all turned to see Master Chen shuffling up the track in his own pair of roller skates.

Griffon perked up. "Hey, I know this game. It's just like –"

"No! This is nothing like that! This is my game, I made it up! Fully original!" Chen brought out a Jadeblade and a helmet, then tossed them across the group of fighters. "A Jadeblade for you, Cole, Master of Earth." Cole caught them deftly in each hand. "And another one for Seliel, Master of Teleportation."

Nya frowned as Seliel caught the blade. "You're starting out with Jadeblades?" This certainly was different from all the other rounds.

"Rules are simple," Chen began to explain. "Each lap you complete with your blade in possession, a point. Most points before time expires, you win."

"And what are we supposed to do?" Jay asked.

"You get to help anyone you wish. Or hurt, for that matter," Chen said with a malicious smile. "You're free to choose sides, I'm not a dictator!"

Nya nearly lost her balance as Griffon rudely brushed past her on his way to Cole. The Master of Earth looked shocked to see so many of the other fighters pick up a helmet and cluster around him – every one of them except for Nya, Seliel, and Skylor.

"What was that Sensei said about making enemies?" Nya asked.

"Forget about them," Seliel said. "We can do this. As a team."

But Skylor, looking at the crowds of supporters around Cole, shook her head. "I sure hope you're right."

Chapter Text

Pixal was surprised to find out how productive the system in Master Chen's factory was. It was a bit primitive for the times, but she supposed that was only to be expected from one who was in exile. Not to mention that it violated a number of laws on both working conditions and food preparation, most specifically due to the force manual labor.

And yet, Pixal was, to say the least, the most efficient worker there. She wished to sabotage Master Chen's precious noodle production, but sadly her programming caused her to resist such urges. She was made to assist, and though her strong negative opinions toward Master Chen could not be suppressed, it legitimately bothered her to purposefully leave a job unfinished or to perform it improperly. She just couldn't bring herself to do it.

But she kept her optical and auditory sensors metaphorically peeled for any information about the staff. Of course she had already seen it when she was first taken into custody and was robbed of her elemental power more than twenty-four hours ago. But she had yet to find a way to get to it.

Pixal was stirred from her thoughts when the only exit, two massive wooden doors, slid open and revealed three figures. She stifled a gasp.

Clouse and one of the sentries were escorting Zane into the factory. Instead of his dark ninja gi he had been made to wear an orange jumpsuit like all the prisoners. Pixal was some distance away, but she could see that his pale blue eyes were carefully scrutinizing the contents of the room, taking in all the details and possibly searching for a means of escape. Pixal had already analyzed every inch of the factory and had found that it would not be easy.

Admittedly, Pixal was astonished to see him here, especially now that she knew he was allied with Master Chen. Perhaps he had thrown his fight and was there to act as a spy. She would have to stay on her guard. However, she was eager to have a chance to finally talk to him and find out what it was that made him so susceptible to her element.

She had still been running possible explanations through her head when she wasn't preoccupied with planning an escape. As Seliel had suggested, Pixal was trying to use only variables that she knew to be true based on concrete evidence. But even still, she couldn't come to a sensible conclusion. She needed answers. Although she doubted he would tell her his secrets, she thought that it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Fortune, if there was such a thing, seemed to be on her side. Soon after having entered the factory, Zane spotted her.

"Pixal!" he exclaimed and jogged toward her. She though it was odd that he appeared to be equally keen to speak with her.

"Zane. Hello." She remained on guard, wary that this could all be a trick.

"Hi . . . How are you?"

"I am physically unharmed and fully functional."

"No, I mean, how are you?"

Pixal blinked, though she understood the nuanced amendment. "I . . ." For once in her life, Pixal hesitated, searching for an appropriate way to express the feelings that she could barely comprehend herself. "I suppose that I am well. Mentally and physically. I hope that you are well, too?"

Zane offered a slight smile. "Better now, but the past few hours have been very trying."

Shaking her head once, Pixal reminded herself that there were more pressing matters. "Zane," she said, and he gazed at her attentively. "I need to speak with you. Come." She tugged on his sleeve and led him to a somewhat secluded area between a couple of machines that would give them at least a few moments of discretion.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked.

All visual signs pointed to sincere concern, but Pixal narrowed her eyes. "There is very much wrong, and you know it. But this is about something else. I want to know once and for all why it is so easy to manipulate you with my element."

Zane frowned, and his unusual friendliness all but melted away. "I have been wondering the same thing."

"Are you aware that my element is magnetism?"

"That's what Chen called it, but I thought he might be wrong. It doesn't make any sense."

Pixal was beginning to feel frustrated, and it showed. If he didn't know the answer, then who could? "Surely you must have been wearing some sort of metal during our previous encounters?"

"I've thought about it too, but the only metal I had each time was my shuriken."

“But I have no power over the weapons,” Pixal mumbled, half to herself. “If it wasn’t what you were wearing . . .” Pixal eyed him curiously. She knew her power would not work, but for a brief moment she allowed an instance of wishful thinking and held out one hand to try and feel for something. She felt nothing, however, but thought of another tactic.

“Permission to scan?” she asked.

Zane blinked in surprise. “Uh . . . permission granted?”

With him standing right in front of her, she had a much better chance to properly analyze him than when they had fought before. She set her criteria to search only for metal, but there was so much metal in the factory that it caused some interference. Still, a centralized scan showed the same thing she had already felt with her element: a cocoon of metal that encased his entire person.

She furrowed her brow, confused. But then a thought occurred to her, one that she never would have considered had it not been for Seliel suggesting that her parameters were wrong.

She dropped her hand and her eyes flitted up to meet Zane's. "Tell me about your parents," she demanded.

His brow furrowed in confusion. "Why?"

"It may help me find the answer. What were they like?"

Confusion gave way to solemnity as he said, "I don't remember my parents. Years ago, I woke up all alone in a forest with amnesia. My parents are either dead, or they simply abandoned me."

Pixal could feel excitement growing in her chest, or at least she imagined she did. This could be it. "Do you bleed? Have you ever seen yourself bleed?"

Zane's brow was furrowed as he tried to make sense of her questions, trying to see what she saw. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, then finally said, "Of course."

Pixal hummed to herself, thinking. "But have you ever had any deep cuts? Or have they all been superficial?"

"I'm not sure . . ."

"Think, Zane, you must remember. Have you ever been cut deeply?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Can you remember any ways that you have stood out in the past? Anything that made you seem different from others?"

Zane hesitated, and she could tell she had struck a nerve. "You're going to have to tell me what this is about."

Pixal didn't want to present her theory without proper evidence, but already by running it through in her mind, everything was adding up.

"Zane . . . I think there's something different about you."

What if Seliel was right, and Pixal had made too many assumptions? What if the most basic assumptions was, in fact, wrong?

Pixal raised her hand again. He stiffened when she laid her palm on his chest, but didn’t move away. Even without her element, she knew what she would feel. He wasn't just encased in metal, it permeated every part of his being. It filled him up, crammed into every corner of his internal systems where bone and tissue and organs should have been.

"Zane, you're not human . . . You're . . . like me."

He jerked away from her touch. "That's not possible."

She shook her head. "It's the only possibility."

For a moment, he only stared at her in disbelief. Then he scoffed with a somewhat amused smile, though Pixal could see that it was more or less forced. "It seems you're as well as you thought."

"Zane, I’ve felt it!" she argued. "My influence over polarity allowed me to sense the metal inside of you."

Now his expression hardened into icy resentment. "I don’t believe you. You must have been lying the whole time about your power, and you've even managed to trick Master Chen. But truly you only want to throw me off, just like with Kai."

Pixal felt a surge of irritation. She really would have thought he was above denial, especially when the logic was staring him straight in the face. But it appeared that he was as stubborn as any human. "You've already been kicked out of the tournament, what would be the point?"

"Well if you're so certain, then how can I bleed?"

"Artificial tubing attached to your framework mimicking the veins in a human –"

"I am human."

"Be reasonable. Surely you, too, must realize how much sense this makes." Then she had an idea. "You could probably feel it now that you know, just like I can. Here, I'll show you." Again, Pixal lifted her hand. Zane backed away, only to run into the apparatus behind him.

He rubbed the back of his head sorely, but glared at her. "No. I've had enough of this. I know what you're trying to do, and it won't work."

"Zane, please –"

"We're done here."

Pixal could only watch as he stalked off. She had her answer now, she was certain of that, as certain as she was about any other calculation she could make. So then why did she feel so disappointed?

Chapter Text

Seliel and Cole were told to stand side-by-side at the starting line while Skylor and the other fighters waited at a point further back. Next to the track, Skylor's father sat on his throne, buttons at the ready. It was set atop a couple of spinning gears so that it could turn and he could see the racers at any point along the track.

Garmadon had heard about the fight and come to support his pupils. He stood on one side of Chen, and Clouse on the other, and even some of the staff were there to watch the round. Skylor knew that Garmadon had just been to see Misako and Lloyd off. They had been hoping that they would have more time to make an escape plan, but since Chen took away their rooms, they wouldn't be able to hide there for much longer and would have to leave immediately. Skylor just hoped that they made it off the island alright.

Skylor turned her attention back to the race as her father made the starting announcements.

"Seliel, Master of Teleportation versus Cole, Master of Earth! Most complete laps with their Jadeblade when the time runs out wins, loser is out. That means no teleporting straight to the finish line!"

The two masters exchanged deadly glares. Each was determined to win – but only one could remain.

"Thunderbladers on your mark! Get set!"

They crouched behind the line, their expressions set in tense concentration.

"Good luck to everyone!" Chen spun in his seat. "But-mostly-Cole-because-we-all-want-those-pesky-girls-out. Now go!"

At his command, an air horn sounded and the two main racers got their start. A spotlight followed them as they began to pick up speed and moved swiftly down the track. From the speakers, they heard cheering from a nonexistent audience. Skylor had to roll her eyes at her father's theatrics.

The horn sounded again and the rest of the fighters set out.

"This is it," Nya said as they pushed forward amongst the group of elemental adversaries. "It's up to us to make sure that Seliel stays in the tournament. We can't lose another teammate."

Skylor threw a sideways glance at Kai, who was already starting to fall behind. Maybe they were outnumbered now, but who was to say that couldn't change? Some small part of Skylor had been hoping that Kai would finally see things their way and switch sides. Maybe now was that chance. She slowed down to match his unsteady pace.

"Come on, Kai. Do you really want to let Cole win and take all the glory for himself? You don't have to help him. Why not help us out instead?"

"I would never," Kai shot back. "I'm not like you. I do have a conscience, you know."

Skylor couldn't understand what had gotten into him. She had been so certain that he liked her, especially after their meeting in the square. Why was he suddenly acting so cold towards her? First he tried to talk her father into kicking her out, now this. Whatever his problem was, she didn't have time for it.

"Fine then. Forget I said anything." Skylor picked up her pace to catch up with the rest of the group.

Cole and Seliel had already made their first lap and were drawing near to the cluster of friends and foes. Seliel weaved between them and Skylor had to get in the way of Neuro and Paleman before they could stop her. Nya followed close behind to defend her back.

Cole was stuck behind everyone else, and a bunch of the fighters were trying to pull back to give him room. But Skylor turned to face him, skating directly in his path. Using her stolen ice power, she froze the ground between them, making Cole pitch and nearly lose his footing. Then Skylor was hit with a blast of electricity and she was knocked aside, clearing the way for Cole to break through. She held a hand to her head, dazed, but got back up in time to see Kai latch onto Cole for support.

The extra weight threw Cole off balance and both skaters tumbled to the track. The rest of the racers continued chasing Seliel, not bothering to see if the two boys were alright. Skylor looked back once, but sped on.

Serves them right, she thought.

Seliel was ahead, but it didn't last long. Soon, she was overtaken by the other racers. Skylor was too far behind to be of any help, and Nya was even farther back. Seliel was boxed in by Neuro and two or three other skaters. She struggled for a moment to get around them, then popped out of sight. But when she reappeared, she was practically skating right next to Skylor.

"Seliel!" she gasped in surprised.

"What –" Seliel glanced around as she got her bearings. "No! I didn't mean to go backwards! Ugh!"

"Cole's getting a lead," Skylor said, not wanting to waste energy on what they couldn't change. "We have to do something, or you'll never catch up."

Skylor glanced at Garmadon on one of their passes, and she desperately wanted to ask for his guidance. But there wasn't much that he could do here, especially when they didn't have time to stop and chat. More likely, he was keeping an eye on Clouse and her father, making sure that they didn't break any rules themselves.

It was harder than Skylor had thought it would be to catch up, and by the time they reached the halfway point with less than seven minutes left, Cole had earned four points and Seliel had only three. Naturally, Skylor's father was beginning to lose interest in the status quo and decided to start making things more interesting.

Panels in the track began to spring upward beneath the skaters. As one opened beneath Seliel and she was flung into the air, she managed a flip, then landed, and rolled back onto her feet. Skylor winced as Kai was tossed and landed flat on his back. He was really no good at this.

Up ahead, Jay was holding his hand out to Cole and called, "Grab my hand, I'll whip you!"

Skylor saw Seliel vanish and then reappear just ahead of Cole, taking Jay's hand. The blue ninja gasped, but she wouldn't let him pull away and she threw him backwards into Cole. The bell sounded as she crossed over the line, smirking to herself.

But as she cast another glance backward, distracted, Skylor was surprised to see that the Jadeblade was suddenly snatched out of Seliel's hand. She gasped as Seliel was tripped, and then Paleman seemed to materialize out of nowhere, waving the blade over his head.

Skylor sped closer, and then body slammed him. The Jadeblade flew out of his hand and she caught it, racing ahead. Seliel teleported next to her again, and Skylor handed it off to her.

"Thanks, sis. Don't know what I would do without you!" The bell dinged as Seliel crossed the line again, but she was still a point behind.

Nya had slowed to match pace with both of them again. But they were met with opposition as Griffon rammed his shoulder into Skylor's side, trying to knock her down. Her teammates were getting the same treatment as Cole continued to advance forward.

Further on, Kai was still struggling to gain any ground. As the Master of Poison shot past him, he lost his balance again and fell. Skylor darted away from Griffon just as Kai tumbled into him, creating an obstacle for all the other racers to dodge.

Cole was pulling farther and farther away. The Master of Poison turned and cast a toxic cloud in their pathway. Seliel teleported ahead while Skylor and Nya narrowly made their way around it.

Then Skylor heard another command from her father: "Release the buggy!"

A vehicle erupted from beneath the track on the other side of the arena. It zoomed around the track, coming up on them fast.

"Incoming!" Skylor tackled Seliel, only just dodging the roaring truck. They glanced up to see Cole smugly waving at them as he held fast to the back of the buggy.

Seliel pounded her fist on the ground. "That's not fair!"

"It is according to my dad's rules."

"It wouldn't be for a normal race! I swear, if Chen makes one more ridiculous addition to this round –" She got to her feet and swiped her hair out of her face.

That buggy was making its rounds like nobody's business, and Skylor couldn't see how they would be able to catch up. Nya skated up to her from behind. Cole made another pass across the starting line with a Neuro, Shade, and Paleman tagging along. They disembarked when they drew nearer to Skylor and her friends. Before she could stop them, they seized Seliel, shoving Nya and Skylor aside.

Neuro broke off when Griffon came near and together they caught hold of Nya.

Neuro literally read his mind and he released Nya at once. Before Skylor could reach her, Griffon fell in behind and used his super speed to push her around the track. Skylor finally fought her way free, but at the same moment, Griffon returned and threw Nya into her, and they both stumbled, running into Seliel. As they fell into a heap on the track yet again, Skylor could hear the other fighters' triumphant laughter.

"Okay, maybe Sensei Garmadon was right," Seliel groaned as she picked herself back up. "Maybe making enemies out of everyone else is more trouble than it's worth."

Skylor heard the bell go off again. "Come on, we're wasting time!" She set off again. None of this was helping, it only got worse as the race dragged on. They were two points behind now, and only four minutes left on the clock.

She caught up with Kai again, who hadn't even made it around a handful of times yet. "Look, whatever I did to make you so upset, I'm sorry, okay?"

"Not much of an apology if you don't even know what you did wrong."

Skylor opened her mouth to retort back, but then she remembered that she had said the same thing to Clouse about her father not too long ago. She shook her head, logging that away for later. "What will it take for you to help us?"

"Whatever you think about me, I'm not the kind of guy who's going to betray his teammates." Suddenly he grabbed onto her, and she was pulled to the ground for the umpteenth time. She was so surprised that she accidentally iced the track, and the buggy skidded to a stop right behind them. Cole barely had enough time to let go and dart around the slick obstacle. The other racers flew past and Skylor shoved Kai away.

"What's your problem?"

"I'm trying to win, that's what!"

Skylor was bewildered by the anger in his eyes. But she realized then that she must have been getting her hopes up a little too high. "Right. Do what you need to win. I understand that well enough. Guess I should have known better." She sped off and tried to put him out of her mind, to focus on her friends and the fight they still had yet to win.

Chapter Text

As the race wore on, Seliel's team was still falling behind, and it was beginning to look like they would never be able to make up the points. Time was short. They were outnumbered, and Nya was beginning to think that they really couldn't do this on their own.

Skylor skated up alongside Nya. "We've been able to make up for lost time, but there isn't much left and we're still down two points."

"I know," Nya said. "I'm starting to think Sensei Garmadon was right. We've been ignoring the rest of the Elemental Masters this entire time, and it's only made us more enemies."

"Okay. So what do you suggest? Apology notes and gift baskets?"

"I think it's time we were honest," Nya said. "Maybe if they know what we know about this tournament, they would be willing to help us. It worked with Neuro, didn't it?" Nya threw a glance to the Mind Master on the far side of the track. "Sort of."

