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Chapter Text

Among the Scottish seas in the Archipelago, just beyond the present Isle of Berk, rested an island along the seas of the hidden world - named Beithirholm. Legends tell of a Viking civilization that inhabits the island with a strong connection to dragons, far beyond what any human being could imagine. Among them lived beings capable of living in both the dragon world and the human world, beings that can shift from humans to dragons within the blink of an eye. They lived in peace for generations between Vikings, dragons, and Draconian species. Present-day, the island is much more modern, but it still holds some of the ancient customs from its ancestors. 

The village was calm on this cold winter day. The Vikings mingled and went about their days, performing tasks to keep the village fed, ensuring everyone was warm, repairing weapons and fortifications, and setting up for the holiday of Snoggletog. The dragons had gone on their yearly tradition of migrating to their nesting grounds to raise their young for the winter, so only the humans and Dracolycans remained to celebrate Snoggletog. In the village, a young girl of about 17 watched over her younger brother and his Viking and Dracolycan friends as they played. She had shoulder-length, deep-side parted, dark brown, purple ombre hair, bright turquoise eyes, and fair skin. The bridge of her nose had a long scar from a childhood injury. She wore a dark purple-gray and black corset-like tunic. There were brown leather straps around her waist, left upper arm, right thigh, and around her dragon-scaled arm guards. A cream-colored fur cloak was attached to her tunic, sealed with two of her Family's Clan crest-embedded brooches. She wore thin, dark purple-gray pants and brown-and-cream-colored furred boots. The girl smiled as she watched them run around when she heard her father's calls from afar. 

"Rykari!" The girl's father called.

 
The girl, Rykari, looked over to her father and waved, then looked back at the kids.

"Well, ah've got to go, weans," Rykari groaned as she stretched her back. She had a thick Scottish accent, but not too thick for foreigners to have difficulty understanding her native tongue - if they knew about the Scottish dialect. Her sibling groaned in disappointment. 

"Aw? Da haes tae be outright mad tae be cawin' ye fur something while ye're in th' middle o' sittin' us!" Her younger brother pouted. His friends nodded in agreement and looked quite upset, and the other kids in their Dracolycan forms grunted in disappointment.

"A'richt, calm down, noo, Ollie. I'll try tae come back later." Rykari promised her brother Oliver. Oliver's pout remained unchanged until Rykari ruffled the hair on his head, making him smile before she started towards their home. She turned around and cupped her hands around her mouth when she was within shouting distance of the group of kids and called out, "'N' dinnae gang terrorizing th' poor sheep again, or ah wull skelp yer wee arses! " She turned around again and jogged up to her family home.

"Da? Whit did ye ca' me-" Rykari asked as she walked into the house, only to cut herself off when she saw her mother and her older brother Cameron sitting at the table while her father stood with an opened letter. "...fur." She finished before gently shutting the door behind her. She saw how her mother avoided eye contact, and Cameron was comforting her with a rub on the back, but he showed concern. He'd give Rykari that look whenever something was about to go down. After what felt like hours of silence, her father finally spoke.

"The Grimborn Clan sent this letter," Her dad, Alistair Furia, said quietly. His voice had a pang of regret, and he rubbed his eyelids with his fingers. "They're requesting… a union o' oor clans. The Chief's son, Klaude, is lookin' fur a wife." His eyes made contact with Rykari's gaze. Although he tried not to show emotion, Rykari could see a broken man worrying about his little Lass. The Grimborns were a clan of dangerous history. Dragon slayers, witchcraft, and followers of the most fearsome dragon in all the realms - Malefor. 
Rykari's mother, Skye Furia, sniffled and took a deep breath before speaking, "We're nae risking yer safety wi' this situation. Yer father haes requested fur an auld friend tae come 'n' escort ye aff th' island-"

"What!? Hae ye gaen mad, Alistair? That's aff tae start a bloody war! Oor people, oor Clan, wull be in deep shite if ye gang thro' wi' this plan o' yers! " Rykari protested. “Ah wull nae risk abandonin' oor people fur a dragon-killing scumbag that wants tae chu-”
"Enough oot yer geggy, lassie! Ye dae nae address yer father lik' that!" Alistair shouted. Rykari stared at her father with a flabbergasted expression. She knew not to keep arguing once he shouted, so she stood down fairly easily. Cameron noticed her eyes watering as they flickered with confusion and anger, and he approached his sister. Cameron gave Alistair a look before walking Rykari outside for a moment to separate the two hotheaded Dracolycans.

