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"Lloyd- what do we do now?" Cole asks over the channel.
"Split up, we will cover more ground that way, Jay, Cole, go downtown, Kai, Zane, you two go north, Nya and I will go south". Lloyd answered.
"Copy that". Cole answers, the others soon following.
Nya followed Lloyd his vehicle in her samurai x mech.
It was very unusual, but several swarms of serpentine, were spread out throughout the city, attacking at seemingly random.
Jay and Cole arrived at the spot where some of the serpentine army was.
"Alright Jay, let's get them". Cole said and armed his weapons to attack them.
Jay charged at them and swipe some of them away with his vehicle.
Then he got out and swung his nunchucks around, sending lightning their way.
"Nice work, I'll get the rest of them". Cole grinned and jumped out of his vehicle, attacking the rest of the snakes, making sure that the citizens can get away.
"Take this, and that". Jay said as he gave out punches and kicks, along with his lightning.
Jay was smiling under his mask, he was enjoying this, the fight was going well, it seemed easy, maybe a little too easy.
As Jay was defeating snakes left and right, Aspheera slithered his way.
Jay didn't notice her at first before his eyes fell onto her.
Jay gasped. "Aspheera-". He muttered, frozen in place.
Aspheera grinned and pointed her staff at him.
Before Jay realized it, the staff’s purple beam hit him.
Jay cringed and tried to move out of the way, but the pain was overwhelming, too great to move, which caused Jay to fall on his knees.
A blue, glowing substance seemed to flow out of him, electricity sparks accompanying it within the cloud.
Jay cried it out as his hands hit the floor.
Aspheera grinned as the thundercloud seeped into the staff.
She held the staff high into the sky, as the electricity crackled around her, her scales on her back, glowing and emitting electric sparks, her eyes glowed an electrifying blue.
Jay gave out his last struggling breath before his limbs seemed to falter, he fell to the ground.
Aspheera spun the staff around, which seemed to form some sort of shield, made out of lightning.
“Jay, how are you doing over there buddy?” Cole could be heard over comms.
After a few moments of silence, Cole’s voice could be heard again.
“Jay? Come in”. Cole said.
“Jay, do you read me?” Cole asked again.
Cole then frowned and approached the place where he last seen Jay.
“Jay!”. Cole cried out, as he saw him lying on the ground.
He ran up to him and turned Jay to lay him on his back.
“Jay- can you hear me? What happened?” Cole asked.
He looked ahead and saw Aspheera, emitting lighting, surrounded by her loyal snake followers.
Cole’s eyes widen. “Oh no-“. Cole gasped and quickly got up, trying to dodge as Aspheera charged up.
He wasn’t quick enough, as Aspheera’s staff hit him as well.
Cole cried out, as his elemental power separated from him.
It felt so weird and so overwhelming, he tried to use his power, but he couldn’t, he felt, disconnected from the earth, the longer it drew on.
As it did with Jay, the elemental seeped into the staff.
Aspheera laughed as her scales seemed to form a rocky texture.
Rocks that glowed with electric lightning.
Between the scales, her skin seems to glow, giving the illusion of lava streams, peeking through the surface.
Cole fell to his knees, next to Jay when it was complete.
Aspheera sent one last glare at them before she slithered away along with her army, she seemed to be faster too along with her army, thanks to her newfound powers.
“Jay-“. Cole managed to say, his throat suddenly dry and tight.
He tried to move closer, but his limbs didn’t feel strong enough to do so.
As Cole sunk to the ground, Jay slowly opened his eyes and turned his head.
“Cole?” Jay called, weakly.
Cole managed to sit up on his knees and looks at Jay.
“We have to warn the others-“. Jay says and coughs.
Cole nods in agreement and lifts his arm, to turn the comms on.
When he finally did, he heard nothing but static, but nonetheless he hoped that the others could hear him.
“This is Cole, I’m with Jay- Aspheera took our elemental powers”. Cole said and took his rest for a moment.
“Please anyone- Aspheera is headed towards you, she has mine and Jay’s powers, someone, come in”. Cole says and waited for a response, but there was none.
In the meantime, Jay managed to sit up and was testing comms as well.
“It’s hopeless, comms are fried”. Jay says.
Cole gritted his teeth as he pushed himself to stand.
“We have to reach them before Aspheera does”. Cole said and extended his hand out to Jay.
Jay took Cole’s hand and was pulled to his feet, he gave a determining nod before they tried to reach their vehicles together.
“Kai, on your left”. Zane warned and shot his ice blast toward the snake.
“Thanks pal”. Kai replied and summoned his fire once more.
They both backed away until they were back to back, from there they send fire and ice all around.