Skylor shook her head but said, "It's the best plan we've got. We're desperate enough."

Nya threw another glance at the clock. Barely three minutes left, and they were seven-to-nine. "Let's split up," she suggested. Skylor raced ahead while Nya fell back to talk to Griffon.

"Listen," she said to him, "We don't have to be enemies. Chen is our real enemy. This tournament has nothing to do with finding the best fighter, it's just an elaborate trap so he can steal everyone's powers and use them to perform a spell.

Griffon glanced at her sideways. "You mean like a magic spell? What's it do?"

Nya bit her lip. It would turn Chen and his followers into legendary snake monsters. But she knew he wouldn't believe her if she told him that. She barely believed it herself. "A spell to take over the world. We don't just want to win, we're trying to save all of Ninjago."

"And why are you telling me this now?"

Seliel appeared from behind and matched pace with them. "Because we could still use your help. And it's never too late to change your mind."

"She's telling the truth. I know."

Nya looked over her shoulder to see Neuro, his hands to his head as he projected his thoughts to the others.

"Really?" she said, annoyed. "You couldn't have said something sooner?"

"I'd rather be on the winning team."

Seliel grinned. "Sounds like a plan to me."

The buggy was up and running again. Nya feared this would be bad news for them, but as it pulled up beside Seliel and Nya, they could see that Skylor was sitting at the wheel. "Here, take it!" Skylor leapt out of the driver's seat as Seliel hopped inside. She revved the engine and took off like a shot. A panel jutted towards the sky in front of her, but instead of veering around to avoid it, the buggy soared straight off of it and through the air before slamming back onto the ground.

There were less than two minutes left. Cole had eleven points, but Seliel was catching up with nine. Chen was starting to go crazy with booby traps, making dozens of obstacles pop up in Seliel's path. But they couldn't slow her down, let alone stop her. The rest of the racers were divided now between helping Seliel and helping Cole. Seliel raced around the tracks, running laps around Cole, and before long, she had evened out the score twelve-to-twelve.

Seliel finally slowed her pace to pull the buggy up beside Cole, who was struggling to keep his score up. At this rate, he wouldn't be able to compete with her for much longer.

"How's it going down there, slowpoke?" she gloated.

To her surprise, he actually smiled. "Not too bad. Why don't you come down and see for yourself?"

"Not a chance, pal. I'm winning this race!"

"This isn't over yet," he said, more serious now. "I can still win."

"What, so you can help Chen take our powers away? We know you're working with him, so you must know about his staff! You said before that you wanted to protect Ninjago. Do you really believe that's what Chen wants to do with all that power?"

Cole hesitated. "No, I don't. But I don't have a choice. Master Wu would be furious if I lost."

Seliel pursed her lips, her gaze focused ahead. Garmadon's words echoed through her mind again. Excluding others had made the tournament more difficult than it needed to be. But now that they were putting out a little trust and trying to include everyone, they were getting more help in return. He'd been right before . . .

After another moment's hesitation, she turned back to him. "You don't have to do this alone, you know. We could all stand up to Master Chen together." She extended her hand, willing him to trust her.

Cole's gaze flicked uncertainly from her eyes to her hand. Without slowing down, he hesitantly reached back. Their hands locked, her palm fitting into his.

Then he yanked on her arm, and Seliel was ripped out of the buggy and thrown onto the track. Cole didn't look back.

That jerk! Seliel didn't stay down for long. She scrambled to her feet and quickly caught back up to Cole. She tried to strike him with her Jadeblade, but he blocked, retaliated, and then dodged again. They went back and forth with their Jadeblades, Fighting on skates was probably the hardest thing either of them had ever done. They struggled to stay upright and at the same time avoided each other's blows. As their blades locked together, Seliel glimpsed the scoreboard and saw that they were still tied, the clock quickly counting down to zero. Cole tried to shove Seliel to the ground again, but she only responded with equal force.

They sped on, side-by-side, neither of them able to gain an advantage. In a desperate attempt, Cole swung at her feet to knock her down, but she jumped just in time, only to crash into him as they both fell.

Seliel pushed herself back to her feet as quickly as she could. There were only seconds left and they were in a mad dash for the finish line. It had come down to just the two of them.

Seliel was just ahead of Cole before he pushed her aside and passed her. The finish line drew nearer and nearer with each second that ticked by. Seliel sped on, as fast as her legs would carry her, desperate to catch up. She put the rest of her strength into those last few strides and they zipped across the finish line, almost side-by-side.

Almost.

The bell chimed and Seliel skidded to a stop, panting. Cole had crossed the finish line first, but –

"Yes!" he cheered. "I made it!"

Seliel grinned. "Think again." She raised her Jadeblade into the air.

The realization dawned on Cole that his hands were empty as Nya shouted, "He doesn't have his blade!" He looked to the track behind him and Seliel followed his gaze. The emerald edge of his Jadeblade glinted from where it lay only a few feet behind the finish line. Seliel didn't even know when he dropped it, but she didn't care. He'd lost, she'd won.

The Elemental Masters, most of the ones who had started out helping him, now gathered around Seliel, cheering. Skylor and Nya skated up to embrace her.

"No, no – nooo!" Seliel turned to Master Chen who was practically shaking with rage. "She cheated! Seliel loses!"

"That's not true," Nya argued. "She played by every one of your ridiculous rules."

"Yeah!" Griffon said. "She won fair and square!"

Master Chen crossed his arms and slumped back in his throne. He tapped a button which spun his chair around so his back was to them. "My tournament, my rules."

Seliel opened her mouth to object, but then Paleman skated forward. "And just what rules are those? If she's out, then so am I." For a moment she was shocked to see one of the Elemental Masters coming to her defense. But she had a feeling that they were all getting about as sick of Chen's games as she was.

"Me too!" Nya hurriedly added.

"And me." Skylor crossed her arms as the Elemental Masters took a stand beside them. "If you kick us all out, what kind of tournament will you have then?"

Chen turned back to the group. He looked to Clouse, then to the other fighters, then back again. He wouldn't be able to take all of them in at once. They would put up too much of a fight while they were united. Skylor was right. He didn't have a choice right now but to play fair.

Clouse nodded to his master to surrender.

"Master Chen, you can't –" Kai tried to argue, but it was too late.

"Fine," he conceded. "Have it your way. Earth loses!" Master Chen smashed a button and Cole yelped as the floor opened up beneath him and he plummeted down into the island.

Even if he was allied with Chen, Seliel knew that Cole would be in trouble with his master. But he'd had his chance to turn around. She didn't feel the least bit bad for him, she told herself. She couldn't. There were more important things to worry about.

Chapter Text

Of course Lloyd had known how much trouble he would be in if he was caught sneaking away from home. But he had just kept telling himself that he wouldn't be caught. And now . . . he was actually starting to regret running off.

It seemed that after all the hugs and kisses and asking if he was alright, he was to be endlessly chastised. His parents kept telling him how bad it was that he ran away, and at this point he would have promised to never do it again if they would promise to never speak of it again.

Not to mention how he'd been virtually trapped in Skylor's room for the past few days, bored out of his mind. To say the least, his plan to come and win the tournament hadn't gone exactly the way he had thought it would.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Lloyd said, crossing his arms and shrinking into the hood of his cloak. "I just wanted a chance to fight like the girls do. And I was invited."

"Just because you were invited to participate in an underground fighting tournament doesn't mean you get a free pass to run away from home," his father snapped.

The plan now was for Lloyd and his mother to sneak off of Chens' island unseen, go home, and wait there to find out whether or not his friends succeeded in stopping Master Chen. Basically, he was going to be completely removed from the action and pushed aside to worry and wonder and probably to do more training. Being the Green Ninja really stunk sometimes.

But Lloyd hadn't always had a prophecy hanging over his head. His parents had been training him to fight for as long as he could remember, but the whole prophecy about the Green Ninja was still a little new to him. Lloyd had never really wondered why his parents wanted to train him even though Ninjago was peaceful. He just wanted to learn to fight like them, so he didn't think twice about it. But then, when his father had a premonition about Uncle Wu returning for the golden weapons, Lloyd's parents had come clean to him about the prophecy.

He still didn't understand why it upset them so much to talk about it. Most of the time they acted like the prophecy didn't exist, although Lloyd's training had since intensified. He'd learned to do Spinjitzu and had even tapped into his green element a bit, although he had yet to unlock any of the other elements he could supposedly control. Lloyd was proud to be the Green Ninja, and yet, he wasn't even allowed to talk to the girls about it. His parents seemed to think that if they never talked about it, then it wouldn't really happen.

Lloyd was stirred from his thoughts by his father's voice. "Maybe I should go with you. The girls have done well on their own, and I can come straight back once you two are safe."

Lloyd's mother shook her head. "They've managed to get this far by themselves, but they still need you. Even if not for your experience, then at least for moral support. They're still young."

His father shook his head. "That may be true, but I hate to let anything happen to you."

His mother pursed her lips. "I can take care of myself, you know. And nobody but nobody is taking my baby from me."

"Mom," Lloyd groaned.

"Alright, alright," His father nodded good-naturedly. "But I still won't be happy until I know for sure that you're both safely off the island."

Lloyd's mother gave his father a quick peck on the cheek. "We'll give you a call as soon as we reach the mainland. Just try not to worry yourself to death. I meant it, Garmadon. Those kids need you."

I need you, too, Lloyd thought to himself. But he knew how important it was that his father helped the girls.

"Okay. You're right, of course. I'd better get back to them now. Seliel's round is about to start any minute now. Just be careful."

"You, too."

His father sneaked out through the window, but Lloyd didn't possess the physical prowess to scale the outside of the building, so they would have to go through the front door.

Now it was just Lloyd and his mother. Or rather, Lloyd, his mother, and the whole entire island.

She was about to open the door to leave, but then she turned and knelt in front of him. "Lloyd, listen to me. I don't think I have to tell you how dangerous this is going to be, but we can't stay here. Until we are away from the island, you're going to have to listen and do exactly as I say. No arguing and no complaining, understand?"

It was true that Lloyd was already well aware of the dangers. But hearing his mother's grave tone, looking into her eyes to see the force of her words, he found a renewed sense of apprehension. He nodded, more serious now than he'd ever been in his life.

"Good. Now stay quiet, and stay close to me. You wanted a chance to demonstrate what you've learned: This is it."

Lloyd stuck close to his mother's side as she cracked open the door and peeked through. The coast was clear, so they slipped out of the room and down the stairs to the ground floor. The front entrance was better guarded, due to Chen's order against private quarters.

"Stay here," his mother whispered. Then she put her full weight against the door, shoving it open and probably catching at least one of the guards by surprise. Once she was out, Lloyd wasn't able to see much, but after a few moments of struggling, the door reopened and she waved to him.

She took him by the hand again and Lloyd was dragged through the courtyard. They were careful to avoid the moonlight, skirting the shadows on the edges of the lush compound. In the distance could be heard the sounds of wildlife in the jungle, but besides that, nothing else disturbed the compound. The lights were out in nearly every window, making the buildings appear blissfully abandoned. Lloyd's eyes darted around, looking out for any sign of Chen's guards.

The silence didn't last long. There was a distant shout , coming from the direction of the sleeping quarters. Lloyd saw his mother's eyes go wide. "Run!" she whispered.

He didn't get much of a choice. She squeezed his hand and yanked on his arm, forcing him to match her pace. Lloyd realized that someone must have found the guards that his mother had taken out. They would know now that something was wrong.

He chased after his mother, trying to ignore the terror that was creeping up in the pit of his stomach. The security must have been tighter than they thought if Chen's sentries had already made their rounds and found evidence of their escape so soon.

As if in response to his thoughts, a guard rounded a corner ahead and came face-to-face with Lloyd and his mother. The guard was too shocked at first to know what to do. But Lloyd's mother didn't miss a beat and kicked him across the face, knocking the man to the ground.

Maybe they would have still had a chance, but the guard's cry of alarm alerted just about every other sentry under the moonlight. Lloyd and his mother didn't run much farther before there were guards coming at them from every angle, surrounding them. They were driven to a stop.

Lloyd's mother stepped in front of him, though there were even more coming up from behind. When he peeked around her Lloyd could see that the palace wall was a short distance away. Freedom was so close!

A dozen guards formed a loose circle around them, watching them carefully, waiting to see what they would do.

"You have to run." Lloyd looked up at his mother, incredulous. There was no way they could make it through all of these guys. "I'll hold them off so that you can get to the jungle. Don't worry about me, I'll be right behind you."

Lloyd frowned. "But you can't hold them all off by yourself!" He turned so that they were back-to-back and held up his fists. "I won't leave you behind. I'll fight, too!"

"You can't –"

There was no time to argue At the command of one general with a particularly nasty scar over his eye, all the guards rushed them at once. Lloyd was worried for a moment that even the two of them fighting together wouldn't stand a chance. But before he knew it, his mother had spun into a tornado of Spinjitzu, and plowed right through half of the guards. When she came to a stop, she pushed him towards the wall. "Go!"

They both made a break for it, and Lloyd began climbing up the ivy that clung to the stone. The sounds of the fighting followed him up, though he didn't dare to pause and see how his mother was fairing. But as he reached the top and hefted himself to sit on the edge, he looked down to see that she had already defeated the rest of the guards. If she hurried, she would have a clear shot to the top. "Come on, mom!" he called.

She turned toward the wall. But just as her hand reached for the vines, another hand caught her by the braid and yanked her backward.

"Mom!"

She shouted and struggled as more guards grabbed her by the arms so she was virtually powerless.

"Go, Lloyd!" she screamed.

No – there was no way he was going to run and let them take her.

"Leave her alone!" Lloyd jumped off the wall and crouched as his feet hit the ground. He ran forward to strike at one of the guards holding his mother. But the man just kicked Lloyd in the stomach, sending him flying. Lloyd landed on his back and was soon surrounded again.

"Lloyd!" he heard his mother's desperate cry.

The young ninja got to his feet as hands grabbed for his arms. Another hand caught him by the foot, but Lloyd kicked the guy in the face and was released. As he tried to stand up, another caught him from behind in a bear hug. Lloyd threw back his head, bashing the guard in the face. The guard was stunned and Lloyd scrambled away.

But when he looked around, his mother had disappeared, along with the guards that had taken her captive. He looked all around, but there was no sign of her. He could still hear her struggling from somewhere nearby, but her voice was fading fast, and he couldn't tell where they'd taken her.

Lloyd was snapped out of his thoughts as the guards closed in on him. There was only one thing he could think to do.

Lloyd turned and ran. He sprinted to the wall lining the grounds and scrambled up the overhanging plants. Chen's guards were right behind him, but the vines couldn't take their weight and snapped before they could catch him. As soon as he reached the top, Lloyd dropped down on the other side and plunged into the jungle.

He didn't look back to see if the guards had scaled the wall yet, but just ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He didn't want to leave his mother behind, but he didn't know what else to do. He couldn't save her on his own. Maybe his father could, if Lloyd could find him and tell him what had happened.

But right now, he just had to run, as far and as deep into the jungle as he could, until he was safe.

Jay hurried after Kai as they made their way back to the chow house. The Fire Master marched down the hall in a heated rage. Jay wondered if they would be summoned to meet with Master Chen once again. He almost hoped not. Kai hadn't said a word since they left the race track, but his fury boiled just beneath the surface. Jay thought he should at least try to cool him down.

"Maybe it's not as bad as it looks, Kai. We've only lost two to their one, and there's still time left. We can still win, right?"

"Not if Master Chen has it out for us." He halted and rounded on Jay. "He wants us out just as much as he does everyone else. He doesn't care if we lose. The odds have been stacked against us since we got here!"

"I don't know, Kai. Cole and Zane both lost fair and square. Maybe it really is our fault. Besides, what would be the point? He and Master Wu made a deal, and even he can't get our elemental powers."

"Maybe he can. I still think that he wants the Golden Weapons for himself."

"Come on, Kai, Master Wu wouldn't have sent us here if there was a risk of Chen taking the weapons."

"Hmph. He doesn't seem to care much, either," Kai grumbled.

"What are you saying?"

Kai hesitated, but shook his head. "Nothing. I'm just frustrated."

Jay thought for a moment, trying to find something encouraging to say. "Well, I'm sure Master Wu knows what he's doing. And maybe . . . he's right?" But even saying it out loud, Jay didn't feel like it was very convincing. "I don't know. We just have to keep going. What else can we do?"

Kai turned back down the corridor. Jay really wanted to believe that everything would turn out alright, but after losing two of their teammates, he couldn't help but wonder just what Master Chen was up to.

Chapter Text

Cole was having a really bad day. Like a really, really, really bad day. Try worst-day-in-his-entire-life bad day.

He'd already lost one member of his team, had just lost his own fight, and now his scythe and his elemental powers had been stolen from him. As it turned out, Master Chen really was a traitor. Cole would have been proud that he was right under different circumstances. But now Clouse was trying to tell him that he was going to be put to work in Chen's factory. No way that was going to happen.

Cole had tried to fight when they came to get him out of his cell, but it only took a couple of guards to drag him off. Without his super strength, he was as helpless as any regular captive. It was humiliating. However, things started to brighten up a bit once he saw the factory itself.

The place was swarming with guards, and he could pick out most of the workers as the fighters who had already been defeated in the tournament. But he could see the large steam-powered machines and conveyor belts, all producing mass amounts of food. Noodles, fortune cookies, dumplings . . . all of Cole's favorite foods, and then some.

Cole gasped at the sight of it. "A noodle factory! Why didn't you say so?" He was finally released and was able to get a closer look at the machinery. "This is my kind of place. Look, that's how they make the noodles! Oh, and that's a dumpling machine! And is that – " He broke off when he saw a familiar face. "Zane!"