They approached outside the docks, where fishing ships often docked for the day. It was quiet around this time of day so that no one would overhear their conversation. Rykari was still in disbelief; her brows furrowed in frustration as she failed to understand why her family voted to ship her off to - well, Odin knows where!?

"Anno, it must be frustratin' fur ye, but ye hae tae listen tae whit Da haes tae say," Cameron said. "He received that letter months ago. Na yin outside th' hidden world borders cuid fin' oor island - except fur th' Berkians. We mist keep a wee profile tae weed oot th' rats in oor village. Da 'n' ah wull investigate this 'n' stop it wance 'n' fur a'." He knelt before Rykari, grasping her hands in a comforting way to get down on her level. Rykari stared at him, not convinced in the slightest.

"We need tae keep ye awa' fae hunters lik' Klaude- " 

"Save it, brother. Anno whit ye 'n' da think aboot me fightin' battles ah supposedly cannae win. Ye wilnae know 'til ah huv a go!" Rykari interrupted as she threw his hands away from her. She stood up in frustration. "How come ye'r mair worried aboot me than Oliver? Th' laddie diz'nae ken how tae haud a sword properly, 'n' ah hae years o' stealth training from th' elders! Ah an' a' hae mah elemental powers- "

"He diz'nae wantae marry ye; he kens ye'r th' next Grandmaster o' Aether!" Cameron shouted. His voice cracked after he managed to shut his sister up, and he took a shaky breath to collect himself.

Rykari's eyes widened in shock as he told her this detail.

"Klaude's oan his wey tae select a suitor, which we believe is a coverup fer that Malefor cult they git goin' oan in their wretched clan. Da saw th' signs o' yer inheritance o' Di's power, 'n' it hurts him th' maist tae lie tae yae aboot this." 

"Ah dinnae… It diz'nae-" Rykari stammered and sat back down, feeling dazed. "It diznae make sense. How come me? Ah'm awready inheriting Da's Plasma mastery, wouldn't Aether-"

"Ye havenae discovered th' power yit. If Klaude git his hauns oan ye, he could awaken it prematurely, taint it, 'n' curse ye. We dinnae want ye tae endure that life o' suffering." Cameron murmured and sat beside his little sister. 

"Ah understand noo. Tis juist, wow..." Rykari was at a loss for words. It makes so much sense why she has gotten stronger as of late. Now, with the power-hungry Dark Master cult on their hunt for her, she was worried about what would happen to her home if they discovered she wasn't there. 

"Urr ye aff tae be helping a' body evacuate th' island?" She asked after a moment of silence.

"Aye, we'll need yer help wi' that. Teach th' young'uns how tae cloak themselves 'n' tread cautiously. Even some discipline, since ye'r th' bairn whisperer. " Cameron teased.

Rykari lightly punched his shoulder for that comment. "Shut yer geggy, ye wanker," Rykari teased back with a chuckle.

"Make me, wench," Cameron retorted smugly. Rykari gasped dramatically, and her mouth hung agape.

"Maw wid murder ye if she juist happened tae ken that ye called yer ain sister a wench. Oh, mammy dearest~!" Rykari said in a sing-song-like voice as she stood up and made a break for the house. Cameron stumbled after his sister, laughing and calling after her many colorful names - with love, of course.

Rykari saw the house on the horizon. She spotted Ollie and some of his Dracolycan dragonling friends. Cameron was right on her tail, and she had the idea for the perfect counterattack. She cheekily leaped onto a cobblestone wall like a frog and made a songbird call, followed by a small rhythm of reptilian hums. Cameron stopped in his tracks, looking at her sister with utter confusion, only to become horrified at the swarm of dragonlings racing towards him, with Ollie riding on the back of the eldest one shouting, "FREEDOM," in an attempt to sound like William Wallace. 

Cameron yelped in surprise as he got sent back down the hill in a tumble, making Rykari burst out cackling. "Sorry, Cam! Ah trained th' young'uns TOO well!" She called after him as his pleas for mercy faded the further and further they got. "Dinnae murdurr him, wee ladies 'n' lassies! we kind o' need him!" She added, but she couldn't hear the cries of terror anymore.
 
Ah, ah hope they heard me. Ollie knows better than tae murdurr his brother... Hopefully... She thought to herself with a lighthearted chuckle.

Rykari hopped off the wall, brushed off some dust, and continued to the house. She walked through the marketplace; dozens of merchants from over the seas were finishing up packing their wares after a good week of sales. She would get a few greetings from regulars. She would smile and return hellos and goodbyes. The sun was setting, and she figured she'd stop by a shop to see the wares that Merchants still displayed. 