“Nice work”. Kai smiled.
“You too”. Zane replies.
“Once we clear out this section we’ll help the others-“. Kai says until his eye fell onto someone.
“Kai?” Zane asks, wondering why he had gone quiet.
“Aspheera-“. Kai mumbles and Zane went to stand next to him.
The snakes from earlier got back up again and were circling around them.
“Look out!”. Zane yells and pushes Kai out of the way when Aspeera’s beam would hit him.
Instead it hit Zane and sent him flying back.
“Zane!” Kai gasped, sending his attention back to Aspheera as another beam was fired, landing directly next to him.
“Guys we-“. Kai activated the comm, but before he could say anything else, the staff hit Kai as well, making him fall to the ground.
Kai groaned and struggled to get on his knees.
Snakes were making their way toward him, so he makes way for determination, as he performs spinjitzu to get back on his feet.
“Zane!” Kai yells, seeing that Zane was now surrounded by several other snakes, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, their scales looking like they wore armor made out of rocks, while electric sparks were making their way over their bodies.
Kai fought off some of the snakes, to try and make his way to Zane, but he was too late, as Aspheera hit him from behind.
Kai gasped and stood frozen, with his head snapped back, he tried to move his arms, but all he could manage was balling his fists, in anger, frustration and pain.
Kai felt his temperature dropping, like it was a cold and stormy night, and he sat close to open fire, which was slowly dying.
He felt cold, cold like ice when the beam retracted, making him too weak and cold for a moment to move a single muscle.
Aspheera grinned and slithered right by him, with her new fiery look.
The rocks seemed to glow like lava stones, as they even were set on fire and burning, while the electricity still crackled all in between.
“No- Zane”. Kai sighed, trying his best to get on his feet.
He took a shaky breath, the somewhat hot air, forming a cloud, like the surroundings had suddenly dropped drastically in temperature.
Zane awoke, and blinked his eyes as Aspheera appeared in front of him.
“No!” Kai yelled and got up, despite the pain.
He ran towards Aspheera and tried to deliver a punch, or anything to get Zane out of there, but it was hopeless, as Aspheera just had to flick her tail at him, which sent him, falling onto his back.
She activated the staff again and aimed it at Zane, who audibly gasped as a small storm of snowflakes seemed to seep out of him.
His eyes flickered, and his nindroid body sparked as if he isn’t strong enough to withhold this sort of magic.
When it was done, Aspheera’s appearance changed again, the four main elements coexisting, her tail got a fiery tip, her scales seemed unbreakable by their rocky texture, ice seemed to form all over her body as well, and her eyes seemed terrifyingly electric.
Zane his eyes powered down as well as his body, while Kai remained hopeless on the floor, shivering.
“Now, it’s time for me to take over Ninjago, and finally have my revenge!” Aspheera cried out, and her snake army cheered her on.
“First, let’s pay a visit to an old friend”. She said, her voice going darkly low, before slithering away.
“Zane”. Kai cried out and crawled his way over to Zane.
“Oh Zane-“. Kai sighed and opened up his chest cavity.
“Nya, how are you holding up?” Lloyd asks while he fights off some of the snakes.
“Rather fine, you need any help?” Nya replies.
“No, but I do wonder how the others are faring”. Lloyd frowns, being a little worried that he hasn’t heard anything from the others yet.
“Uhm Lloyd-“. Nya says.
“Yes Nya?” Lloyd replies.
“Lots of snakes heading our way, up north”. Nya says, having taken flight with her mech.
Lloyd frowns and looks in the direction Nya was referring to.
“Guys, Nya and I might need backup”. Lloyd says over comms.
After a few moments of silence Lloyd tries again.
“Guys? Do any of you copy?” Lloyd asks again, growing more worried as more snakes creep into view.
“Nya, none of the others are answering, I think something is really wrong”. Lloyd says.
“Lloyd, look at the serpentine, they seem to… possess the elemental powers”. Nya gasps.
“Oh no, Kai, Cole, Zane, Jay? Do any of you read me?” Lloyd tries again.
Nya lands her mech next to Lloyd.
“Uhm Lloyd- what’s the plan?” Nya asks.
Lloyd frowns and seemed to not hear Nya, as he stared at the army of the serpentine.
“Lloyd?” Nya asks again.
“We don’t quit”. Lloyd answers, and charges at some of the serpentine.
“Ah, the remnants of the ninja”. Aspheera grinned.
“Aspheera, stand down”. Lloyd said.
“I have the power of the elements of spinjitzu- you will never be able to stop me”. Aspheera laughed and aimed her weapon at them, shooting out beams of ice, fire, lightning, and earth alike.