His friend glanced up and looked equally happy to see him. "Cole!"

Cole ran over and clapped him on the back. "Where ya been, buddy?"

"Um, here. Looking for a way to escape. Without much luck, sadly."

Cole lowered his voice and whispered, "Well now that I'm here, we can find a way out together. Things are looking up!"

But Zane shook his head. "It's not as easy as you think. This place is nearly impossible to escape from. There are too many guards, and only one way out. Even if we did manage to break out of the factory, there's an entire underground labyrinth that, as I hear, is guarded by a large creature."

"Oh come on, I'm sure we can figure something out. Hey, is that Pixal?" Cole could see the android girl working away on the opposite side of the room. "Maybe we could get her to help us. I'm sure she wants to get out of here as much as we do. That girl's a walking computer, she'd be able to solve any obstacles we come across." Cole nudged Zane. "Whaddya say? Think you can turn on the charm and get her to help us out?" Where Zane's fascination with the girl had proven to be a distraction before, it looked like it might actually help them now.

But Zane wasn't as enthusiastic about the idea as Cole would have thought. "I don't think she would be much help. She's not very honest for an android."

"Oh . . . well, we'll think of something." As Cole said this, the fortune cookies rolling by on the conveyor belt caught his eye. "And I think I already have an idea."

Due to the midnight skating round, the Elemental Masters were allowed to sleep in the next day before another fight took place in the afternoon wherein the Master of Shadow defeated the Master of Poison. That evening, the remaining fighters were all invited to a feast in the palace arena, compliments of Master Chen.

Kai was too distracted to notice any of it, though. He'd spent every waking moment wondering about Cole and Zane, wondering about Chen, wondering about all the secrets that were being kept from them. To his surprise, they hadn't met with Master Chen or Master Wu since Cole lost his round. Kai had thought that he and Jay were gonna get it for losing another fighter, but so far nothing had happened. Somehow Master Wu's silence was even more concerning.

Right now they needed him more than ever. Kai and Jay knew that their mission hadn't changed, but with only two of them left, they didn't know what their next move should be. And what's more, it appeared that Garmadon had come to advise the girls in the same way that Master Wu had been advising them. The longer this tournament dragged on, the more and more complicated it became.

Kai looked at the exotic food laid out before him, but he didn't have much of an appetite. For the hundredth time he threw a glance at the far side of the table where Skylor was sitting. It was actually pretty hard not to notice her, she was seated almost directly across from him.

"Try the horned wasp eggs," Chen was saying from his throne at the front of the room. "Deeeelicious!"

Next to Skylor, Nya grimaced at the mushy round eggs covered in smelly goo and made a face. "No thanks."

"Oh, lighten up. This isn't a trick. This is a feast to celebrate the ten of you making it to the second round." As if on cue, several Kabuki servants clapped for them. "And I must congratulate the Master of Shadow's defeat over the Master of Poison. She was a bit hard to swallow, am I right?"

Kai watched as, across the table, the female ninja dissolved into whispering amongst themselves, as they often did. Probably plotting on how to get him and Jay kicked out. Maybe he should have been planning for the next round, too, but the only thing he wanted to focus on was getting his brothers back.

Beside him, Jay noticed the hushed conspiracy, as well. "This is just great," he grumbled, a favored phrase of his lately. "Now that they've turned most of the fighters against us, we're even more outnumbered than before."

He was right, and Kai didn't think that Shadow or Camille, the only two masters not yet allied with Garmadon's team, would want to team up with them, either. They may have stuck with Cole in the race, but now that it was over, they were back to fighting for themselves.

"I know," Kai said. "But without Chen's help, there's not much we can do."

Kai looked over to see that Master Chen and Clouse were also having their own private discussion. Kai didn't like all this secrecy. He felt like he was being kept out of the loop, despite the fact that they were supposed to be allies.

Moments later, Chen spoke up and said, "It has come to my attention that there are rumors floating about that I am stealing everyone's power." Kai quirked an eyebrow as Chen paused for dramatic effect. His grin widened, if that were possible, as he admitted, "I am."

The fighters gasped, and Kai's mouth dropped open in shock.

"What's he doing?" Jay whispered.

"Sh!" Kai waited tensely for Chen to continue.

"But it's all for this staff!" Master Chen clapped twice and the kabuki servants whipped out their fans and posed in a brilliant display of his wait staff.

Chen groaned in exasperation. "No, no! Not you, staff, I mean my real staff!"

On the second try, a large, snake-shaped staff was brought out to him. Kai had heard about it, but he hadn't seen it for himself yet. There was a crystal in the snake's mouth that glowed with a myriad of colors.

"The Staff of Elements. It holds the power of your fallen foes, and soon it will hold all but one. For the last standing in my tournament will win this prize and be the greatest fighter ever in the history of Ninjago!"

Skylor bolted up from her seat. "That's a lie! What about the spell?"

"Spell? What spell?" Clouse asked innocently.

"He's lying," she pleaded to the other fighters. "I know, I . . . I . . ." She hesitated, then turned to the Master of the Mind. "Neuro, tell everyone what I showed you. You read my thoughts, you know all about it. Chen wants the staff for himself, doesn't he?"

Neuro looked from Skylor to Clouse and back again. Kai leaned forward into his field of vision, glowering at him conspicuously. Neuro gulped and stammered, "I – I don't remember. Truthfully I'm a bit more interested in knowing more about that staff."

Kai took the opportunity to speak up. "How do we know you're not lying?" Skylor whipped around and glared at him. "You probably just want the staff for yourself."

"Yeah," Griffon said. "Why should we be so quick to believe everything you say?"

Skylor looked around helplessly. But she could tell that she was beaten, so she sat back down. Kai wanted to feel some measure of pride for the fact that she was finally the one who was at a disadvantage, but part of him didn't like to see her so helpless.

"Oh thank goodness," Jay sighed in relief. "I thought Chen had lost it for a minute there."

Kai would have argued that he already had, but that was besides the point. "We're lucky that Neuro's smart enough to keep his mouth shut. But we can't keep pushing our luck like this. I don't know what Chen has planned, but we better hope that it's good enough to defeat those girls. They're becoming more and more of an issue every day."

When he looked across the room again, his eyes met Skylor's. They held each other's gaze for a moment before she glanced away, crumpling something in her hand.

He wished she would stop looking at him like that . . . with those beautiful eyes . . . and that teasing grin . . . and –

Kai blinked as he realized that she wasn't even looking at him anymore. He glanced sideways at Jay wondering if he'd caught Kai gawking again. But Jay was too busy anxiously pushing his food around on his tray. Kai just wished that he didn't have to constantly be reminded of his own failure whenever he saw Skylor. But he wasn't going to fail again. It wouldn't be much longer, and then Chen's plan would finally come to fruition.

And maybe then Master Wu would finally let his ninja take Chen down.

Chapter Text

Cole was usually a very good leader. Zane had never doubted Master Wu's decision to put him in charge of the team because Cole had always proven to be the most responsible among them. But sometimes Cole's plans were a bit lacking.

For example, the fortune cookie plan. The chance that Cole's message would get to either Kai or Jay instead of any of the other fighters, or even Master Chen himself, were so low that Zane actually thought they had a better chance of talking Clouse into letting them go.

But Cole was nothing if not stubborn, and Zane didn't try to stop him. There was still some chance it would work, right? Cole's bizarre ideas didn't stop there, though.

Zane now watched Cole as he was chased through the factory by a dozen guards, wreaking havoc as he threw fortune cookies in their faces and ate noodles straight out of the machine.

"Your friend is, eh . . . not so bright," said the Metal Master Karlof from where he stood next to Zane.

"He is, he just has unique methods," Zane responded. "This is part of the plan."

"If you ask me, best plan is to not make trouble."

But there was something about Cole sticking it to the guards that everyone enjoyed seeing, and even Karlof had to cheer alongside the other factory workers when Cole threw a crate at a handful of guards, shouting, "Let there be food!

Despite the fact that he knew what Cole's plan was, Zane had to restrain himself from intervening. They couldn't have the guards knowing that they were both trying to escape, or else security would be even tighter when they made their move.

Cole picked up a plate of fortune cookies, using it as a shield while the guards hacked at him with their spears. Then, with some fancy footwork, he used a discarded broom under his feet and spun so it knocked down his assailants. He threw the dish at more of the sentries behind him before running back to the noodle machine. In an impossible feat of culinary weaponry that Zane was certain defied all laws of physics, Cole used a lengthy cord of noodles to lasso a beam in the roof and glide over the guards' heads.

"Woohoo!" he cheered, having the time of his life.

Then the noodles snapped under his weight and Zane darted forward to catch him, but was beaten by the cult general, Zugu.

"Got you!" Zugu said triumphantly when he seized the powerless ninja.

In response, Cole burped in his face, making Zane wince. He knew what it was like to be on the wrong end of one of Cole's burps.

"Now I feel better," Cole said, grinning. "You got any cake?"

"Heh, too bad," Karlof said, turning away. "Like I said: don't make trouble, you don't get trouble."

Zane didn't bother trying to tell him otherwise. No one else needed to know that it had all worked out exactly as planned, or else all the captives in the factory would want to come with them. But Zane would have to wait until later that night to see if their plan really had worked or not.

That very night, Zane had yet another dream. The falcon appeared once again, and Zane soon found himself chasing it through the jungle on Chen's island. He needed to follow it, to see where it would land. Somehow he felt that if he did, then everything would be fixed. He and Cole would be free, Garmadon's ninja would leave Zane's friends alone, and Ninjago would be safe.

But as the falcon flew ahead, it seemed to leave behind a trail of despair. Everything behind it was dark and gloomy, wilting and dying. But ahead, Zane could see light.

And there was a figure, standing at the end of the path. But no matter how fast or how long he ran, Zane couldn't get any nearer.

"Zane!" the figure called out. "Zane!"

He awoke with a start and found himself back in the cell beneath Chen's island. He realized quickly that it had really been Cole calling his name.

"Come on, we have to hurry," Cole said from where he knelt at his side. The door was wide open.

"Right." The two crept out of the cell, glancing down both sides of the hallway. It was late, and there was one guard on the far end of the corridor, but he was fast asleep. Another would be making his rounds soon, but they would have a few moments to sneak down an adjacent unseen.

Zane followed Cole as he tip-toed down the hall past the other cell doors. The rest of the prisoners would be asleep now, too.

"Zane."

Zane cringed when he heard a soft voice call his name. He turned to one of the doors to see Pixal gazing at him from between the bars. Of course. She probably didn't even need to sleep.

"I see you've managed to break free," she observed.

Cole had paused as well. "You got that right. We'd bring you along, except that your one of our enemies and all. I'm sure you understand."

Pixal's expression was blank, but she nodded. "Of course. It would be foolish of you to free me without good reason. So I will give you one: if you do not open this door immediately, then I will alert that guard of your attempt to escape."

Cole's face fell. Zane glanced at the guard, who at that moment shifted in his seat. It wouldn't take much to wake him. Zane could see that Cole was going over it in his mind, probably trying to determine whether they could run fast enough to get away. It wasn't likely.

Sighing, Zane relented. "We have no choice. Unlock the door." Cole gave him a look, probably wondering at the fact that Zane had seemed to give in so easily. "The longer we stand here, the more likely we are to be caught."

Cole was clearly not happy about it, but he unlocked the door anyway.

"Thank you," Pixal said. "Now follow me."

Again, Cole looked to Zane for his opinion. "She is an android," Zane pointed out. "She is more likely to have learned how to navigate these tunnels."

"Yeah, but what if it's a trick?"

Pixal paused when she realized that they were not following, and kept her distance to allow them to discuss in private.

"She would be putting herself in as much risk. And besides, she would have awakened the guard already, if she were to break her promise. No, our chances are much better if we go with her."

"Alright, fine. But stay on your toes. I still don't trust her."

When they moved to follow her, Pixal continued, jogging ahead through the low tunnels. Zane recognized some of the paths they took, but he had only seen so much of this underground labyrinth, while Pixal appeared to have the entire layout memorized.

The halls were dirty and dim, as was everything else down here, and the air was stiff and dry. The way was lit by snake statues set at intervals along the tunnels. Their footsteps seemed loud to Zane as they dashed over the uneven stone, and there always seemed to be another turn up ahead, their path neverending.

Zane didn't like not knowing what was ahead, and worried that they would happen upon a guard at any moment. There were many alternate routes along the way, and the paths twisted and curved in on themselves. None of this seemed to faze Pixal, however, as she seemed to know exactly where she was heading. Zane had to admit, he was very grateful to have her here.

But it wasn't long after they had left their prison cells behind that an inhuman cry echoed through the stone corridor. Pixal slowed to a stop and listened.

Zane looked around, trying to catch the source of it. "I'm not familiar with that sound . . ." He couldn't fathom what kind of creature would have a call like that. But he had heard the other prisoners speaking of a monster living in these tunnels, and there was no telling what kind of wildlife had developed on this island.

"Do you think they realized we're gone?" Cole wondered.

"By now it's likely –" Pixal broke off and she tensed up. "We need to move."

Zane followed her gaze down the tunnel. He couldn't help his curiosity. He could feel it now, too, a tremor in the earth as something massive rumbled through the tunnels.

It was silent now. The end of the corridor was full of shadows.

Then a pair of pink dots appeared.

Then a pair of white points.

And finally, a slim, pink tongue.

"Run!" Cole grabbed a hold of Zane's arm and Pixal ran ahead as the beast roared behind them. It quickly began to gain on them, and Zane could feel its hot breath on his heels. He heard its jaws snap shut behind him, barely missing by a few centimeters.

They finally gained some ground in a low corridor, but then Pixal stopped short at a dead end. "This shouldn't be here," she murmured as she reached out to touch the wall that blocked her path. Then she jerked her hand back. "This is no wall – the snake has blocked our path!" Zane observed that the wall did indeed appear to have scales.

Cole began to back up. "Come on, we need to find another way." Zane and Pixal followed him as he ran back down the tunnel. The serpent slithered past at a distance, cutting them off.

Cole came up short again. "Argh! Another dead end!"

Indeed the snake followed and blocked off every turn, slowly drawing closer as it navigated through the tunnels with ease. They soon found themselves stuck, with no other way out.

"The serpent's strategy . . ." Zane started.

"It appears to be surrounding us and coiling inward," Pixal finished.

"Very clever."

"Yeah, well, my strategy is not to be eaten." As Cole said this, the snake launched itself at him. Zane barely had enough time to shove him out of the way, and they all dived into the only place left, a tiny alcove.

The large beast was fast on their heels, and before they knew it they were trapped. It hissed and roared, before throwing itself at them again. The ninja dodged, and the serpent crashed head-first into the wall.

"I don't suppose either of you have any ideas?" Cole called over the hissing.

Zane, for one, was fresh out. There was no apparent means of getting past the snake, and even if there was, it knew these tunnels better than they did and was much too fast.

No, he scolded himself. That's not what Master Wu would want. Even if we're outmatched, we can't give up. He glanced at Pixal and saw that she had a far-off look in her eye.

"Calculating escape routes," she said aloud.

The snake was recovering from its self-inflicted blow, shaking off the stars and preparing to attack again. In an instant Pixal was on her knees.

"I hope you have a plan?" Cole said, pressed flat against the wall.

The girl rested a palm flat on the stone and raised her opposite fist. "Down!" She struck the ground. Her fist went straight through the stone and the ground cracked before giving way beneath their feet. The boys yelped in surprise as they fell through the hole and landed in yet another tunnel below.

"Whoa! What was that?"

"My enhanced strength. It would be impossible for Chen to take it from me because its part of my original design."

"Oh come on, that's not fair!"

Zane was already on his feet. "We must keep moving." He nodded to Pixal. "Lead the way."

The serpent's cries echoed behind them, but for now they were safe. There wasn't any conversation as they ran, all ears straining to catch the hiss or slither of a large creature on their tails. But any other sound was obscured by heavy breathing and hurried footsteps.

Pixal suddenly stopped and snatched Cole and Zane by the collars of their jumpsuits, tugging them down behind an outcropping. A moment later, Zane picked up on the sound of voices approaching.

"What was that for?" Cole asked rather loudly. Zane shushed him, and he said nothing else.

"They've ordered everyone after some stowaways on the island," said one voice as footsteps steadily drew closer.

"What about the escaped factory workers?" asked a second.

"Forget them. Chen will make sure the other workers pay for their actions." Then the guard sighed. "Poor saps."

As soon as they were out of sight, Zane was on his feet again. "Hurry, the exit is just around the bend." He recognized this tunnel, at least. They were nearly home-free.

He and Cole started to make a break for it. But Zane noticed that Pixal didn't follow immediately. He paused, wondering why she would hesitate now, when freedom was so close.

"Pixal? Is something wrong?"

"No. You two go. I must stay."

Cole and Zane exchanged a look. "Well, fine, whatever," Cole said with a shrug. "That's what we wanted in the first place. Come on, Zane."

But Zane couldn't leave. Not yet. "But why? We're nearly there."

Pixal turned to face him fully and drew herself up to her full height. "A ninja doesn't save herself when others are in danger. She protects the weak and powerless." Pixal looked back down the tunnel, the way they had come. "I must return to the factory and save the rest of the prisoners."

"What about your friends?" Zane asked, trying to understand. "They need you."

"Zane!" Cole hissed.

"My friends will be fine without me." She started back down the tunnel.

Zane looked to Cole and held his gaze. "She's right."

Cole hesitated for a moment longer before his features crumbled. "I know." He sighed. "We can't leave those guys to suffer our consequences. Let's go, I guess."

So the boys hurried to catch up with Pixal, and she led them back toward the factory that they had just nearly escaped from.