"Ah caught th' retaliation ye pulled oan th' chief's son; that wis ferr clever o' ye." A young adult male voice spoke up behind Rykari, and she jumped in surprise. She quickly elbowed the stranger in the gut, causing him to recoil in shock and sputter. Rykari whipped around to see a man she had never seen before - but he did look vaguely familiar to her.

"Oh, Odin! My sincerest apologies, sir. Ye snuck up oan-" Rykari quickly apologized, only to stop mid-sentence as she saw the stranger reveal his face. He wore traditional Viking mercenary attire, a black leather tunic with a silver fur embroidered hood, black trousers, and brown fur-lined boots. He had a hilt with what appeared to be two Kusarigama - Chained Sickles. He wore combat leather gloves with many tools hidden under the padding, fastened to his arms like armor. He has reinforced Gronkle iron armor equipped on his shoulders, chest, hips, and legs.

"Me…" Rykari finished her sentence, flushing a light pink in her pale cheeks. The boy had piercing silver-colored eyes like the scales of a Razorwhip. He had short, messy, black and white speckled hair with side-swept bangs. He had silver hook ear piercings fixed with what appeared to be some animal fang. 

"Na fashes, lassie. Tis a habit o' mines ah forget aboot." He chuckled as he straightened his back and regained his composure. "Ye skelp bonny solid. Ah usually cannae cop a thing wi' th' Gronkle iron." The boy commented. 

"Well, ah hae spent time punchin' iron trees; ah dinnae feel much o' anythin' whin ah skelp pure tough metals - or rocks even, " Rykari said nervously, rubbing her arm. "Anywho, ah dinnae believe a've met ye afore, stranger. Did ye travel far?" She asked him as she started to walk towards the village square; the boy followed.

"Ye cuid say that. A'm a wanderer, gawin` from island tae island in search o' wirk. A'm mair kent fur mah wirk as a mercenary gathering intel or investigating mysterious phenomena." The boy said with confidence as he rested his hands behind his head. He kept eyeing Rykari curiously when she wasn't looking. "Whit aboot ye?" 

It must have been hours while they got to know each other. The sun sank into the sea when they approached Rykari's home. He paused just a few yards away; her gut was churning; everything felt too peaceful. The boy turned around to face her.

"Ye awight? Ye seem oot o' it," The boy asked. He reached his hand out and subtly cupped her face, examining her appearance. Rykari flushed a bright shade of red at his touch, and she felt her ears tingle. She was too lost in the boy's gaze to react in time. A small Plasma spark flickered by her ears, and they shifted into her dragon ears. Two long oval-shaped growths that flopped over like lovestruck puppy ears. The boy's gaze widened, and the concern vanished from his gaze. 

"A've finally fun ye, wee Kari." He said ominously, and a smirk formed on his face.

Kari. The way he said this part of her name was eerily familiar, and it made her stomach sink. Rykari's ears reverted to normal with another flicker of a Plasma spark. Her gaze widened in fear as she realized what she had revealed. 

"RYKA, EGREDERE DE VIA!" 

On cue, Rykari ducked and dove away from the boy as Cameron launched himself at the stranger. The two tumbled in the dirt briefly, and Cameron launched back toward Rykari. He slowed his knockback with his twin daggers, stopping just behind Rykari. Her brother radiated a protective, firey aura as he swiftly stood before her. 

"Well, well, well, Camy boy. Tis a pity ye goosed mah gam wi' yer bonny sister behind ye. Sic a bonnie lassie, that yin~. Juist lik' how ah remembered her!" The boy chuckled darkly. 

"Ye'r nae taking mah sister anywhere, Klaude, ye fuckin' bastard. Ye'r gonnae hae tae gang thro' th' Chief, Chieftess, 'n' myself if ye want her!" Cameron growled. Rykari realized the gravity of the situation before her as she slowly stood behind her older brother. 

"A'm sic an eejit! How come wid ah hear oot a fuckin' dragon killer??" Rykari growled under her breath. She felt like she had never seen Klaude before, so naturally, she would have fawned over an attractive lad like him. However, something about him was familiar, but she didn't want to think about it. Why must she be that pathetic?

"How come wid ye hear this chuggin' stoater oot anyways? Ye kin dae much better. Ah kin see th' man's wrinkles oan his lairge forehead!" Cameron muttered back, causing Rykari to snort.

"Oi! Enough oot o' ye freaks!" Klaude shouted as he whipped out his two Kusarigama. Everything fell silent as the three stared each other down. Rykari glanced around for potential escape routes; everything felt too open for her to escape. She didn't know how fast Klaude was, or how strong for that matter. 