Lloyd and Nya both dodged it to the best of their ability.
Nya saw that Aspheera was targeting her aim at Lloyd.
“Lloyd!”. Nya gasped and shoved him out of the way, clearing him out of the way and for the beam to hit her instead.
“Nya!”. Lloyd yells, and just in time he could avoid another attack from Aspheera.
“Aspheera”. A voice called.
Aspheera whipped her head around, trying to find the source when one of her serpentine gets pushed into her.
“Ah! Get off me”. Aspheera growls and charges up her staff again.
Wu looks up from under his hat.
“Wu, you’ve finally came”. Aspheera said.
“Give up Aspheera, hand over the elemental powers”. Wu said.
Aspheera merely laughed.
“If you are so keen on them, come and get them”. Aspheera sneered and attacked Wu with all of her powers.
“Master Wu”. Lloyd called out and joined in the fight, managing to deflect some of Aspheera’s incoming missiles.
“Lloyd, stay back”. Wu warned, as Aspheera approached and her staff hit Wu’s.
“Ah!” Nya cried out as her mech is being swayed left and right, at this point, serpents were crawling all over her mech.
“Nya! Hold on”. Lloyd calls out and sprints towards those serpentine, trying to get her out of there.
Nya managed to get her mech standing but there were too many of them and the serpentine managed to tipple the mech over, as it fell, Nya was forced to jump out of it.
Not far away, Wu was still holding off Aspheera, the longer the fight lasted, the more frustrated Aspheera became, shooting the elements left and right.
Wu was struggling, when he got hit again by Aspheera, this time, it made him fly back a few feet, making him land on his side.
He wasn’t strong enough to beat Aspheera like this, he knew it.
All he had to do was to make sure that Lloyd wouldn’t be captured, he is their only chance of beating Aspheera and her army now.
If Aspheera got her hands on him, it would be over for all of Ninjago, Aspheera would achieve unbelievable power.
Lloyd ducked away as one of the missiles of element hit the side of a building near them.
When he uncovered his face, his eyes widened as he saw it crumble.
He fixates his gaze on Nya and sprints toward her.
“Nya, look out!” Lloyd yells.
Nya looked up and saw the pieces falling down, who would fall right on top of her.
Lloyd threw himself towards her, pushing her and himself just out of the way of the rubble.
Nya coughed and got up.
“Lloyd?” Nya called out and looked behind her.
Lloyd coughed and got on his knees.
Nya approached him and tried to help him up.
Aspheera managed to finally get Wu off her, and send one of her beams toward him, making him stay down for a moment.
Then she glared at Lloyd and Nya.
The water ninja, who by what she heard, doesn’t even have a single ounce of power anymore, and the green ninja.
Water isn’t even one of the main elements, and powerless at that, and green.
What kind of element is green anyways? Aspheera wondered.
Probably even less important than water, she thought.
But what was the harm in harvesting one more?
Wu seemed very keen on him, and she would enjoy seeing how he watches him be in pain and agony.
Lloyd, where was he? Wu wondered when he opened his eyes.
He saw two figures standing next to each other, and another source of light coming from somewhere through his blurry vision.
Next thing he knows, the beam of light hit one of the figures, as he came into clear view, it was Lloyd.
“No!” Wu yelled, but it was to no avail.
Nya took a step back, as she saw how Lloyd ascended into the air, groaning and struggling.
Lloyd struggled and tried to throw quite a fit, he tried to put up quite a fight, as Aspheera had to strengthen her stance and use more power of the staff before any energy would seep out of him.
The glowing green-colored pure energy slowly made its way toward Aspheera’s staff.
The moment the energy touches the rip of the spear, Aspheera gasps from its essence.
The mere power that this boy possessed, was merely stronger than any of the others.
Aspheera grinned as she could feel it, starting to course through her, powering the other elements beyond limits as well.
With the green, there were shimmers of gold in there as well, as well as some deep dark purple.
Oh how wrong she was.
This was the first time she was ever glad to be wrong.
When the power seemed to reach its limit, it was still going every time.
Just as it seemed that it was never-ending, that he possessed unlimited power, the last of his energy left his body, his eyes returning to their usual dull color, the beam fading away around him.
Leaving him to the bounds of gravity once again, Lloyd fell down, as Nya stumbly catches him.
Aspheera laughed out loud, as she felt more powerful than she could ever have imagined.
Her mere body, even grew in size, her fangs, more poisonous, it felt like she could kill someone instantly with just a drop.
The top of the staff hummed in pleasant pulsating pure energy, lightning crackling around it, in all different colors.
“Lloyd-“. Nya cried out, holding his lifeless body in her arms.