Chapter Text

In the morning, Master Chen had all the remaining fighters loaded onto a blimp for the next round. Skylor was glad when Garmadon followed them on board. She wasn't sure what would happen next, but ever since he had arrived, she felt like their luck had changed.

Well, mostly. As the Elemental Masters crowded into the blimp's hull and the ship took off into the sky, she picked up on the dark glares and contemptuous sneers thrown back and forth. Skylor blamed herself for letting their brief alliance fall apart. If she would have just told them the truth . . . .

But despite the fact that she had told her friends about her heritage, she wasn't ready to reveal it to everyone. She didn't want everyone to know that Master Chen was her father. Somehow she felt that, by acknowledging her family, that made it more real than if she managed to ignore it. And if admitting to it made it true, if he was her father and she was his daughter – admitting to it would be like admitting she was like him.

Skylor didn't want to be like her father.

When she had first left the island, all she wanted was to get away for a while, to have a chance to be her own person. To her surprise, she found more than she had wanted, and even found a family with her fellow ninja. Now it felt like her father would stop at nothing to take that away. Being back home, she was starting to realize more and more how wrong her father was. She didn't want to let him ruin her new family with his schemes, and she didn't want to let him hurt any other families in Ninjago, either.

And yet . . . she still loved him. Was that wrong? If he was the bad guy and she was trying to defeat him, could she still love him? Did he still love her?

Skylor tried to push these thoughts aside as the blimp climbed higher in the air. This round was unexpected territory for her, and she needed to stay focused. At first glance, the blimp's cabin appeared to be spacious, but as she looked around, she could see that it wasn't big enough for all the hostility compressed inside.

Jay was currently glaring at Griffon across the aisle in a completely unnecessary macho staring contest. "What are you looking at, Zippy?" he asked.

"The next one out of the tournament," Griffon replied coolly.

Jay simply chuckled as if that was the most absurd thing he'd ever heard.

"What's wrong, Shadow?" Kai taunted. "Worried you're gonna lose?"

Shade curled his lip. "The only thing I'm worried about is how I'm gonna use all your elements when I win."

Kai was still giving Skylor the cold shoulder. But she was finished with trying to figure out what had come between them and just let him go. There were more important things to worry about. That was why she didn't tell him about the note she had found in her fortune cookie the day before.

At her father's feast, Skylor had happened to get a fortune cookie with a message from the Master of Earth saying that he and Zane were planning an escape. She supposed that he had been hoping it would reach Kai or Jay by chance, but it had just so happened to fall into her hands instead. Skylor had considered telling Kai about it, but he had been so finicky lately, she didn't think he'd want to hear anything from her.

Their alliance with Master Chen was becoming more confusing every day. If the boys were supposed to be allies with him, why would he have imprisoned Zane and Cole in the factory alongside the other fighters? What's more, it concerned Skylor to think that he may have taken their powers and the Golden Weapons. The longer this tournament continued, the stronger he was becoming. Then again, maybe it wasn't all that shocking that he would betray them. Skylor knew that her father would do just about anything to achieve his goal for power.

Skylor was stirred from her thoughts again when, next to her, Paleman whistled a crude tune. Seliel tensed on her other side, and Skylor managed to catch her fist before it could connect with his face.

"Ignore him," she said. "You know the rules." Seliel reluctantly lowered her fist, but Skylor knew that she was one to hold a grudge. She'd probably find a way to get back at him later on.

"Tensions are high," Garmadon observed.

Nya was looking out the window. "As high as us? Because you can hardly see the island from up here."

Skylor glanced out the window and found that there were tufts of cloud drifting below them, and in the wide blue blanket of the ocean lay a small shape like a green paint splatter.

"Know anything about this round?" Nya asked.

Skylor shook her head. "No, I don't remember anything about a blimp or even leaving the island at all. This must be new. I can't figure out what his plan is."

"I've had enough of this!"

Skylor's attention was drawn when Neuro got up from his seat and rushed towards the front of the cabin. "I can't stand heights! Where's Chen?" He threw open the door to the pilot's area and gasped. Skylor leaned forward with the other fighters to see that the cabin was void of any people.

Just then, a screen centered on the control panel flickered to life, and an image of Skylor's father appeared.

"How do I know if this thing's on?" he was muttering to himself. The fighters all stood and made their way to the cockpit, curious. Skylor's father was having difficulty understanding the video system, and Skylor felt embarrassed by his incompetence. It's not like it was hard. Not like executing a triple back flip or anything.

The camera was zoomed in close and his headdress blocked out most everything else. Based on the lighting, however, she would have guessed that he was outside.

He was still mumbling to himself when he finally seemed to realize that the camera was going. "Oh, I'm on? Right now? Ahem." Skylor's father tried to right himself and regain his dramatic air. "Hello, final ten. I see that you are all eager for the tournament to commence so one of you can win my Staff of Elements! Instead of fighting for a Jadeblade, today you will be fighting for something different." On-screen, Skylor's father pressed a button and the image changed to a bird's-eye-view of the jungle. The screen zoomed in on a figure, and the girls gasped.

"Lloyd," their sensei whispered.

"We have an uninvited guest on the island," Skylor's father said.

"Chen!" Garmadon shouted. "What have you done with Misako?"

Skylor's father waved a hand dismissively. "She's fine, fine. No elemental powers to take, anyway. Now, if you don't mind, I was about to explain the rules to the competitors." He cleared his throat before continuing. "Find the boy and you will automatically move on . . . to the final round!"

"That's what this is about?" Nya asked in a hushed voice. "Finding Lloyd?"

"If everyone is trying to hunt him down, he won't stand a chance," Skylor said. She had been certain that Lloyd and Misako would have made it off the island by now, but something must have gone wrong. She looked to Kai, wondering if he knew anything about this, but his expression gave nothing away.

Seliel was reaching for her hood. "Oh yes he does. He's got us." She tugged her mask over her face and the rest of them did the same.

"In ten seconds the bottom will drop." The fighters gasped. This high in the air? Even Skylor had to wonder what he was thinking. "But to show you I'm not a bad man, I've given you ten parachutes."

At his word, parachutes dropped from the cabin's ceiling behind the fighters. Then the floor slowly parted, and Skylor shoved through the other fighters as they all tried to grab a chute for themselves.

She only paused when she heard her father say, "Oh, that's right, Sensei Garmadon is there, too. Shoot, that makes eleven. Oh well, I was never good at math, heh. Toodle-oo!"

Great, Skylor thought. Now what? There weren't enough parachutes, but the girls had to save their Sensei, as well.

The floor was getting wider and wider, and Skylor couldn't stand up straight anymore. She felt her feet sliding on the tilted plane and she had to catch herself on the other side of the floor before she fell. Everyone was clinging desperately to both sides of the blimp's cabin as the open air gaped beneath them.

Skylor risked a look down at the island below. It was so far, she could have covered it with her thumb, if she wasn't already holding on for dear life. But they wouldn't be able to hold for much longer. Skylor braced herself as the floor inched further away and her fingers began to slip. But there was no use fighting it. Skylor took a deep breath, and as the floor stretched out of her grasp, she let go.

All at once the fighters dropped into the open air. The wind whipped into Skylor's face and through her hair as the parachutes, too, fluttered towards the ground around them. She tried to steady her racing heart. The shouting around her was almost drowned out by the wind roaring past her ears. The island still miles away, Skylor closed her eyes and tried to focus.

She needed a plan. Obviously the most important thing was to get herself a parachute –no! Her teammates needed chutes first. Seliel, Nya, and Sensei Garmadon. And herself. But there weren't enough. Once they had them, landing would be simple. Then they could track down Lloyd and regroup. After that, well, who knew what would happen?

All this went through Skylor's mind in an instant, and she flicked her eyes open again.

A couple of fighters had already caught a parachute and now floated high above her head. There was a chute not far from her, and she stretched out one hand to grab it. But just as her fingers grazed the material, a figure whipped by with a maniacal laugh, snatching it away.

"Shade!" she yelled as his chute bloomed into view.

But there was no time to waste on anger. Skylor was scanning the open sky for another one when something knocked her on the head. She was dazed for a moment before realizing that it was another parachute. Skylor seized it without hesitation, then found one of her friends in the air.

"Seliel!" she called, though her words were likely taken by the wind before they could reach. She caught Seliel's eye and flung the pack to her. She could see her friend's shock, but didn't dwell on it and turned her attention away. They couldn't very well toss the chute back and forth until they both hit the ground.

Just as she spotted Nya in the distance, the water ninja pulled the string on her own pack and was buoyed safely up. That was two taken care of. Most of the other fighters had found their chutes by now, including Wu's ninja. Now she only needed to worry about herself and Garmadon.

Except that there still weren't enough chutes. And the island was drawing closer every second.

Think, she told herself, trying to remember what other resources she had available. Even if she had a weapon, it wouldn't be much use in this situation, and she doubted that Spinjitzu could lessen her fall. She couldn't even be sure that she could use her elemental power anymore. It had been two days since her fight with Zane, and his ice powers had to be waning.

Another parachute – the last, by the looks of it – fell through space between her and her teacher below. Skylor drew her arms in so that she could get closer to Garmadon and snatched up the chute on the way.

"We'll have to share it," she told him above the wind.

"They're only built for one," he answered and she knew he was right. He opened his mouth to say something else, and she could see in his eyes that it would be something she wouldn't like.

So she yanked on the string and shoved him away, along with her last chance. His cries of objection were carried away on the wind, so she ignored him, focusing on her own survival.

But she couldn't see a way out of this. Perhaps she had been a little too selfless.

Dad wouldn't let me die, she told herself, trying to believe it was true. She had betrayed him after all . . . but he still cared about her, right?

Skylor closed her eyes and tried not to think about the ground that was speeding towards her like a bullet. She tried to relax as much as possible. Her father wanted to play games, she could, too.

At least if this didn't work, she wouldn't have to suffer the disappointment.

Her heart pounded even faster as she waited, her survival instinct screaming at her that she was wrong and stupid and needed to find another way right now. But she refused to give in. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter, fighting the temptation to see how much closer she was. Seconds passed without her trying to slow her descent, and she could only imagine how her friends must feel, watching helplessly from above.

Skylor tried to have faith in her father, but it was really difficult with the earth rushing towards her and the wind roaring in her ears. Come on, Dad, come on! Every muscle in her body was tense, and no matter how hard she tried to stay calm, her breaths came rapidly. She was growing impatient, scared even – but she told herself that she had to stay strong.

Just then, she did feel something. Something cold washing over her, like plunging into the icy ocean at dawn. And she began to slow down. Skylor smiled and opened her eyes ever so slightly.

As she did, she broke through the canopy of trees. Skylor curled up, arms covering her head as branches snapped past and some poked and scraped at her clothes, but they, too, were helping to break her fall as she began to slow down considerably. Suddenly, she jerked to a stop mere inches above the ground.

Feeling very relieved and a bit cheeky, she called out, "Thanks, Dad!"

Then she was released and fell hard on the dirt ground. A few residual sparks of Clouse's magic flickered in the air like fireflies before winking out.

Seriously. Thank you.

Skylor didn't want to waste any more time as she scrambled to stand on shaky feet and then dashed through the jungle. She felt energized after her near-death experience, and she hoped the adrenaline wouldn't wear off too soon. Most of all, she was thrilled to know, to have proven, that her father still cared about her. Despite all that had come between them, he wouldn't let anything happen to her. And best of all, now she knew that she was her own greatest weapon.

Chapter Text

"Hello, combatants!" Chen's irritatingly jubilant voice rang over the loudspeakers in the jungle. "I have left a few treats to help you in the hunt. I hope you use them wisely."

"Yeah, right," Nya grumbled. "Probably all booby trapped." She pushed through the foliage, scanning for any sign of Lloyd or her friends. Her heart was still racing from the deathly fall, not to mention that crazy stunt Skylor had pulled. Nya had really thought that her friend wasn't going to make it. But at the last minute, she'd seen the tell-tale misty violet of Clouse's magic catch her. And after Skylor disappeared into the trees, Nya had caught a glimpse of orange darting beneath the canopy.

So she knew that Skylor was safe, with a head start, no less. She just hoped that she had already found Lloyd, and they were both safe.

Another flash of color between the foliage and Nya spotted a familiar face.

"Sensei Garmadon!" She ran over to him, already feeling more hopeful. "I'm glad I found you. Maybe if we meet up with the others we'll be able to find Lloyd faster."

Sensei Garmadon nodded, but he seemed distracted, troubled. And who could blame him? "If we're going to find Lloyd before the others do, we've got a lot of ground to cover."

The two of them continued on, eyes peeled for any glimpse of their allies – or their enemies. Nya pointed out footprints that looked small enough to be Lloyd's and they followed the tracks through the dense foliage. They both remained quiet as they walked, giving Nya time to think. She wondered what the point was, in having them chase down Lloyd. Chen seemed to think that everything was just a game. But surely he knew that, with the three ninja and Garmadon still playing, their chances of finding Lloyd would be greater.

Nya wished that they would have been able to convince the other fighters of Chen's true plan. That would have made this much easier. Yet, in this round, the majority of competitors would be eliminated. Then Chen's plan would be nearly complete, and she worried that he may even be too powerful to stop. Nya wondered just how much power he would really need to do the spell.

Speaking of which . . .

"Sensei, Skylor told us that Master Chen's spell would turn him and all of his allies into Serpentine. I know what you said before, but . . . well, I guess I'm still having a hard time believing that they really existed. We've seen some pretty crazy stuff, but nothing like that. You really fought against them?"

Garmadon nodded and ducked under a low-hanging branch. "Man and Serpentine did not get along back then. War broke out when the Serpentine struck, and the Alliance of Elemental Masters rose up against them."

"And my parents?"

"Your parents, the Masters of Water and Fire, were a part of that Alliance. None of them had ever faced the likes of an Anacondrai Warrior before. They were bigger, smarter, and natural leaders on the battlefield." Garmadon held aside some of the thick leaves for Nya to pass through. "They were a proud tribe who fought with every ounce of venom. There was no greater warrior in the land. And with them in command, they proved to be too much for the Alliance to handle."

Nya watched the muddy ground passing under her feet. She could still make out Lloyd's footprints as they went. "Why didn't my parents ever tell me?"

"I don't think they planned for you to be a part of this world, Nya. And, I think the Serpentine Wars are something we all tried to forget."

"Hmm." Nya was quiet again until she remembered something else. "Didn't you say that Wu fought with you as well?"

"Wu was Chen's pupil before he chose to side with us in the war."

"So Wu turned against Chen . . . but now his ninja are working for him?"

Garmadon heaved a sigh. "Yes, it seems that they have formed an alliance in respect to their old ties. Or maybe they just plan to use each other."

The tracks led them to a mossy log that loomed in their path. Nya hopped onto the trunk and paused. "Well . . . if Wu fought on the side of good at one time, isn't that a good sign? Maybe he's not completely evil." Like my brother. She couldn't help the thought flashing through her mind, still hopeful, like a glint of light on a rolling sea.

Garmadon climbed over the log himself, but Nya stayed where she was, dangling her feet over the edge as she listened. "It's true that it took time for the evil inside to fully consume him. But no, I don't think that my brother cared so much about what would happen to humanity. He had . . . other reasons for fighting with us. But that part of him is gone now, and there is nothing in this world that he cares about more than conquering Ninjago for himself.

"He and I were the sons of the First Spinjitzu Master," Garmadon continued as Nya listened with fascination. "And together with the Elemental Alliance, we stood a fighting chance. But Chen's influence changed all that. He found a way to turn the Alliance against each other, and at that point it looked as if the battle was all but lost. But in our darkest hour, we found hope. And hope found a way to win the war."

"So did you put them away, like Pixal said?"

"Yes, the tribes were separated and locked away in tombs. Chen and Clouse were exiled. And the Anacondrai Generals were given the strictest sentence: banishment to the Cursed Realm, so that they will never set foot in Ninjago again."

"And now Chen is trying to bring the war back," Nya concluded. She hopped off the log and landed on solid ground. "Wow. I can't believe all those stories are true."

Garmadon smiled a little. "Maybe not all of them. History tends to become a little distorted over time. But, more or less."

Nya took another glance at the tracks, remembering their mission. "We better hurry. Someone else might have noticed these by now."

Garmadon didn't say anything in response, but they picked up the pace. Nya couldn't fathom what he must be feeling. She only hoped that, wherever Lloyd was, he could hold out for just a little longer.

After Cole and Zane and Pixal had snuck back into the factory, it was surprisingly easy for Pixal to convince a few of the imprisoned masters to agree to work with them. Word quickly spread, and within a day she had the whole factory of workers under her thumb. Cole could have sworn it wasn't natural, that whoever had built her must have added some sort of ability to charm people in addition to her enhanced strength. It would certainly explain why he and Zane had agreed to her crazy plan of coming back.

The factory had turned out to be the perfect place to hide because, not only were they able to keep an eye on which fighters lost the tournament and how many people they had yet to get out, but the noise of the machinery was also perfect for masking their voices so the three of them could discuss a plan in secret. Then they just had to wait for the chance to talk with all the rest of the prisoners. That chance soon came when all the guards were removed to try and hunt down the missing prisoners, and the factory was locked down.

They'd been brainstorming for hours now, but Chen's facilities seemed to be airtight. At one point, they'd been considering sneaking out through the sewer system, but then Pixal calculated that the pipes wouldn't be able to hold everyone's weight. It might have been possible if they had a couple less people, or if Pixal wasn't made entirely of metal. Of course, she had insisted on being left behind so that the rest of them could escape, but Cole and Zane agreed that it would defeat the purpose of coming back in the first place.

All the other prisoners were gathered around Cole where he was seated on one of the conveyor belts, lending their ideas for a successful escape. Among them were Masters Karlof, Camille, Gravis, Toxikita, Bolobo, Ash, and Jacob. So far, no one had been able to come up with any useful ideas.