"Whin ah ca' fur da, a'm needin' ye tae stairt running. Ah will haud him aff fur as lang as ah kin." Cameron whispered. Rykari looked at him as if he were insane. Then, she sensed something off about his aura. It seemed stronger than before, similar to her own. 

“Did ye hear me, sis?” 

Rykari nodded and shifted her footing. Cameron twirled his Daggers, clashed them together to create a crackle of thunder, and let out a battle cry. A bolt of dark-colored lightning burst from the sky, shrouding his body, and he turned into a Dracolycan. Rykari engulfed herself in a ring of Plasma, making her turn invisible, and broke into a run. 

"Oh, ho, a'm gonnae loue this hunt fur sure," Klaude cackled as he twirled the chains around, making the sickles clash against the cobblestone ground, and walked toward Cameron. In the blink of an eye, he threw a sickle at the Dracolycan, who quickly deflected the blade with his dagger and jumped out of the way of the second oncoming sickle. The sound of metal clashing on metal echoed throughout the clearing. It was Rykari's only indication if her brother was still alive. The further from the fight she got, the more worried she became.

Rykari sprinted into the woods, trying to make it to the docks as fast as possible. It was evening by now, and the moon was reaching its peak in the sky. She heard the sound of leaves and twigs crunching under her feet, running for her life. Suddenly, a tranquilizer dart flew past her head and into a tree. She gasped sharply and dove into the underbrush as a dozen more followed shortly after. 

In a flash, her ears changed to her dragon ears. She held her breath and stayed perfectly still, listening to her surroundings. Rykari heard several muffled voices of confusion, colorful complaints, and insults thrown at each other. They didn't seem close by, so she slowly crawled out from the underbrush, crawling on all fours quietly to avoid attracting unwanted visitors. She carefully scanned the forest floor for traps and hidden hunters; she had to be ready for anything. 

Up ahead, she saw the silvery glints of Gronkle iron armor and weapons approaching the path she was taking. This predicament gave Rykari an idea, and she jumped into the trees. She purposefully ensured there was rustling to attract the attention of the surrounding hunters. 

"Wh-whit th' hell wis that!?" A voice stammered.

"'Twas likely a wee li'l squirrel, ye big Jessy." Another voice chortled. Rykari smirked and silently jumped from one branch to another, then made a soft, reptilian clicking noise. The noise made some other men tilt their heads in alertness. 

"Uh, chief, a dinnae ken if that wis a squirrel..." Another voice piped up. 

Rykari held back a snort of laughter and started rustling the tree branches as she raced through them, circling the group of now-frightened hunters. One of the men yelped in fear, and another ran forward and sprung a trap. His leg was caught in a rope and was dangling from a tree branch. The rope trap then triggered other traps to spring, like net launchers, tranquilizers, and cages, activating a domino-like effect. 
An uproar of frightened screams and curses echoed throughout the forest, drawing in the other patrols of hunters to investigate. 

A've git yon buggers right whaur a'm wantin' thaim... Rykari thought to herself with a smirk.

Rykari's eyes glowed a vibrant green color and changed into reptilian eyes. She stood up on the branch she was currently perched on and leaped off it. She landed on the ground before the frightened grown men, gazing ominously into their souls like a hungry predator. She stood to her full height. "Ye'r a lang wey from hame, ye dafty lot o' divs." She chuckled, "Ah recommend th' lot o' ye take yer sorry arses afore ah git real crabbit... " 

The remaining uncaptured hunters started to back away with fear. Rykari's silhouette outlined from the moonlight made her appear like some eldritch creature. She slowly unfolded her wings and crouched down, and a low guttural growl echoed from her throat. That caused the remaining hunters to flee the forest, screaming their heads off. The men who remained trapped mumbled prayers to the gods to spare their lives. Rykari let out a hum of laughter before slicing, opening, and breaking traps to free the scared-shitless Viking "warriors" and watched them scramble away with the rest of their party. 

Rykari slapped her knee and pumped her fists in celebration. Score! All those times of trolling around the kids in the village she has had finally paid off. She reverted to her human self and kept running towards the docks. 

She came to a stop as she reached the docks, surveying the area to see if any of Klaude's goons were roaming about. She saw a small rowboat arrive with an older man aboard it. She grew weary and quietly approached the docks, hiding behind crates and barrels. Rykari peeked around the corner to get a better look at the stranger. He had a long white beard, a woven disc-shaped hat, long white robes, and a wooden staff. 
The man stepped off of the boat and looked around. "Hm," He walked forward about three steps and stopped. "I can sense your presence; I mean you no harm." He called out. Rykari ducked back behind the barrel when she sensed his gaze shifting toward her.