She could still feel a pulse, but his eyes were shut and his breathing was shallow as if he were asleep.
Wu finally was able to get on his feet and sprinted towards the two of them.
“Lloyd-“. He mumbled and got down on his knees.
“It’s like his life force was sucked out of him”. Nya remarks.
Wu nods. “That’s exactly what happened”. He replied.
Nya’s eyes widened. “What?”
“He’s more connected to his powers than the rest of you, the energy, gives him energy, he’s connected to everything itself, and now that connection is broken”. Wu replied.
Nya holds him close. “Come on Lloyd-“. She whispers.
“Aspheera-“. Wu yells and gets up.
Aspheera turned her head towards him, hissing.
She charged up her staff, which was crackling, looking like it could break any second.
She aimed it at the three of them but mainly at Lloyd.
Nya threw herself over him, in an attempt to shield him.
“So this was your secret Wu, your little treasure, the grandson of the first spinjitzu master”. Aspheera growled and was still charging up.
“Aspheera listen, please! It’s too powerful-“. Wu pleaded but got ignored by Aspheera as she aimed powered up all the energy the staff had.
When she was about to fire, the staff pointed upwards, by the force of that much power that it was uncontrollable, like it had a mind of its own.
The beam that shot out of it, had the colors of the rainbow, and landed, crashing into an upper corner of a nearby building.
“Ah!” Aspheera cried out and tried to get the staff under control as it swung around, buzzing more loudly now that it was getting a bit uncomfortable.
Aspheera tries to get the staff back under her control, but it didn’t stop, the buzzing became louder and the staff whipped all around until it strictly pointed towards Lloyd.
“What is this?”. Aspheera frowned, yanking at the staff who wouldn’t budge.
Nya looked up and saw what was happening.
“It’s fighting back”. Nya gasps.
Aspheera gasps as a crack started to form in her staff.
“No, No!”. Aspheera yells.
There was another loud crack, which split it open until it bursts and fell into a million pieces.
A glow of the elements of fire, ice, earth, and lightning, were swirling around a streak of the energy element which we’re all heading towards Lloyd at a fast pace.
Nya leaned back to let the beam go past her, which seemed to hit Lloyd and immediately receded into him.
When the glow subsided, Nya moved back to loom over him.
“Lloyd?” Nya calls and scooped him into her arms again.
Lloyd didn’t seem to budge, not even opening his eyes.
“Jeez, what happened here?” Jay calls out.
“Jay- Guys”. Nya sighed relieved when she saw the rest of the ninja team gather around them.
“Lloyd”. They called out in sync.
“What’s wrong with him?” Cole asks, them all wearing worrying expressions.
“Aspheera got his element too but-“. Nya started to explain but stopped as Lloyd suddenly snapped his eyes open, taking an audible gasp.
He blinks a few times, his eyes returning to their usual green.
“Lloyd!”. The ninja called out and all went up to him.
“Guys? What happened?” Lloyd groans and sits up.
“The elements, it was too powerful for the staff to handle”. Nya explained.
“So, they’ve returned to all of you?” Lloyd asks and makes eye contact with each one of the members of his team.
Kai grinned and opened up his hand to let a flame burst out of it, but, it never came.
After a few seconds, Kai frowned and looked at his hand, and tried again.
“Uh Kai?” Jay asked concerned.
“I- I got it”. Kai replied and tried again, his frown deepening.
Cole frowned and tried to activate his powers by smashing his fists against each other, but as with Kai, nothing happened.
Jay tried to use his lightning, but the trend continued, as it did for Zane.
“It seems that our powers are still gone”. Zane remarked and looked back at Lloyd.
Lloyd looked at Nya.
“You said that the elements had returned”. He said puzzlingly.
“They did, they went out of the staff right into- you”. Nya replied.
Lloyd frowned and held out his hand, calling his element.
Immediately there was a response.
An orb of energy appeared which then suddenly turned into flames, who were green in color.
Lloyd his eyes widened and tried to get it to go away, as sparks of lightning appeared and almost shocked the other ninjas.
Lloyd cries out and fans his hand around, trying to get rid of it.
The lightning switched to solid floating rocks, before switching into crystals of ice.
Lloyd seemed to have figured out somewhat how to turn it off, since the crystals seemed to quickly melt away, and turn into water, which trickles down through his fingers.
Lloyd then opened his eyes again and awkwardly made eye contact with the other ninja, who were watching it unfold before them in shock.
Zane was the first one to break through the silence.
“It appears that Lloyd has all of our elementals”. He simply remarked.
“Oops?” Lloyd raises a brow and pulls a sheepish grin.