Cole groaned as he crumpled up the page on which he had been trying to picture their most recent idea. "Okay, so maybe rolling ourselves up into giant egg rolls isn't the best plan," he said as he tossed away the paper ball. He was starting to wonder if coming back was even worth it, when freedom had been so near. "Anyone else have another idea?"

"Karlof used to be aeronautical engineer back in Metalonia," said the metal master. "Work on Roto jets. Just one could take out entire army!"

"Oh, great idea," Cole said dryly. "But two things: we don't have a Roto jet and what good is a jet if we're underground!"

At this rate, Chen's guards would be back before they could come up with anything, and who even knew how soon that would be? They would lose their only chance to come up with a decent plan. Cole was really starting to think that this was a mistake. If Master Wu was here, he probably would have seen this coming and advised Zane and Cole to leave the other prisoners and escape on their own. That's probably what they should have done in the first place.

"What is it, Pixal?" Zane asked. The android was looking around the room, her eyes narrowed as if in concentration.

After a moment, she said, "Perhaps we do have a Roto jet."

Cole looked around now, too, as did the other factory workers. He didn't see a jet anywhere.

But Zane caught on quicker than the rest. "That's it! Pixal, you've solved it!"

Pixal eyes shone, and she grinned in a way that was almost real. "We can get parts from the fortune cookie machine for the engine."

"And parts from the noodle machine for the controls."

"Yes! And practically anything will work as projectiles."

"What are you talking about?" Cole asked, incredulous. They didn't really think this could work, did they? What would they do with a jet that didn't even have room to fly? These two were supposed to be the smartest people here!

Zane ignored him. "Karlof, do you still remember the schematics of it?"

Karlof nodded proudly. "Of course."

"Then it's settled," Pixal announced, suddenly taking charge. "Karlof and I will create a blueprint. Zane, you give everyone a list of parts to find."

Cole watched, incredulous, as everyone immediately ran off to do as she said. "But – we're – underground!"

No one would listen.

Cole sighed and lay on his back. Truly, they would never get out of here. He just hoped that Kai and Jay were having better luck aboveground.

Chapter Text

Kai was sure of only one thing: he'd had it with Chen.

Kai and Jay had gotten a brief overview of this round and how they were expected to help find the kid along with any other fighters, but Chen had said nothing about dropping them out of the sky. That guy was seriously a few logs short of a bonfire. Or maybe he just knew that Kai and Jay would have never agreed to it.

Either way, Kai was tired of working for him. He trudged through the jungle, grumbling to himself, hardly looking for anyone at all. What was Chen doing, having them track down some kid, anyway? Kai recognized him as Garamdon's son, the same kid he had seen with the girls when they were spying on them before. He had disappeared from the tournament altogether after that, and Kai had almost forgotten about him. The kid had probably just gotten loose and Chen was using this as a way to clean up his own mess.

Kai was broken from his thoughts when something rustled in the undergrowth nearby. He whirled around, eyes scanning for movement. He thought he glimpsed a face and pulled out his golden sword, the blade lit aflame. "Whoever's there, I'm fired up!" he called.

Skylor slowly emerged, removing her mask. "It's just me."

Of course. It just had to be her. Kai huffed as he turned away, extinguishing his sword as he went.

"Hey, wait up!" Skylor hurried after him. "This is silly. At least tell me why you're so upset. What did I do?"

Kai pulled up short and rounded on her. "You used me!" How could she not understand why he would be mad about that?

Skylor frowned. "What, you mean the kiss? You said it yourself before, I was just trying to win. Besides, you used Nya to get the Sword of Fire, remember?" she said, nodding to the sword in his hand. "How was that any different?"

"Because –" Kai paused, trying to think of a way to explain why it bothered him so much. Why he could be mad at her, and not the other way around. "Because . . . that was serious!" he said. "I had to get the sword. But this is all just a game to you."

"Of course it's not!" Skylor said, crossing her arms. "I did mean it."

Kai glared at her a while longer. A part of him wanted to believe her. But he couldn't trust anything she said anymore. "Did you?" he asked. "Or are you just saying that so you can get my element again?"

Skylor shook her head. "You know what? Fine. I don't have time for this, I need to find Lloyd."

She had started to turn away when Kai said, "So you do know the kid."

"Yes, and he is just a kid, who you're chasing through the jungle."

Kai shrugged and answered in a tone that bordered on mocking, "Well I'm just trying to win."

"Don't you see that this is wrong? How can you keep saying that we're the bad guys when you're the ones hunting down an innocent child?"

Kai hesitated. When she put it that way, it did sound kind of wrong. But he was just following orders – Chen's orders. And if Kai was right, Chen was a madman who couldn't be trusted – he was nothing like Master Wu.

"I just thought that it was part of Chen's stupid game," he lied, scrambling to defend himself.

Skylor scoffed. "Don't try to play dumb. We already know that you've teamed up with my father to make sure we lose the tournament."

Kai was about to retort, but paused. Had she just said what he thought she said? ". . . Your father? Chen is –"

"Yeeeesss!" Skylor jumped at the sound of Chen's voice as he took shape nearby. "And now your time in the tournament is over, dear Skylor. Take her!"

Skylor bolted, but Kai was too shocked to follow. Chen rolled his eyes and, with a wave of his chromatic staff, a vine sprung up in front of Skylor, tripping her. It wrapped tightly around her foot as more vines snaked towards her. Kai wasn't sure what to do, he could only look on as Skylor tried to tear herself free. But the vines were too supple to break. Desperate, she tried to freeze a vine that coiled itself around her arm, but all she got were little spurts of frost.

Kai just couldn't watch. He had to turn away as shame flared up inside him. He had known, ever since the tournament started, that his mission was to capture Skylor and the rest of her teammates and present them to Master Chen so he could take their elemental powers away. And yet, he didn't want to be the one responsible for Skylor's fall. He felt like he had betrayed her just as he had betrayed Nya.

Maybe Skylor was right about him. Maybe he had become the bad guy.

It was already getting dark. The sun had disappeared behind the dense jungle trees and the light was fading. The air had grown cooler, and Nya was worried about how much more difficult it would be to find Lloyd after dark. He might be in even more danger if he was running around the jungle without being able to see well. It also concerned her that they hadn't run into any of their teammates yet either.

"Maybe he's hiding somewhere," she said as she and Sensei Garmadon pressed on. She didn't know why this thought gave her comfort. It would only mean they would have a harder time finding him. But at least it would mean he was probably safe as well.

Sensei Garmadon was silent for a long while. Nya wished she could give him some encouragement, but it was hard to think of anything she could say when it all just felt like lies. They didn't know where Lloyd was, they didn't know if someone had already found him or even if Seliel and Skylor were alright. It was hard not to let the hopelessness overtake her.

Finally, Garmadon said, "Chen didn't bring us out here so we could find Lloyd and take him home. There's something more going on here."

"But . . ." Nya hesitated. "What would be the point? We're already outnumbered. The chances that someone else could catch him first . . ." She didn't want to finish. The chances that someone else would find Lloyd first were higher than she wanted to admit.

Sensei Garmadon shook his head. "He wouldn't want to run that risk. This has to have been a distraction for something greater. Lloyd may be in danger, but so are we."

"Then . . . what is his plan?"

Garmadon didn't answer, but halted suddenly.

"What is it?" Nya whipped her head around, looking for any sign of danger. Then she followed her sensei's gaze to the distant trees, and a moment later, a figure came running towards them at breakneck speed. "It's Lloyd!"

"Dad!" he called out when he saw them. Coming out of the brush behind him, Nya saw that he was being chased by the blue ninja.

As soon as she saw Jay, Nya grew angry. That ninja just didn't know when to quit, did he? She summoned the power within her, building up a reservoir she could unleash on him once Lloyd was out of the way. Jay's eyes met hers and he halted.

He raised his hands in surrender. "Whoah, wait a minute, can't we talk this out?"

Nya glared at him, furious. "You're chasing my friend! There's not much to talk about."

He took a step back. "Okay, that's fair, but –"

Nya cut him off. "Sorry," she said without the least bit of remorse. "But someone told me I should save my hostility for the ring. And I've been saving this up for a while now."

Jay's eyes widened as he looked at her with what she hoped was fear. With Lloyd out of shot, she sprayed Jay with a jet of water that sent him sprawling on his back.

Garmadon reached out as his son waded towards them through the undergrowth, and as soon as he had his hand, they ran. Nya kept an eye out behind to make sure that Jay wasn't following them, but he seemed to have given up. When they had put some distance between themselves and Jay, Garmadon slowed to a stop.

He turned to Lloyd. "Are you alright?"

The boy was gasping for breath, his eyes wide with fear. "They took Mom! And Skylor and Seliel and – they took everyone!"

"It's okay, son, it's alright. I'm still here." Garmadon hugged his son close, trying to calm him down.

Nya stood by, trying to quiet her own nerves as the news sunk in. All her friends had been captured. What were they going to do now? Soon Chen would have nearly every element. He would be too powerful, and there would be no one strong enough to stop him.

Despite being captured and chained in element-blocking vengestone, Seliel had held out hope that one of the others would be able to find Lloyd. There wasn't any way for her to know, though, as she was being held captive now in the midst of the jungle, surrounded by the rest of the Elemental Masters that had been found by Chen's men. She found it ironic that, even though they'd had such a turbulent rivalry, now they had all ended up in the same place. She supposed that was what happened when losing sight of the true enemy.

Seliel gazed out into the trees as the sky grew darker and darker. Soon, shadows had overtaken the clearing, but Seliel was, in a way, relived. Every passing moment that her friends weren't there was a victory in itself. If Chen hadn't caught them yet, he wouldn't get their power and they could still fight him. And between Skylor and Garmadon and Nya, the chances of one of them finding Lloyd seemed pretty good.

But her heart sunk as, moments later, Skylor was dragged out of the forest, closely followed by her father. Kai trailed behind them, unrestrained, which wasn't much of a surprise to Seliel. But she couldn't miss how downcast Skylor looked. Seliel had been worried that something like this would happen, and she only wished Skylor would have listened.

With her own hands bound, Seliel couldn't reach out to her, but she said, "Sensei Garmadona and Nya are still out there. They can still save us."

But Master Chen overheard and chuckled darkly. "I'm counting on it!"

Seliel realized that he was right, and that their friends would only be playing into his hands by trying to rescue them. Chen began to laugh to himself, and for the first time since the tournament began, Seliel got the feeling that, maybe, Chen just might have a shot at winning.

Chapter Text

This is not over. This is not over. We still have a chance.

Seliel kept repeating these words of encouragement to herself as she and the other remaining fighters were marched through the island. Garmadon was still out there, along with Nya, Lloyd and maybe Misako, too. She couldn't give up hope yet.

Right now, it was just her and Skylor. She had been hoping that, if they put their heads together, they would be able to come up with something clever to escape. But it seemed that Skylor was too downcast to be of any help right now. Seliel wasn't sure they'd have been able to do anything, anyway. They were surrounded by Chen's henchmen, and with the vengestone cuffs around their wrists, they were unable to use their elements. It wasn't going to be easy.

The pounding beat of drums grew louder as they were led into a large room. They were underground, and so it was dimly lit by fires encircling the room. More of Master Chen's cult following were there, banging on their drums and chanting ominously. Their small group was led down a flight of stairs. At the bottom, Seliel could see that Clouse was waiting for them. And, surprise, surprise, Kai and Jay were there, too.

When the fighters were brought to a halt at the foot of the stairs, Seliel caught sight of Skylor and Kai exchanging a glance before they both looked away. Seliel glared at him. If she ever got the chance, she would see that Kai paid for all the hurt he'd caused her friends.

The elemental masters were forced to kneel as it was announced, "All rise for Master Chen."

Despite their dire situation, Seliel almost burst out laughing when she saw Master Chen, floating in on his throne. The staff was glowing with power as he utilized the elements to keep himself aloft.

"Look at me, I'm floating!" he gloated as his followers cheered him on. But the throne took a sudden, ungraceful dip as Chen struggled to maintain focus. "I got it, I got it," he assured them, righting himself. Then he shakily settled the throne next to Clouse on the platform. "I just got distracted by how awesome this place looks. Well done, Clouse. You've really set the mood."

Clouse nodded in appreciation of his master's praise.

"And look at this. Soon I'll have more power. It's good to be me!"

Seliel had had enough of this. "You may have caught us, Chen," she said, leaning forward against the chains that held the Elemental Masters together, "But you won't be able to catch Garmadon. He and Nya are still out there, and they'll soon return to defeat you once and for all."

Chen stood and gesticulated grandly. "Ah, yes. I bet right now he'll swoop down and save you in the very last moment and teach me a valuable lesson." His mocking tone set Seliel even more on edge. "Well, I'll wait. I love lessons." Chen sat back down.

But Seliel wasn't going to give him the chance. Now wasn't the time to wait, it was time to take action!

With a grunt, Seliel flipped forward, twisting the chain and dragging half of the other Elemental Masters forward with her. One of the guards was immediately upon her, but she kicked him in the stomach. His spear fell from his hand and she caught it. Despite being restrained, she was able to fend off a couple more guards and, for a moment, Seliel felt triumphant.

But before she could move again, she was racked with a splitting headache. She stumbled and then was shoved from behind and barely caught herself before she hit the ground, and the headache faded as quickly as it had come.

The henchmen recovered. As she was forced to her feet again, she caught a glimpse of Chen's staff, glowing with the elemental power he had just used on her. No one bothered to untangle the distorted chain and now she was even more trapped than before.

"Ooh, good try," Master Chen said, grinning smugly. "But sadly, not good enough. Now here's a lesson: don't be a sore loser!" He waved his staff as he shouted, "Only one can remain!"

Seliel gasped as she was gripped with cold and all of the adrenaline from her escape attempt was seeped out of her, until she was left weary and drained, as if she had just swam all the way to Ninjago and back. She fell to her knees, her head spinning. She barely registered Master Chen's voice as he gloated over his newfound power.

When Seliel recovered somewhat and looked up again, she was almost surprised to see that Master Chen was aiming his staff, not at the detained Elemental Masters, but at Kai and Jay.

"What do you think you're doing?" Kai growled. He and Jay both had their weapons out, ready to fight. They looked like a couple of scared, defensive animals, trapped at the end of a hunt.

"I need all the elemental power I can get," Master Chen said threateningly. "And you have outlived your usefulness to me."

"Master Wu won't like this!" Jay tried to threaten back, though there wasn't nearly as much force behind his words.

Master Chen just laughed. "Wu won't be able to stop me!"

"But there's nothing to take!" Kai argued. "All of our elemental power is in our weapons, and we're the only ones who can control them."

Master Chen pretended to think about it. "In that case, I suppose that you can go free . . . but then what am I going to do with these?" He pressed a button on his throne and a compartment opened from which he retrieved the golden scythe and shuriken.

"I knew it!" Kai's gaze burned with fury. "What did you do with them?"

"Same thing I'm going to do to you," Master Chen answered. "Now hold still!"

Kai and Jay's eyes darted around, looking for a way out. But before they could try anything, Chen shouted, "Only one can remain!"

Seliel wanted to feel some satisfaction as she watched Kai and Jay's powers being stolen from them as they finally got what was coming. But for some reason, it wasn't nearly as gratifying as she would have thought. Instead, it just felt more than ever like Chen had really won.

When the small spark of power that the boys had was gone and they were left incapacitated, Clouse stepped forward and removed their elemental weapons. Chen attached all four golden weapons to his staff, like a bunch of clunky ornaments. "The power is mine! All mine!" he shouted with glee.

A couple of guards seized Kai and Jay before they could get their strength back.

"Take them to the factory," Master Chen ordered. But before the group of powerless masters could be dragged more than couple of steps, Chen seemed to change his mind. "Wait." He stepped forward, his expression suddenly changed from malicious glee to something else. "Skylor?"

Skylor's gaze was fixed on the stone floor.

"My darling daughter. Are you ready to end this silly rebellion and come back to me? I promise, I will overlook everything you've done against me."

Seliel's heart broke when Skylor didn't even hesitate. "Okay."

"No!" Seliel struggled in the cuffs again, hoping against all odds that she could break free. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. If she could just teleport out of these chains, she could get them both out of here.

But nothing happened. All of her power was gone.

When Seliel opened her eyes again, Skylor was being released and led back to her father. "Skylor, I know you don't want to do this! Don't give up hope!"

"Forget it, Seliel. We never stood a chance in the first place. This is the way it has to be."

"That's not true!" But Seliel was already being forced away as she and the other masters were taken to the factory.

Master Chen chuckled and waved as they went. "Bye-bye!"

The last thing Seliel heard was Skylor call, "I'm sorry, Seliel!" before the door was shut between them.

In just one moment, everything had gone from going fine to going terrible.

Jay couldn't understand how they had let this happen. Even after having finally captured nearly all of Garmadon's students – meaning that for once they were succeeding in their mission – Chen had to go and turn on them like that.

This wasn't supposed to happen. What will Master Wu think? What if he leaves us here forever because we let him down? What if Chen's right and Wu can't stop him?

Now the group of ex-Elemental Masters had been forced to change into ill-fitting orange jumpsuits like prisoners and were being led to the alleged 'factory.'

"What are we going to do, Kai?" Jay asked desperately.

Kai was silent for a moment. "I don't know yet. But wherever they're taking us will probably be the same place Cole and Zane are. They might have a plan, or we'll at least be able to come up with one together."

"Pixal will have a plan," said the girl with the fuchsia hair, Seliel. "She always has a good plan."

Jay sighed. "I hope you're right." Otherwise, he had no idea what they were going to do.