"You can come out." He reassured. 

Rykari slowly stood up and walked into view. "Urr ye sure ye'r nae a pairt o' th' Grimborn Clan?" She asked him, standing in a standby position in case of a sudden attack. He nodded, and Rykari relaxed with a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank Valhalla, a'm sae fauchle o' encounterin' thae bastards trying tae take me awa'." She groaned.

“Ah, so you must be Rykari. Your father has told me much about you." The man commented. "My name is Master Wu. I am the friend your family may have mentioned. I am here to escort you off the island, although I must've arrived late." He said as he glanced up towards a light near the center of the village. The light was a bright indigo color. It kept glowing brighter and brighter and then discharged into several electrical streaks. Rykari sniffed the air, identified a familiar scent, and sensed another presence from the shadows. 

"R-Ryka…?" A familiar frightened voice squeaked.

"Ollie?" Rykari responded quickly and rushed in the direction of her sibling's voice. She slid to a stop when she saw Klaude again with Oliver, who was chained with a sickle blade to his throat. The little boy had tears streaming down his face. Rykari froze up. 

"Ah haw! Th' lassie shows herself again. Ye ken, yer fowk is quite th' handful." Klaude laughed deviously and tightened the chains around Oliver to make him cry out in pain. 

"Dinnae ye DARE hurt mah brother, ye son of a wrinkle-hearted, fish-legged, snot-faced, cowardly rat bastard!" She snarled. A crackle of Plasma echoed, and a discharge of purple light flashed before everyone's eyes. A shell of Plasmatic energy shattered, and a humanoid night fury stood in her place - her Dracolycan form. Plasma sparks crackled at her fingertips, lashing her tail side to side with hostility.

"Oh, please. Ah wouldn't hurt a normal human laddie like him. Efter a'..." Klaude scoffed, retracting the chains from his Kusarigama sickles and shoving the boy toward the angered Dracolycan. Oliver grasped his sister's scaly leg, cowering behind her. 

"Yer th' yin a'm efter. Yer ither brother, a toughie he wis! he gave me quite a run fur mah dosh. Sadly, he didnae wield th' identical amount o' energy that ye have… or beauty, fur that maiter." He said with a wink. Rykari groaned in disgust. 

"Ye'r even mair perverted than afore. A dinnae ken whit a clocked in ye th' foremaist time, bit ah sure as hell ain't taking ony mair chances - noo tell me. Whit did ye dae tae Cameron, yae eel suckin' scoundrel?" Rykari hissed, covering Oliver with her tail fins protectively. 
Klaude grinned wildly and started to cackle. "Ah, well, ah dinnae think it wid be gey appropriate fur a bairn tae hear noo, wid it?" Rykari glanced down at her petrified brother, then at Master Wu, then back at Klaude.

"Whit does he mean, Ry?" Oliver asked in the quietest, fearful whimper she had heard from the boy. 

"Go tae Master Wu," Rykari ordered. Oliver hesitantly let go of her leg and then ran to Master Wu. Rykari's gaze flickered to Wu, who nodded understanding and watched them run off to safety. 

"Noo... Let's skip th' pleasantries, shall we?" Klaude said, chuckling. He quickly charged at Rykari and threw a sickle at her. Rykari quickly flashed invisible, dove out of the way, and jumped on top of a wooden pillar. Her claws got nearly sliced off when Klaude threw his other sickle at the pillar. She saw him whirl the other chain and throw it at her. The invisibility wore off, and she deflected the sickle blade, lodging it into the chains of the other one. Rykari conjured up a charge of Plasma in her scaly paw-like hands and sent a surge of energy through the chain, shocking Klaude and causing him to stumble closer to the edge of the deck. 

While the hunter was still dazed, she ran for Wu and Oliver's path. She had no weapons to defend herself, only a small knife, her claws and teeth, and her elemental powers. Her defensive tactics wouldn't last forever, and she needed to land a punch or something on him to knock him down without killing him from Plasmatic overload. As much as she would prefer to do that, especially after deceiving her with his cruelly abused charm, Rykari knew it wouldn't benefit her clan very well. 
She stopped and sniffed the air, hoping to find Oliver's scent. Her ears pricked and swerved around, attempting to identify a heartbeat, a voice, any sign of life. She heard nothing. Then, Rykari had an idea. She made a songbird call with a higher-pitched reptilian hum. Within a few seconds, there was a response with a poor attempt at a reptilian clicking sound. She softly chuckled to herself and followed the source of the call. A few minutes later, she found Oliver at the top of a tree. 