"Hope is all we have left," Seliel said quietly. "We can't let them steal that, too."

They soon arrived at the factory, which Jay hadn't known until now was a noodle factory, which was apparently the backbone of Chen's Noodlehouse. Jay couldn't help but wonder how business would be affected if the world knew that the famous restaurant chain was built on slavery.

The technology itself was just sad, a clear sign of Chen's estrangement from the outside world. On the other hand, the security appeared to be the strongest part. There were guards all around and on the catwalks above where they could see everything. There was only exit, and that was well guarded, too.

One guard shoved Jay towards a conveyor belt and said, "Work!"

"Hey, no need to push," Jay said to the man's back as he walked away. He had half a mind to push him back, but he was in no position to be picking fights right now. "Ugh, this just gets better and better every the minute!" he griped. "How are we ever going to get out of here? There are guards everywhere you look!"

"Hey, stay positive," Seliel reminded him. "We'll find a way."

Kai crossed his arms. "Well I do know one thing. There is no way I'm doing any work for that backstabbing snake."

"At least that's something we can agree on," Seliel said, looking somewhat disgusted by the idea of taking the same side as him. "I hate to be the one to say it, but while we're here –"

She was interrupted by a loud, "Psst!" from nearby. The three ninja glanced across a conveyor belt and caught sight of a few familiar faces.

"Cole? Zane? Is that you?"

"Pixal!"

"Not so loud," Cole warned, glancing around. "They think we've escaped and don't know we're here."

"But, why would you come back?" Kai asked in bewilderment.

"We couldn't leave anyone behind," Pixal answered. "We're all going to break out. Together." Kai still seemed skeptical, but Jay was just glad to be reunited with their teammates.

"Correction," Zane said as he exchanged a look with Pixal. "We're going to build our way out."

Cole pointed at a contraption that was covered with a large tarp. The Master of Metal was hard at work on whatever lie beneath it. "They think we're fixing the noodle machine, but we're actually fixing a Rotojet."

"A Rotojet?" Kai said, still very doubtful. "But aren't we underground?"

"That's what I've been saying!" Cole burst out.

The metal master paused in his work to ask, "What happened to positive thinking?"

Another voice cut in from above. "No talking!" a guard shouted. "And hurry up with that noodle machine."

"Okay, okay. It will be ready soon," the Master of Metal reassured him in his thick Metalonian accent. "When ready, noodles will fly out of here."

"Hey!" Seliel waved to the guard, drawing his attention. "I know a thing or two about mechanics. I could help get the job done twice as fast."

"So does he," Kai said and pushed Jay forward. Jay tried to smile in a genuine, reassuring way, but he caught Seliel glowering at him out of the corner of his eye.

The guard thought about it and said, "Fine. But no talking. Now get to work."

When the guard had left, Seliel took another look at the jet. "It's not going to be easy," she said in a low voice. "We're pretty limited on resources. If there's even once piece missing, it could mean the end of our plans."

"Well, I'm kind of used to working with spare parts, so I guess that'll come in handy," Jay said.

"See, what'd I tell you?" Seliel said, casting a smug glance at Cole. "You gotta be more positive. Now, we don't have much of a choice if we want to get out of here . . . so we'll just have to work together to build it. As long as you four can hold off on the backstabbing for a bit."

"Only if you can get off your high-horse," Cole retorted.

Before she could come up with a good comeback, Pixal came and pulled Seliel off to the side. "Do you know what has happened to Nya and Skylor?"

A bout of sadness threatened to return at the mention of Skylor. "I haven't seen Nya since we split up for the last round. Garmadon, either. I assume they at least got away. As for Skylor . . ." Seliel bit her lip, feeling uncertain. "She . . . she went back to her father."

Pixal furrowed her brow. "Really?"

Seliel shrugged. "I think she's just scared. Maybe she thinks that Chen will spare us if she does what he wants."

Pixal put a hand on Seliel's shoulder. "Skylor is clever, and she knows her father better than the rest of us."

Seliel took a deep breath.

Hope. There was always hope.

"Okay. Then I better get started on this jet. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can help her out."

Chapter Text

Night had fallen for the second time since the day Master Chen had captured the last of the Elemental Masters, during which Lloyd's father and Nya had been working on a plan to set them all free. They had claimed a spot on a rundown wall on the far edge of Chen's palace grounds. As Nya had said, it sat at the back of the compound and wasn't used as much since there was hardly any threat from the island's jungles. It clearly wasn't very well maintained, with vines and bushes crawling out of the crevices and weathered stone, and the three of them were even somewhat obscured from sight by the overgrown tree line. They, however, still had a decent view of the path leading toward the inner wall and rear gate. It was the perfect place to hide while Nya and Lloyd's father plotted out a route. Now that the sun had set, even the shadows would protect them from view of Chen's henchmen.

As for Lloyd, well, he was done crying like a baby. He had been scared at first, but now the fear had faded and he was just angry. Chen was messing with his family: he'd already taken Pixal, and now Skylor and Seliel, not to mention Lloyd's mother! He was ready to fight back, and not as some scared little kid who was afraid of his own shadow, but as the prophesized Green Ninja.

"But Sensei, you won't be able to do it by yourself!"

Lloyd perked up at the sound of Nya's desperate attempt to argue with his father. "Chen's too powerful, and his army is too strong for one man."

Dad's planning to go alone?  Lloyd thought. That's not fair!

"When I destroy the staff, then everyone's power will return," Lloyd's father replied. "I don't need to defeat Chen, only to get the staff. I'll be alright, Nya. You, on the other hand, need to stay and protect Lloyd."

"What?" Lloyd shot to his feet. "No way! I can take care of myself!"

But his father looked at him sternly. "You're not ready for this. You shouldn't even be here."

"But I was invited. Just like Nya and Skylor and everyone else!"

"And why do you think that is?" Lloyd's ire dimmed at his father's raised tone. "This isn't a game. Master Chen is after all the power he can get, but he wants yours above all else. And if he were to take your elemental power, he would be virtually unstoppable." He turned back to Nya, who was listening with some confusion. "I know that you want to help, too, but it's important that you keep Lloyd safe."

Nya clenched her fists and took a deep breath. "You're right. Don't worry about us. You just get that staff and save our friends. We don't stand a chance without them."

Garmadon put a comforting hand on Nya's shoulder. "Chen may be powerful, but it's a twisted kind of power, one that he didn't earn on his own. Don't underestimate your own power just yet."

Lloyd averted his gaze as his father once again turned to him. His father kneeled down in front of Lloyd and rested his staff on the ground so he could embrace him. Lloyd couldn't help but hug him back, frustrated, but secretly scared of what might happen.

"I love you, Lloyd."

"Love you, too," he mumbled, painfully aware that Nya was still nearby.

"Do as Nya tells you. Stay strong, son, I'll be back soon."

His father used a stole crossbow to aim at the nearest building and shot a rope across the gap, creating a zipline that he could use to pass unnoticed over the guards' heads. Lloyd hated to watch his father disappear into the night alone, to fight an enemy who had already outsmarted so many others.

But my dad's smart, too, Lloyd reminded himself. He's beat Chen before, he'll do it again. He kept reminding himself of this until he believed it.

Hours seemed to pass as the two ninja waited. Lloyd huddled in the shadows while Nya paced back and forth along the narrow space on the wall. Lloyd tried to distract himself, and though he had an abundance of sticks and rocks and leaves, there wasn't much he could do with them.

Chen's palace remained quiet.

Occasionally, guards would pass through the grounds below, but they gave no indication that they knew about the intruders. Even long after Lloyd's patience had worn out and the moon had dragged itself higher in the sky, and Lloyd could have sworn that the sun was going to rise at any second, there was still no sign of his father.

Finally, he couldn't stand the silence any longer. "I think Dad needs help."

"He's fine," Nya insisted bluntly.

"But it's been ages since he left!"

"It's not that easy, Lloyd. It'll take some time for him to find the staff, confront Chen, and get everyone else out."

"Yeah, but something should've happened by now, right? Look at them!" Lloyd leaned over the edge of the wall, eyeing the guards who looked as if they might fall asleep. "There should be an alarm, or everybody rushing around, or something. If they were fighting Chen already, we would at least hear about it."

Nya stared out over the palace grounds and Lloyd knew she knew he was right. But she wasn't going to say it.

"We just have to be patient. We'll wait until sunrise –"

"And then what?" Lloyd asked warily.

"Just sit tight. I'm sure the others will be back soon."

It sounded too good to be true, but Lloyd tried to sit back down and wait for a while longer. After all, there wasn't much else he could do.

Except that he was the Green Ninja. He could do anything, couldn't he? He had a prophecy, and impressive bloodline, and more power than anyone else, maybe even Chen himself. He remembered what his dad had said to Nya: Chen may be powerful, but it's a twisted kind of power, one that he didn't earn on his own. Don't underestimate your own power just yet.

Master Chen may have stolen a bunch of elements, but Lloyd had been born with power over earth, ice, lightning, and fire. Even if he'd never been able to summon that power before, surely it would come now in the face of great danger. Maybe he really was the only one who could do this.

Lloyd took a deep breath.

He looked to Nya. Her gaze was still locked on the palace, as if she was trying to make something, anything, happen through sheer willpower.

"Hey, Nya," he whispered.

"What now, Lloyd?"

He looked over his shoulder at the forest behind them. "I think I heard something."

"It's probably just the wildlife," she said, but her eyes were narrowed as she tried to see through the undergrowth.

"I don't know," he pressed. "It sounded pretty big. And dangerous. You should probably check it out, just to be sure. I'll wait here."

Now Nya was scrutinizing him. Lloyd tried to look as honest as possible, hoping beyond hope that she would take the bait and leave, just for a second.

"I'll be right back," she finally said. "Don't move a muscle." She then climbed up the wall's watchtower and leapt into the trees.

As soon as she was gone, Lloyd seized the rope his dad had used. He hesitated and took a deep breath. "Come on, Lloyd," he said to himself. "You're the Green Ninja. You can do this!"

He slid down the makeshift zipline to the roof of the nearest building. He passed right over a guard without being noticed. He wouldn't have much time before Nya realized that he was gone, so he would have to move fast and make sure not to leave a trail.

Lloyd ducked into the shadows, and as one guard moved out of view, he leapt onto another roof. There he found a window that wasn't locked, and he dived inside a dark hallway before the next guard came around.

He breathed a sigh of relief. So far, so good.

"Lloyd!"

He whipped around at the sound of Nya's voice. "How did you—" She had been right behind him! He'd underestimated how fast she was.

"What do you think you're doing?!" she hissed as she came through the window, struggling to keep her voice low in her fury.

"I . . . I have to help my parents, and everyone else. You don't understand, I'm the only one who can stop Chen!"

"Forget it, Lloyd, he's too powerful, and you're just a kid. We can't defeat him like this. We need to get out of here so we can come back and fight him when we're more prepared." Nya reached out a hand to grab his arm, but Lloyd stepped back.

"No, I'm not giving up!" At the same time, a shrill alarm sounded and the lights flipped on. Lloyd realized that he had walked right into a tripwire. "Whoops."

The doors at the end of the hall flew open and three of Master Chen's palace guards appeared. Lloyd readied himself as one of the guards rushed towards him. This was exactly the kind of thing he had been training for all his life.

At first, the guard thought he could just grab Lloyd without having to put up a fight. But Lloyd swiftly leapt out of the way, with a shout of, "Ninja-dodge!"

He had learned in practice that he was too small to have any power behind his punches against a much larger opponent. But he could move faster and wear his enemy out without having to land a single hit. He dodged and blocked their attacks easily, all the while saying things like, "Ninja block! Ninja duck! Ninja escape!"

Then Lloyd spotted a nearby vase and got a clever idea. He "Ninja leap-ed" around his opponent and gave a mighty "Ninja push!" into the expensive-looking flower pot. The man crashed headlong into the vase, and dirt and petals flew everywhere. The guard was out cold.

"See! No one's a match for the Green Ninja!"

While he had been fighting the one guard, Nya had dispatched the other two. At first, Lloyd thought they would have a moment of respite, but before he could take another breath, even more guards appeared at the end of the hall. 

Lloyd was ready to take them all on, but Nya held him back. "There's too many. I'll hold them, but you have to get out of here!" He didn't have time to argue as she ran to meet them. Lloyd didn't seem to have much of a choice, either. He would have to leave Nya behind. But he wasn't about to leave.

Lloyd turned and ran down the adjacent hall before anyone could give chase. He would find Chen, destroy his staff, and with their combined strength, everyone would be able to defeat Master Chen forever.

Silence settled over the long corridors as Lloyd left the fight behind. He turned a corner and passed through a hall half full of strange trinkets. There were a few weapons here, and he thought about taking one to fight with. But Lloyd had always been better at hand-to-hand combat, and a sword didn't seem like it would do much good against a man in control of nearly every element imaginable.

Lloyd had the urge to slow down and try to figure out where he was going, but he was afraid that slowing down would only get him caught. The alarm had been raised, so there could be guards around every corner.

Another hall revealed an exhibit of valuable pottery. Despite the obvious display of wealth, all these hallways looked the same, and Lloyd's breathing was becoming labored. The thought occurred to him then that he didn't have much of a plan in regards to finding or confronting Master Chen.

But as he ran, the floor dropped out from under his feet and he was plunged into darkness. He half slid, half fell down a short passage before being dropped onto the stone floor underground.

Lloyd groaned, sitting up, and brushed off his green gi. So far he didn't feel like such a powerful ninja. "I really gotta grow into this thing."

A strange sound resonated in the air and startled Lloyd from his musing. He whipped his head around as something moved behind him and saw two large, glowing pink eyes drawing nearer.

Lloyd gasped, frozen to the spot.

"Lloyd!"

He looked down the other direction, half expecting to see something else just as terrifying.

But no, it was Skylor peeking around a bend in the tunnel, a lit torch in her hand. "This way, come on!"

She didn't have to tell him twice. Lloyd scrambled to his feet and sprinted down the low tunnel, away from the beast. It snarled, and Lloyd could feel a wave of heat wash over him as the serpent opened its jaws wide, and the air was fouled with the stench of its breath. He reached out a hand and Skylor yanked him into the side passage just as the serpent's fangs closed on empty air.

As soon as they were in the clear, she ushered him down the passage, deeper into the shadows. The opening behind them was too small for the snake to get through. Lloyd followed on Skylor's heels, eager to put some distance between himself and the giant beast.

"Skylor, you escaped!" he marveled. He couldn't express just how relieved he was to see her. His heart was pounding like it was still trying to run from the huge snake, and he was almost starting to regret his foolhardy mission. But if she was here, maybe that meant his father had actually succeeded. "What happened?"

The path ahead widened, leading into a larger hall where the barebones of a building were visible. Wooden beams crisscrossed on both sides, cobwebs hanging on the edges of the hall, and it looked as if they were walking between walls.

"My father's taken everyone's powers," Skylor said grimly. "And he has your dad."

Lloyd stopped short. "What?"

Lloyd hadn't thought it was possible, or he hadn't wanted to believe it. Just like that, Chen had taken his father captive. He'd taken everyone.

He clenched his fists, his anger boiling. He tried to use what he felt to search for the power inside of himself. It was there, he knew it was, and if he could just find it, he could win.

Skylor put a hand on his shoulder. But he cut her off before she could speak.

"If you're going to try to tell me to turn back, then save it. He's got my mom and my dad, Pixal and Seliel and maybe even Nya now!" Lloyd fought back the urge to cry, because tears weren't going to save any of them. "You don't understand, I need to stop Chen; alone if I have to!"

But Skylor's gaze was more sympathetic than he expected. She dropped to her knees, setting the torch on the ground, and pulled him in for a hug. Lloyd buried his face in her shoulder, struggling to be brave in her embrace. He was scared, as much as he hated to admit it, but it didn't matter when there was so much at stake. The Green Ninja was the only one who could end this.

Or so he thought.

"You're not alone," Skylor whispered. Lloyd didn't know what to say. He was taken back to the beginning of all this, when they had found the invitations, and Skylor had first told them about her father. Somehow, he felt that she wanted to encourage herself as much as him.

Then she said something else that snapped him out of the moment. "This is going to be hard, Lloyd, but you have to trust me. No matter what happens, just trust me."

Lloyd nodded because he didn't think he could speak without choking on his words. Then before he could make sense of anything, she snatched up the torch and blew it out. He was plunged into darkness once again, and Skylor's comforting presence was gone.

Chapter Text

"Skylor?" There was no answer from the darkness and Lloyd had to guess that this was the 'trusting her' part she had mentioned. He felt for the wall with one hand, then reached forward with the other hand and slowly made his way down the tunnel. Before long he found a faint light and hurried toward it. Then he was running up an incline, and he burst into a dimly lit room.

"Skylor?" he called hopefully

One by one, the lights came on, and Lloyd found himself faced with the tournament roster, which now only held two contestants.

"The final round!" Lloyd whipped around as Master Chen spoke. "It all ends here!"

Lloyd mustered all of the courage inside of himself, trying not to appear as intimidated as he felt. "Well if it isn't Master Chen," he said with some authority. "Unhand the ninja or suffer humiliation against . . . the Green Ninja!" He put his fists on his hips, standing tall and trying to look as heroic as possible.

Master Chen merely chuckled. "Oh, I'm so scared! Go ahead, hit me with your best shot!"

Lloyd tried to concentrate and amass his energy. Chen waited patiently, albeit feigning a yawn, until Lloyd had gathered enough energy to throw at him. But Chen dashed out of the way with superhuman speed, and all Lloyd managed to hit was the far wall.

"Oh, please," Chen said from behind him. "What use is one element, or even four, when I have all of them? Shadow!" Chen backed away, vanishing from sight.

Lloyd's heart was racing as he looked all around, trying to guess where Chen might appear next. "I know what you're trying to do," Lloyd said, hoping to get him talking. "Skylor told us all about the spell. But the war is over!" He tried to summon something else, a ball of fire, a bolt of lightning, anything.

"Wrong!"

Lloyd gasped and narrowly dodged a fireball hurtling overhead. "I decide when it's over," Chen said. "And who doesn't like a blast from the past? Ice!" Lloyd ducked behind the roster which was encased in ice within seconds. Chen cackled maniacally. At least someone found this entertaining. Lloyd was having a hard time not letting his panic get the best of him.

I'm the Green Ninja, he reminded himself. I am the Green Ninja!

"Fire!"

Lloyd didn't have time to move before Chen blasted the roster and he was thrown up in an explosion of heat and flame before landing hard on his back.

"When my followers become Anacondrai, Ninjago will be controlled by those who deserve it: the most powerful! Gravity!" Chen slammed his staff on the ground and Lloyd found himself rising into the air.

"Whoah!" He flailed about, trying to break free or find some sort of control. His body was slammed hard against the ceiling.

A loud shot sounded and Chen appeared above, or rather, below him. Then he lifted Lloyd back into the air.

"What you have isn't power! It's stealing!" Lloyd shouted indignantly, but Chen ignored him and threw him into the hanging lights. Lloyd's head was starting to spin, and when his back hit a solid surface again, he couldn't tell what was up or down.

He tried to stand as Master Chen landed in front of him. "Real power doesn't take from others." Lloyd took a deep breath and leapt at Chen, but he evaporated into a cloud of smoke and Lloyd passed right through him. He crashed into the roster, which now featured a large crack running through its middle, right where Lloyd's own picture hung.

Lloyd stumbled as pushed himself back onto to his feet. He was breathing heavily and he felt like his legs would barely hold him up as he formed another ball of energy in his hands. He thought of his family and his friends, who were all now held captive by Master Chen. He couldn't give up. He had to win.

"Real power stops people like you!" With all his might, Lloyd fired on Chen. But in that same instant, Chen coated his body in a layer of metal, and the energy bounced harmlessly off him.

The blast ricocheted back to Lloyd and threw him once again into the golden board. Lloyd collapsed on the ground. He tried to force himself to his feet, but his legs wouldn't hold him up and he fell back down again. His body ached and he felt completely drained. He was fighting to stay conscious when he heard Chen's voice, as if from far away:

"Only one can remain."

Nya stirred and her eyes fluttered open. Where was she? The last thing she could remember . . . she had been in the jungle with Garmadon and Lloyd. But then –

"Nya!" She looked up to see her sensei, chained to a wooden pole. It took her another moment to realize that she, too, was chained. Misako was on his other side. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes. I think. What . . . What happened?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing."

"Where's Lloyd?" Misako asked desperately.

"Oh no – I'm so sorry! I tried to stop him, but he just wouldn't listen, he thinks he has to defeat Chen all by himself! We were surrounded and I told him to run, but I don't know if he got away . . ." Nya rambled, trying to put together the disjointed pieces of her foggy memory. There was an ache in her head and she was having a hard time concentrating. It was only then that she got a good look at her surroundings.

Piles upon piles of bones surrounded them, and the foul-smelling air felt heavy and stiff. She guessed that they must be somewhere under the island, beneath all those trap doors that Chen was so fond of.

"We have to get out of here," Garmadon said.

Nya pulled at the chains around her wrists. They were fixed into the ground behind the pole, and were too short to allow her much room for movement. Still, she strained against their hold, ignoring the pain of the metal biting into her wrists. She had to get free, she had to find Lloyd, she had to rescue her friends. It couldn't end like this.

"My pet loves the smell of fear." Clouse's voice caught Nya by surprise as he entered, closely followed by Master Chen.

"Where's our son, Chen?" Misako asked, and Nya was surprised that she didn't break out of those chains and strangle him right there. "If you hurt him –"

"I have your son," Chen cut her off. "But his power will become mine at the ceremony tonight."

Nya lowered her head in shame. "I'm sorry, Misako, Garamdon. It's all my fault. I should never have let Lloyd out of my sight."

Chen chuckled. "I wouldn't say it's all your fault. I did have a little help." Chen gestured back to the doorway, and Skylor stepped out of the shadows. Nya gasped, speechless. He couldn't be serious!

"You pitted the ninja against themselves, just as you did the Elemental Masters," Garmadon growled, though Nya barely heard him.

"Why, Skylor? I know you, I know this isn't what you want! You don't have to do this!"

"You don't understand." Nya could see in Skylor's eyes that this really wasn't what she wanted, but she could also see defeat. "My father gets everything he wants. I had no choice. Please, Nya, he's promised to let you go if –"

"I'd rather be snake food!" she growled, looking Chen straight in the eye.

Misako's voice was gentler now. "I know you're scared, Skylor, but you don't have to do this. Chen only has power over you if you let him."

"Enough! Skylor has made her choice, and she knows that her place is with her father."

There was a shrill squeaking sound of old chains and Nya saw that Clouse wore a dark smile. Behind him, a large metal door was being raised, revealing a wide tunnel shrouded in shadows. "My pet may be napping, but she's always hungry when she wakes up."

"You had a good run, Garmadon. But all good things must come to an end." Chen cackled as he turned to leave.

"This isn't you, Skylor," Nya called after her friend. "Don't do this!"

Skylor paused at the door. She gave Nya a last lingering look, and then she left.

"Chen!" Nya grumbled to herself. "That snake!" She pulled on the chains again with all her might, ready to break her wrists if it meant breaking free. She knew that Skylor would never have betrayed her friends if it wasn't for her father. Even in the face of any other enemy, Nya was certain that Skylor would have stayed loyal. And after her heartfelt confession on the night they received their invitations, Nya would have thought that Skylor would do anything to prove that she wasn't like him.

Nya finally paused. "It's all an act. It has to be." She looked at the gaping tunnel and gulped. A very good act.

"I think you may be right, Nya," Misako agreed. "But either way, we need to get out of here as soon as possible. Even aside from not being eaten, if Chen get's Lloyd's powers, there'll be no way to stop him. If she really is trying to trick her father, Skylor's still going to need all the help she can get."

"You're right," Garmadon said. "There isn't any time to lose."

As they continued to struggle in vain against their bonds, Nya eyed the bones around her. If she could find something wedge-shaped, she might be able to use it to dig out the chains. She grimaced but tried not to think about it too much as she stretched out one foot to try and drag some of the bones toward herself. But it was hard to focus. All she could think about was Skylor, and whether she would willingly trick her father, or if she really was too scared of him to fight back.

Chapter Text

Construction on the Roto Jet was going well. With Seliel, Jay, and Karloff working on it together, it was going at least twice as fast as before. Pixal helped, too, because although she wasn't programmed with as much knowledge of jets, she was made to assist with projects like this. They were nearly finished, and now it was just a matter of keeping Chen's henchmen off their backs for a little longer.

Cole and Zane were busy keeping watch along with Karlof and Nya's brother, Kai. Jay was assembling the firearm in front while Seliel was double-checking that the controls were wired properly in the underside of the jet. Pixal held up the tarp so that Seliel could see, but in just the right way so that the guards wouldn't be able to identify their project.

Pixal glanced over to Zane. She was glad that had been willing to cooperate with her to assemble the jet, but then again, both their survival depended on it, and she didn't think that he would be speaking to her at all otherwise. Which was disappointing, because she knew she was right about him. As sure as she was of anything in this world, Pixal knew that Zane was like her. She just wished he could accept that.

Someone nudged her sharply in the side. "Hey, Pix!"

Pixal blinked twice and turned to Seliel. "Yes?"

"Take a look at this, something doesn't seem right."

Pixal leaned forward and immediately identified an incorrect wire. "In order to function, this wire must be plugged in here, and that one there."

Seliel set to work unplugging and untangling the wires. After a moment of silence, she said, "You okay, Pixal?"

"Of course."

"Really? 'Cause you seem kinda distracted. And you're never distracted. I had to call you three times before you heard me."

Pixal frowned in confusion. "That's strange. There must be something wrong with my audio receptors."

"Hmm. So why were you staring at that boy?"

Pixal didn't have to ask who she was talking about. "I was thinking."

Seliel paused to look Pixal in the eye. "Need I remind you that they're still our enemies? You may have let your guard down while working together to escape, but as soon as we get out of here, it's back to the way things were."

Pixal was quiet for a moment. She knew what Seliel was trying to say. She thought that Pixal had romantic feelings for Zane. Pixal opened her mouth to respond, then paused. Did she? Did she have feelings for the only being in the world like her? Was that even possible for a machine constructed from synthetic parts and programmed with code that someone else had written?

And even if she did, did it matter? As Seliel said, Zane was still her enemy. Her duty, first and foremost, was to protect Ninjago from him. She couldn't jeopardize that even if she did feel a connection.

"Rest assured, Seliel, I am simply trying to understand our foe. There is something different about him that he's trying to hide." Even from himself.

Seliel studied her. "Just be careful, okay? They've caused enough harm already, I don't want you to get hurt, too."

Pixal nodded, and with a pang she remembered the way Zane had taken the news about being an android, how he had pushed her away when he denied the truth. Even if she did have feelings for him, it didn't matter because he clearly didn't feel the same way about her. "Thank you, but rest assured, there's no need to worry."

It was enough to satisfy Seliel for the time being, and she went back to work.

A few moments later, Pixal heard Karlof whistle – the head guard Zugu was approaching. Seliel ducked out from under the tarp and Pixal let it drape back over the jet. They hurriedly ran to the back where Jay, Cole, and Zane were crouched. She could hear Karloff and Kai trying to hold back the guard.

"Soon noodle machine will be firing on all cylinders," Karloff insisted.

"No, make now! Master Chen wants noodles for the big ceremony."

"What ceremony?" Pixal couldn't see much from where she was, but she recognized Kai's voice trying to stall.

"Chen defeated the Green Ninja," Zugu said.

Pixal and Seliel exchanged a glance. Green Ninja? Did he mean Lloyd? That was the only ninja Pixal knew to wear green. Perhaps Lloyd was the final ninja to be captured. But that would mean he had gotten Nya, too.

It was becoming increasingly obvious that Zugu wouldn't be deterred. It looked like they were going to have to take action sooner than expected. Pixal saw Seliel exchange a look with Cole to make sure they were on the same page. He nodded, and the ninja split up.

"Now no one in Ninjago can stop us!" Zugu was gloating, and he cackled loudly.

Pixal followed Cole as he crept toward the nearby staircase.

"Look on the bright side. At least all your jobs just became permanent."

Karlof had put himself between the guard and the jet. "There's a few minor kinks."

In response, the guard threw him aside with a laugh. "Give me that sheet!"

Pixal braced herself for the signal as she and Cole climbed the stairs.

She couldn't see Zugu's expression, but she could hear the shock in his voice as the tarp was removed. "That's not a noodle machine!"

"Heh, that's the kink. Now!"

At the top of the stairs, Pixal and Cole split up. She headed for one of the guards on the catwalk and, just as he turned, roundhouse kicked him over the rail.

Directly above the jet, Cole dispatched another guard and then leapt off the catwalk into the open cockpit. He revved the engine and Pixal cringed to hear it gasp and sputter. But it held together, spinning into action. The ninja had already agreed that Cole would pilot the jet, despite Seliel's protests, but she and Pixal had been outvoted, four against two.

Pixal refocused her attention on the guards, picking off a few more before she dropped to the ground. She found cover just in time as the engine's pitch rose to a whine. The rest of the guards scrambled out of the way and Cole opened fire. The nose of the jet flashed as it spit out their makeshift projectiles. Rusty screws and pieces of scrap metal pinged wildly off of every surface. One must have hit the fortune cookie machine because it suddenly exploded.

The jet shook violently with the effort. Pixal might have been worried that it would fall apart at any second if she hadn't done the calculations herself. But numbers didn't lie, and the jet held as Cole turned the gun in a wide arc, following the frightened sentries.

Pixal's gasped as she realized that the gun was turning towards her friends!

She saw Seliel duck as a twisted shard of something shot over her head. Another piece of equipment exploded behind her. A moment later she popped back up and shouted, "Hey! Watch it!"

The spinning front of the jet slowed to a stop and smoke wafted up from the barrel. Pixal could see Cole through the glass in the cockpit as he returned Seliel's glare with a shrug and a grin. Pixal was just relieved that he hadn't actually hurt one of their own.

Then she saw the guards returning, attempting to retaliate in greater numbers. "Over there!" she warned.

"Come on!" Seliel waved the other prisoners over to the aircraft. The jet, still immobile for now, had been built on a wheeled platform. Pixal fell in beside Seliel and the rest of the Elemental Masters as they got behind and pushed it forward, while Cole fired on the guards again, forcing them to scatter.

He paused as soon as they were out of sight, most likely trying to conserve ammo. "When will it fly?" he asked, frustrated.

"It fly when it fly," Karlof answered from where he was still working on the wing. "No sooner!"

"We've got to help Karlof," Seliel said to Kai on her other side. "Just keep it up. We're sitting ducks without everyone working together to push this thing."

"And here I was about to take a well-earned break," Kai grunted sarcastically.

Seliel nodded to Pixal and they both hopped onto the platform, then climbed onto the wing opposite Karlof and set to work.

"On the other side!" Jay warned. Reinforcements were swarming in from the entrance. It took quite a bit of effort, but together the Elemental Masters were able to swing the jet around so Cole could take aim. Chen's henchmen couldn't face up against the barrage of shrapnel, but Pixal knew that their ammo wouldn't last for much longer.

Cole seemed to read her mind as he said, "We'll run out of bolts trying to fend them off! Make her fly guys, or get us out of here!"

"Hit the red button!" Seliel called.

He did as she said, and two missiles blasted through the large door covering the exit. The Elemental Masters cheered and pushed toward the new opening.

"This is why you don't make jets underground, Karlof!"

Pixal found the juxtaposition to be comical, but more importantly, it was working. And really, that was all that mattered.

"Behind you!" Karlof said. Pixal glanced up to see that the guards were back again. She almost lost her balance on the wing as the cart was spun back around. This time Cole used another missile. The sentries narrowly dodged and the missile exploded harmlessly against the far wall, but they seemed to get the message.

They may not have been able to fly yet, but they were armed and on the move. Nothing could stop them now.

Nya had all but given up on her original plan to escape. There weren't and useful bones nearby, so she had gone back to trying to force her way out of the chains, though it wasn't proving to be much more profitable. She was also tempted to give up on Skylor.

"You'd think if she wanted to help us, she would have left behind a key, or –" Nya broke off when she thought she heard something, a faint echo from within the tunnel.

Garmadon and Misako must have heard it, too, because they also stopped and stared down the passageway. Nya tried to see through the shadows at the mouth of the tunnel, but her eyes couldn't penetrate the deep darkness. But the sound, she soon realized, was like a whispering, and grew steadily louder.

No, not whispering. Hissing.

Two pinpoints of pinkish light appeared, closely followed by the wide purple head of the largest snake Nya had ever seen. It reared up into the light and hissed fiercely, inspecting its prey.

Nya stood stock still, not in the hope that it would leave her alone, but because she didn't know what else she could do.

She had to close her eyes when it leaned down and roared in her face. She was blasted by its hot breath, the stench of its previous meal enveloping her, the smell of death. She could have sworn in that moment that she was really going to die.

"Nya!"

She barely heard Misako scream her name above the noise, but it seemed to capture the snake's attention. There was a brief rush of relief as it turned away before she realized that it had turned to Misako instead.

Misako cringed as its tongue flicked out to brush across her face. It curled its long, lithe body around her, bringing its face up close to get a good look.

"Don't touch her!" Garmadon yelled, still fighting against his chains.

Nya felt completely helpless. There was nothing they could do to fight it, to break free, or to escape. They would end up as just another pile of bones on the heap.

The snake was rearing itself up again as it seemed to make its choice, its eyes trained directly on Garmadon. But instead of the fear that Nya expected, she saw only calm defiance in her sensei's eyes.

The snake opened its jaws. Nya pulled with all her strength on the bonds, but couldn't look away. She gasped as the snake shot forward.

There was an explosion and the snake stopped short. Something crashed into the back of Nya's pole and she stumbled forward, only to find that the chains were finally loose.

Nya was trying to figure out what had happened as the snake roared again and the cavern became a mess of flashing light and gunfire. As soon as she realized she had mobility back, she took cover behind the bones and debris. She tried to catch sight of Misako or Garmadon, but they were nowhere to be seen.

It appeared that some strange vehicle had come to their rescue. Nya looked to the serpent, now trying to defend itself from a barrage of missiles. It weaved around the shots, until one missile hit the ceiling. A chunk of earth fell loose and crashed over the snake's head, and in seconds the snake was buried under a mound of earth. Its tail, the only part visible, waved in the air for a moment before it fell limply to the ground with a final thud.

Nya was gasping for breath, though she'd hardly done anything. She half expected the snake to burst out from the rubble and bare its glistening fangs again. Could it really be dead?

"Woo-hoo! We did it!" Nya looked at the machine that had just come bursting through the wall. Cole, the Master of Earth, hopped down from the vehicle in an orange jumpsuit. She recognized the other Elemental Masters streaming through the hole he'd just made, also dressed in prisoner garb. It took her a few more seconds to recognize Seliel and Pixal sitting on the wing of the jet behind him.

"Nya!" They both scrambled down and ran to meet her.

"You're okay!" Nya hugged her friends, finally feeling safe again.

"Girls!" Sensei Garmadon was scrambling up out of the mound of bones he'd fallen in, his wife struggling to help him stand. All three of his students rushed over to help, and then they held each other in a group hug.