"Ollie! Is that ye, laddie?" Rykari whispered.

"Aye, tis me!" He whispered in return, "Git up 'ere before th' numpties fin' ye!" 

Rykari quickly launched herself up the tree, silently and stealthily, to avoid being spotted. She arrived at the nook where Oliver was left, and they shared a warm, relieving embrace. Rykari exhaled softly in relief and held him close, feeling her brother's body jerk with terrified sobs. He did his best to keep the volume of his cries to a minimum. 

"Tis okay, brother. Ye'r safe. Ah won'te let him tak' ye again." Rykari soothed and softly cooed as she rested her head on his. As his violent sobs started to calm down, Rykari looked through the branches to see if she could spot Wu or any of her family.

However, she did see that Klaude was no longer at the docks. Surely, he had found her trail by now. 

"A'richt, Ollie. A'm needin' ye tae haud oan ticht. Ah wull git ye tae th' hoose 'n' see if Maw is there." Rykari whispered. Oliver sniffled and nodded in response. He wrapped his arms around Rykari's shoulders and his legs around her waist. The Dracolycan lifted her tail and flexed the fins to estimate the wind's direction. It was blowing southeast-ish, which should be enough to carry them back to their home.

Rykari used her arms to support Oliver in case he lost his hold on her, and with a brief flash of a Plasma ring, the two of them were now invisible. She leaped out of the tree and spread her wings, letting the air currents take them toward the village square. As they drifted across the night sky, there were no signs of her father or Cameron anywhere. The house came into her line of sight, and she quickly landed at the front of the house to set Oliver down. 
Suddenly, the front door swung open, and a panic-stricken Skye Furia stood in the doorway, wielding a loaded mechanical crossbow. The invisibility wore off and revealed Rykari with Oliver in the blink of an eye. "Easy, Maw, tis me. A've brought Ollie." Rykari soothed. 

"Oh, thank th' Ancestors ye'r both alive 'n' well!" Skye sighed in relief; her voice was choking up with worry and relief. She carefully set down her crossbow and went to embrace her children. 

"Where's Da? 'n' Cam?" Rykari asked, a look of concern resting on her face. 

"Thay wur oot searchin' fur ye; efter Cam distracted Klaude, he teuk ferr a beatin', 'n' yer Da swept in tae save him," Skye explained. "Then poor Ollie git caught in th' crossfire. He tried tae run tae th' hoose, bit that bastard snatched him up wi' a sickle tae th' laddie's throat. He kept babbling aboot ye, making loads distasteful-”

"Mam!" Rykari groaned sharply through her teeth, gesturing to a traumatized Oliver, glancing up at both women as they spoke. 

"Sorry, dear," Skye sighed and ushered Oliver into the house. When she returned to Rykari, she continued. "Anyways, Klaude threatened yer brother's lee if thay didnae tell him whaur ye bolted aff tae. Cameron said ye bolted tae th' woods, 'n' sure enough, multiple packs o' sheep-for-brained hunters hollered in th' distance claise tae th' docks."  

Rykari sighed in relief. "Thank Odin. So, in a way, Ah saved my brother's life. A dinnae ken how come ah caused him tae turn intae a Dracolycan; Ah'm no that special tae be th' catalyst in an awakening lik' that." She murmured, tearing up. Skye cupped her daughter's cheek comfortingly. 

“Oh, Ry, my wee bairn. Ye haven't seen it, bit yer Di trusts ye tae care fur his aether inheritance. He sees th' true potential wi`in ye, 'n' in a wey; Ye 'v helped cam discover his true potential. That's a gift in itself, mea puella." Skye comforted Rykari with her wise words of reassurance.

"Thanks, maw." Rykari smiled softly, then laughed at herself. "Gods, ah aye cop lik' an absolute eejit fur feeling any attraction tae that perv. Read me lik' an open book, fur fucks sake!" She groaned, covering her face with her scaly hands in embarrassment. Skye shook her head and hummed in amusement. Rykari sighed deeply and massaged her face, and then the faint sound of rustling foliage began to approach rapidly. Rykari's ears twitched, and she quickly got onto all fours. 
A low growl rumbled in Rykari's throat as Skye grabbed her crossbow, aiming it in the same direction Rykari was staring into. The rusting foliage stopped, and Cameron and Alistair revealed themselves in their Dracolycan forms. Rykari's face lit up at seeing her father and brother alive and well.

"Cam! Da!" She exclaimed, running toward them on all fours. Skye quickly safety-locked the crossbow, slung it on her back, and quickly greeted her son and husband with relief.