Seliel was the first to break away. "But Skylor –"

"She's with her father," Garmadon said solemnly.

"I know, I was there when she sided with him. But it's not her fault, I think she's just scared –"

"It's alright, Seliel. We'll win her back."

"She's just trying to do what she thinks is best," Misako agreed. "We can't be angry with her for that."

Seliel sighed. "Well I hope we get her back soon. It's not the same without her." Nya and Pixal nodded their agreement.

"Karlof, why isn't this thing off the ground yet?" Cole's irritated voice came from the jet.

"Two hands can only work so fast."

"Oh, right." Seiel turned back to the machine, but paused. "Nya, can you help us out with this? It's a Roto Jet, but we still need to make it ready to fly, and you'll probably do better at fixing it up than me. I'm really more of a chemist than a mechanic."

Nya screwed up her face, confused. "A jet? Underground?"

Seliel just rolled her eyes. "I know, I know. But don't hate, we'll get it off the ground soon enough." Seliel ran back toward the jet, slapping the Lightning ninja on the shoulder on her way. "You too, Sparky."

It was then that Nya realized that all four of Wu's ninja were there amongst the other prisoners. She couldn't say she was very surprised. Figures that Chen would turn on them. No honor amongst thieves, after all.

At the same moment, Kai met her gaze, but Nya turned away before he could speak. She had nothing to say to him, and she very well couldn't trust anything he said. At least, that's what she kept telling herself.

So maybe part of her was glad to see that he was okay. And maybe part of her felt bad for ignoring him. But she couldn't forget his betrayal. And if he was still going to side with his friends over her, then she didn't see any reason to give him another chance to hurt her.

She pushed him out of her thoughts as she followed Seliel onto the jet's wing and tried to focus instead on getting everyone out of there and saving Skylor and Lloyd.

Chapter Text

Lloyd really, really hoped that this was all part of Skylor's plan.

He wanted to struggle as he was led along to the ceremony, but he knew it was pointless. Chen had already proven how weak the Green Ninja was. Lloyd was still sore after their fight, and probably would be for weeks to come.

He was still kicking himself for how poorly his 'rescue' attempt had gone. He had really believed that he could defeat Master Chen. He had thought that he would be able to utilize the elements as the Green Ninja when the time came, but it seemed that he was nothing more than a kid who had no real control over his own powers.

As he was led into the cavern where the ceremony was to be held, Lloyd was overcome with a sense of dread. His wide eyes darted around the room, drinking in the ominous atmosphere. There was an intense drum beat, and Chen's followers were murmuring some creepy chant. The room was lit in a dim orange-red firelight, and combined with all the snake images everywhere, Lloyd feared that, even if Skylor did have a plan, it would still fail in the face of Chen's power.

Lloyd swallowed a bout of panic as he was led down the staircase. He could see Master Chen up ahead. His staff glowed and flashed with the light of a dozen elements, in addition to the faint glow of the golden weapons, as if Lloyd need a reminder of just how powerless he was. Chen was flanked by a couple of his minions, and Lloyd recognized Clouse, Chen's right hand. Skylor was on Chen's other side, and Lloyd had a fleeting fear that maybe she had tricked him, and there really was no plan.

No! Lloyd scolded himself. Skylor is a good friend, she would never do that! She had told him to trust her no matter what, and this was part of 'no matter what.' He couldn't lose faith in her.

Lloyd was forced to his knees before Chen, and his hands cuffed to the ground.

Skylor approached him and said, "Don't try to struggle. Those chains are made from a metal that prevents you from using your powers." Then she offered him a secretive smile, and Lloyd realized with some relief that her words weren't so much a warning as a suggestion for him to play along. He had to stop himself before he smiled back and maintain his somber demeanor.

"Now, for the final element!" Chen announced. Skylor backed away to let her father approach as he raised his staff up high. "Only one can remain!"

Lloyd gasped. He could feel his body trying to resist, struggling to hang on to the elements that rightfully belonged to him. But it started slowly seeping out of him bit by bit, until soon the power was being ripped from inside. In spite of his effort to remain strong, Lloyd cried out in pain.

Skylor looked on in horror and awe. So much power being stolen from such a young boy. She knew what if felt like to have her element drained, but this was actually hurting Lloyd. She had to turn away, sickened by what she had let happen. Her father, on the other hand, showed no remorse.

Finally, Lloyd was bled dry as the last of his power was devoured by the staff. Lloyd collapsed on the floor, and it was over.

Master Chen brandished the staff and the golden weapons clinked against each other. "Behold! Every elemental power, all in my control! Do you feel the power? I do!"

Clouse opened his spellbook and began reciting the ancient words. His hand started glowing with the violet mists of magic. Skylor's heart pounded, eyes open for just the right moment. She needed to get closer.

Her father was reveling in his triumph, none the wiser. "All you who bear the mark of the Anacondrai, it is time! We will shed our skins for new ones, and be the most powerful force in all of Ninjago!"

Skylor stepped forward. "Father, let me stand beside you."

Her father put a hand on her shoulder. "Yes, yes! Join me! After today, not only will Master Chen be Ninjago's number one noodle house, but NInjago's number one ruler!"

Now was as good a time as any. Skylor turned back to Lloyd. "Oh no, what's he doing now?"

Clouse and Chen both fell for it and turned. She thought she saw a flash of fear in their eyes, afraid that there was still something that could ruin their moment.

Without hesitation, Skylor kicked the staff out of her father's hands. It clamored to the ground a few feet away, between her and Lloyd.

Chen was more angry than appalled. "You betray me again?"

"Runs in the family," she retorted. This time, she kicked her father aside and dover for the staff.

"Get her!"

Eyezore was already moving to grab the staff, but she snatched it up first, aimed, and bolts of lightning shot out. Amazingly, the golden weapons had held tight and were still attached. She turned and hit two more approaching guards. Then she concentrated on the familiar pull of polarity and used it to unlock the shackles on Lloyd, who was starting to recover from his ordeal.

He was still on his knees, but he smiled weakly and pumped his fist. "Alright, Skylor!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Skylor saw Clouse pull a lever. She already knew what he meant to do as acid dripped from the stone fangs over Lloyd's head. She instantly teleported Lloyd out of the way and straight to her side.

Furious, Clouse cast a spell that came racing toward her. Skylor intercepted it with a shot from the staff, and seconds later, the sorcerer had been frozen in a block of ice.

Her father's minions kept coming, but they were no match for her. She couldn't completely control what element came out of the staff, but she was already getting the hang of it, just like using her own power. She shot blasts of earth, poison, sound – any element she could at anyone who tried to come near her.

Lloyd tugged on the hem of her gi. "Come on, Skylor, let's get out of here!"

But she barely heard Lloyd. She was preoccupied with trying to tame the power of the staff. It was overwhelming. She had never imagined that so much power would feel so good. She could even sense the barely-contained potential of the four golden weapons, normally too much to bear, but tempered now by the influence of the crystal.

"My dad was right," she marveled. "All this power, it's incredible!" More of her father's goons came at them, and Skylor shoved Lloyd aside to shoot them down. No one else was going to hurt him on her watch, her father had already done enough damage.

Her father . . .

Skylor glanced around but realized that he had disappeared in all the commotion. She spun on Lloyd. "Where's Chen?" she demanded.

"Uh . . ." Lloyd's eyes widened. "Skylor? Are you okay? Your eyes –?"

Lloyd was no help. Another quick glance around and she spotted her father, slinking away toward the staircase.

"You!"

Skylor willed him closer, and just like that, gravity picked him up, protesting, and dropped him in front of her.

The fear in his eyes might have made her smile if she wasn't so furious. "This is all your fault! You'll pay for everything you've done. Taking my friends, stealing our powers – isn't it enough that you've controlled me my whole life, and now you have to drag me back here just you can use me again!"

Chen tried to scramble away, but he couldn't even get to his feet. Finally, he would know what it was like to be on the other side of things.

"Just when I was finally happy, you had to take it all away!" Skylor's gripped the staff in both her hands, blinded by the red haze of her fury. "You ruin everything!"

"Skylor, stop!"

Lloyd was suddenly in front of her, hands outstretched. "Don't do this! The staff's power, I think it's corrupting you. You have to destroy it –"

"No one is taking this staff from me," Skylor snapped. "Now move!"

She pushed Lloyd out of the way, turning her attention back to Chen. "For so long you held power over me, but now it's my turn. Now you'll know how it feels!" Skylor raised the staff, but just as she was about to strike, she came to her sense and realized what she was about to do. Her father, cowering at her feet, was already helpless to her power.

She stepped back, suddenly afraid of herself. "What am I saying?"

The truth, whispered a voice in her head, her own voice, but tainted with something dark and malicious. It came back as quickly as it had left, that feeling she couldn't explain, the feeling of anger and power and fear all at once. "The staff, it's to powerful, but . . . it's even better than I could have imagined."

Now her father lowered his hands, smiling for some odd reason. "Yes. Yes. Embrace the power! You understand now, don't you? Now you know what it feels like, you understand why I had to do it."

"No – NO!" Skylor stared at the staff in her hands, willing herself to let it go, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. "I can't control it!"

She grit her teeth and tightened her hold on the staff. "No, I don't want to control it. I have to use it. I have to make sure that no one else ever abuses power like that again. Never again!"

Chen's eyes widened as he realized that he had lost all control over his daughter.

"No, Skylor, don't!" Lloyd yelled.

BOOM!

Skylor looked up just in time to see the top half of the stone snake head falling towards her. She leapt out of the way just in time as the stone shattered into rubble on the ground and the air was filled with dust.

"Did anyone order some kung-POW?" Cole maneuvered the finally-flight-capable jet through the giant hold he had just made. Behind him, the Elemental Masters leapt down from the ledge to take on Chen's army of followers. Chaos erupted and the entire cavern was filled with fighting as, winners and loser alike, ninja from any side, every fighter that Chen had made enemies with, stood side-by-side against a common foe. It didn't matter if they had their powers or not, they just had a bone to pick.

Lloyd had narrowly avoided the debris from the explosion as well, and as he clambered over the wreckage, he spotted his parents coming out of the gap the jet had made.

"Mom! Dad!" He ran into his parents' arms and they pulled him close and held him tight.

"Are you hurt?" Misako asked worriedly, looking him over for the slightest scratch or bruise.

"I'm okay," he insisted, squirming away. It wasn't totally true, but he didn't want his mom fussing over him in front of everyone.

"Hey Lloyd!" Nya called to him. "You remember that move I was showing you the other day?"

"Do I?" Lloyd bolted away from his parents and followed Nya into the battle, and they quickly followed after him. The cultists wouldn't know what hit them when the Garmadon family came for them.

Nearby, Cole landed the Roto Jet and his teammates gathered around as he clambered out. "Alright, boys, time to teach Master Chen a lesson about stealing from us."

"Yeah!" The four ninja charged into battle, fueled by betrayal.

Finally, near the center of the action, Skylor sat up and shook her head. Her mind still felt clouded by the effects of the staff.

The staff!

She tried to see through the action around her and spotted it lying a few feet away. Her father saw it at the same time and they both scrambled to their feet and ran for it. Chen was slower, but he was closer. Skylor was closing in, but not fast enough. In a desperate move, she leapt for it.

Her hands wrapped around the staff first as she rolled forward. When she landed on her feet, she stood and, before she could think anything of it, smashed the staff on the ground.

The stone inside shattered, the golden weapons falling off in a clamoring heap. Light shot out and enveloped each Elemental Master, imbuing them with their respective powers. Skylor felt her own element return, disappointing in comparison to the staff, but familiar and all the more welcome.

"Skylor!" She saw Kai waving at her from a distance. She hesitated for a moment – she had all four of the weapons. She couldn't just give them back, could she?

She sighed and tossed him his sword. They were going to need all the help they could get. She flung the rest of the weapons to his friends as well, and they immediately began picking off more of Chen's army with blasts of fire, lighting, earth, and ice. Skylor was just about to join the fight as well, when someone stopped her in her tracks . . .

"Finally!" Seliel breathed a sigh of relief as the airy warmth of her element flowed through her once again.

All around the masters were getting their elemental powers back, restoring their strength as well as their freedom. Nya sprayed one cultist with a jet of water and Pixal flung another into a handful of his allies.

"Ninja-GO!"

No one knew who started it, but suddenly there were eight colorful cyclones of varying elements and hues kicking Chen's minions left and right. It wasn't much longer before those left standing promptly surrendered, and just like that, the battle was won.

Seliel slowed to a stop and Lloyd did the same beside her. "Ha! We did it!" She and Lloyd high-fived. "Great job, team!"

"It appears that our time of arrival was most fortunate," said Pixal. "Well done, Skylor."

Nya glanced around, but didn't see their teammate. "Where is she?"

"I saw her right there a minute ago," Lloyd said, pointing.

But Skylor wasn't their now, and as everyone eyed the open room, they realized that she was no where to be found.

Garmadon glanced at the ruined dais and realized that she wasn't the only one missing. He approached the rubble, where there lie the shattered chunks of an ice block that Clouse had been trapped in only moments before.

His stomach dropped as he realized that they had all had gotten too wrapped up to see that the real threat was yet to be beaten.

"Skylor . . . they took her!"

"Agh, they have all the power!" Master Chen fumed as he stormed through the tunnels.

"For now, Maser," Clouse reassured him. "But not for long."

As he said this Skylor was half dragged, half shoved close behind them. Only a handful of guards had escaped with them into the tunnels. But she was surrounded as they hurried in secret away from the Elemental Masters. Her arms were bound and her mouth covered, yet still she struggled. She had almost been free of her father, and yet somehow he had still managed to steal away and bring her with him.

She struggled, but it was all in vain. Just as it had always been.

Chapter Text

Seliel was very glad to be back in her ninja uniform. The jumpsuits Chen had made the prisoners wear had been extremely uncomfortable and just plain tacky. It was also nice to finally be able to step into the light of day again. She hadn't realized until now how much she missed it.

Still, she couldn't really be happy while Skylor was still missing.

With the help of the other Elemental Masters, the entire palace was being searched, above and below, and the rest of Chen's supporters were being taken captive, as well. With elemental powers restored, it wasn't that difficult to make them cooperate.

"No sign of Chen," Sensei Garmadon reported. "And . . . no sign of Skylor, either." Seliel got the impression that he was blaming himself for losing track of her, but really, they had all allowed Chen and Clouse to get away in the commotion of the fight.

"We have to keep looking," Nya said. "We can't give up."

"And we won't," Garmadon reassured her. "Not until we've found Skylor, and not until we've stopped Chen for good."

"They can't have gotten far," Pixal said. "And even if they had, we are still on an island. As long as we remain in control, they won't be able to leave without our say-so."

"Hey."

Seliel turned to see Wu's ninja clustered in front of her. "What do you want?" she asked warily.

Cole had his arms crossed, looking as guarded as she felt. "We've come to a decision. We'll help you track down Chen."

"What?" Seliel hissed. "You'vedecided?"

"In case it didn't occur to you, we're all free now, and that means our previous agreement has ended. We want to make a new deal."

"What, because you can't just be decent people and help out like everyone else?" Seliel felt Pixal lay a hand on her shoulder, reminding her to stay calm. Seliel glared at the ninja for a while longer, trying to think it over rationally. Sure, if the guys left, they would probably take the Weapons of Spinjitzu with them, but it was just as likely that they would see each other again someday, and there would be another chance to fight for them.

"What's in it for you?" she finally asked. This could just be another ruse. Was it possible that they had still been in league with Chen this whole time, even in the factory?

Now it was Cole's turn to hesitate. "Truth is, our master's gone silent."

Seliel exchanged a glance with Garmadon. Could it really be the truth? Garmadon looked as if he was trying to deduce that himself. "There's been no sign or sound of him recently, so . . . for now, we have the opportunity to do what we like."

"And we want revenge on Chen," said Kai

Jay hit the palm of his hand with his fist. "He double crossed us. He needs to learn that nobody but nobody does that to Master Wu."

"You don't have to accept our help," Zane reasoned, "but realize what you'll be losing. Being that we worked with him just a short time ago, our knowledge could be invaluable."

"I know we've had our differences in the past," Cole continued, "But maybe we've both been wrong. Maybe we can do more together than we can apart. What do you say?"

Seliel turned back to her teammates. "Sensei?"

Sensei Garmadon still appeared to be deep in thought. "They make a fair point. Working with them could give us an advantage over Chen. Still. I can't be sure that my brother isn't up to something, even now."

"Even if Wu had desired Chen's staff, there is no chance of him getting it now," Pixal pointed out.

"Yes, but Chen is crafty. He may have another plan to collect all the elements."

Seliel looked between Pixal and Nya. "Thoughts?"

Nya took another peek over Seliel's shoulder at the boys, but it was full of cold and suspicion. She met Seliel's gaze. "I don't trust them. But I trust you. If you think it's a good idea, then I'll stand with you."

"I've tried weighing the pros and cons," Pixal reported, "but there are too many unknown variables. I can't say for sure whether it would be wise to work with them."

So it all came down to Seliel. The teleporting ninja took a deep breath. She'd always been good at making plans in the heat of the moment, but come to think of it, Skylor was usually the one to determine what plans to follow through with. And she was usually right. Now Seliel knew how Skylor felt at times like this, when everyone was looking to her for an answer. How could she remain so calm and detached?

Seliel turned back to the boys. She looked Cole square in the eye. "Alright, then." She held out her hand. "You've got yourselves another truce. You help us find Chen and Skylor, we'll let you keep your weapons."

Cole nodded. "Sounds fair. But when we find Chen, we get to take him."

Seliel smirked. "Maybe."

Now Cole smiled, too. "Good enough for me." He took Seliel's hand and shook it. "Then it's a deal. We have a truce."