"Ryka!" Cameron exclaimed in return, running toward her. The two of them embraced each other, twirling around with joy. Once they stopped twirling, Rykari punched Cameron in the arm. "Agh, whit th' hell?" Cameron winced.

"Ye motherfucker! Dae ye hae any idea how worried ah wis whin ye teuk oan that bawheid? Ah thought he skinned ye alive; Th' bastard didnae hae a scratch oan him whin he found me again!" Rykari's body shook as she fought to hold back loud sobs while she expressed her distress. "Ah thought Da would've bin tae late tae back ye up. 'n' why waste yer awakening oan me?" She added, looking at her Dracolycan-awakened brother's new form. 

"Easy, Ry, calm doon, sister." Cameron chuckled. "A've bin debating oan even accepting mah awakening in th' first place. Since yer th' ainlie yin oot o' th' three o' us wha passed doon Di's gift, ah dinnae ken if ah cuid ever be as pure tough as ye wid be yin day." He admitted. Rykari's gaze softened after he said this. "Whin a saw ye wi' him, something snapped ben o' me. Ye wouldnae hae remembered him sin ye wur a wee bairn, bit ah remembered him a' tae well. Ah refused tae let him harm mah wee sister."

"Aw, Cam… Whit wid ah dae wi'oot mah auld brother?" Rykari sniffled. She placed her hand on his shoulder, and the two pressed their foreheads against each other as a gesture of kindness.

"Iron sharpens iron, as Wu wid aye say; aye, mah loue?" Skye murmured to Alistair, resting her head on his shoulder with pride. 

"Aye, mah dear." Alistair chuckled. 

Suddenly, the echo of a slow clap rang through the clearing. The air became tense, and an amused chuckle cut through it like a vengestone knife.

"Oh, How touching. It brings a tear tae mah eye whin th' fowk gets back th'gither." Klaude's sickening laughter sent a shiver down Rykari's spine. She slowly turned around to see his gaze glowing in the shadows. He left the foliage, stopped clapping, and focused on his prize - Rykari. "Playtime is over, wee Furia." 

Skye grabbed her mechanical crossbow and stood before Rykari, taking the safety lock off. "That's funny... fur ah wis juist getting stairted." 

Rykari and Cameron looked at each other, then back at Skye with stunned expressions. They both made a reptilian clicking noise that simulated an 'ooh' reaction. 

"Haud yer wheesht," Alistair hissed quietly, then made a series of reptilian clicking noises and hums. That was Dracolycan morse for 'get Oliver and start flying. Don't wait for me if I don't reach the rendezvous point by sunrise.' Alistair then drew out his collapsable Glaive. Klaude unhooked his sickles from his belt, letting them drop as he held the chain handles. 

"Finally, a worthy opponent. Ah will git tae yer daughter soon enough. Efter a', it wouldn't hurt tae bring hame a Dracolycan heid or twa fur mah Great-Great Grandfather's memorial." Klaude snickered, then leaped into the air and launched a sickle between Rykari and Cameron. The blade stuck in the cobblestone ground, and he pulled himself toward them with a fierce chain yank. The two Dracolycans quickly rolled out of the way before he could stun them. 

"Cam! Git Ollie 'n' run!" Rykari shouted and gestured toward the house. Cameron nodded and sprinted to the house.

"Oh na, ye wilnae!" Klaude growled and threw the second sickle toward fleeing Dracolycan.

"Son, look out!" Alistair shouted. Time has slowed; the sickle slowly spun at the back of Cameron's head, almost landing a fatal blow when a golden light cut through the sickle. 

"Ninja-go!"

A tornado of golden energy cut off the sickle blade - literally. A familiar face cleanly cut through the Gronkle iron sickle blade. When the tornado subsided, Master Wu appeared in a battle stance. Cameron didn't dare look behind him as he ran into the house.

"No!" Klaude shouted. 

"Aye, Wu! Tis aboot time ye joined th' square go, ye auld bas! Haha!" Alistair bellowed. 

"Heh! I wouldn't miss it for the world, old friend." The older man chuckled. "Do you still remember Spinjitzu?" 

"Tis lik' th' auld saying, 'tis lik' riding a bike.' How cuid ah forget?" Alistair grinned brightly. 

"Spinjitzu?" Rykari echoed, confused at this foreign term. 

"Master Wu wull explain efter. A'm gaun efter th' wee jimmies. Hulp yer father 'n' Master Wu oot, Ry. May th' ancestors look after ye." Skye said to Rykari, smiling at her with tears in her eyes. Rykari looked at her mother with a fearful glint in her eyes but nodded regardless. They pressed their foreheads against each other in farewell, and Skye ran to the house. Rykari rolled her shoulders and turned around to join in the fight. 

"Ye ken, lassie. Ye cannae keep huvin ithers square go fur ye. Tis nae guid fur character!" Klaude tsked, tossing his broken Kusarigama away and reeling back his final one. 

"Who said they wur fightin' fur me?" Rykari scoffed and quickly vanished into thin air with a flash of Plasma. She flapped her wings, blasting a large cloud of dust for Alistair and Wu to whirl around with their spinjitzu. Klaude sputtered and coughed, blinded by the amount of thick dust hovering in the air around him. 

While the two kept spinning, Rykari would use the cover to strike quickly. She lunged at him, landing a Plasma-infused punch into his side. Klaude swung his sickle after her, but she avoided it with another swift jab to his abdomen, then backflipped to smack his jaw with her tail fins. 

"Grah! Shaw yersel', wench!" Klaude screamed angrily. The response he received was a Plasma shock from behind, causing him to stumble forward. He got hit with another jab of Plasma, then another, and another. Klaude was angry; how was he getting bested by these creatures and an older man? Rykari kept attacking in a pattern: multiple swift jabs, kicks, then a shock of Plasma to stun, rinse, and repeat. She even landed a blow on his eye; her sharp claws and the burning Plasma that radiated from them caused Klaude to cry out in pain. Eventually, Rykari went in for a final punch to the abdomen when she suddenly got knocked back by a swift kick to her gut and flung backward. 

Rykari unsheathed her knife, lodged it into the ground, and used it to stop herself from crashing into a building. She pulled the knife, but it got stuck in the cobblestone. "Shite!" she hissed aloud, and shortly after she spoke, the sickle blade whirled around, blowing away all of the dust and knocking back Alistair and Wu. When Klaude laid his sights on Rykari, he gave the chain more slack and swung the sickle straight for her neck. 

Everything was in slow motion. Rykari could see the blazing fire of rage in Klaude's eyes, burning holes into her skin. The blood that dripped down his burned and scarred face made him more terrifying than before. She panicked, trying to pull out her only self-defense weapon from the cobblestone surface. Her time was running out, and she couldn't get the knife to budge. Klaude narrowed his eyes, and he smirked. 

"Checkmate, Dracolycan." He chuckled, panting. Klaude pressed a button on the handle of the chain. The sickle blade quickly shifted into a collar and wrapped around Rykari's neck. She gasped and tried to use her Plasma to shock the chain, but the tightness increased each time she attempted to break free, choking her. 

A high-pitched shriek echoed throughout the island, growing louder and louder as it approached the battleground rapidly. A loud crack of thunder boomed, storm clouds rolled in, and large streaks of indigo-colored Plasma-like lightning bolts struck the ground around Rykari. A black figure in the sky flashed by as each bolt lit up the clouds. A bright orb of raw Plasmatic energy came out of nowhere and obliterated the chain, releasing Rykari from the constricting collar. 

"Whit in Odin's name-" Klaude was cut off by the shockwave that the impact of the orb explosion left behind, sending him flying back into the forest. Rykari gasped for air as she shielded herself from getting knocked back with her wings, and the sound of her father cheering let her know that the fight was over for the time being.

"Haha! That's mah laddie, Cam! That's how th' Furias' dae it!" Alistair called out to Cameron, who was now in his Night Fury form. Cameron let out a triumphant warble in response as he circled above them.

"Alistair! it's aboot time tae go, mah loue!" Skye called from the back of Cameron. Oliver sat before her, waving down at his father and sister. Master Wu and Alistair rushed to Rykari to help her stand as she recollected herself. 

"We're a'maist free, Ry. Wu, go wi' Rykari 'n' catch up wi` us at th' ooter reaches. Goin' awa by boat isnae an option anymair." Alistair instructed as he quickly changed into his Night Fury form with an engulfing flash of blue-violet-colored Plasma-like lightning. Rykari followed suit, changing into her Night Fury form with another flash of Plasma energy. Master Wu climbed onto Rykari's back. Alistair took off with a surge of lightning and flew after Cameron. Rykari uttered a warble in a tone that sounded like she was asking him, 'Are you ready?' 

"After you, my friend." Master Wu nodded, chuckling as he held on tight. Rykari nodded as her body surged with Plasma bolts, and she burst into the air. She let out a triumphant roar and blasted an orb of Plasma into the air, submerging herself in its flame and cloaking herself and Wu invisible, vanishing into the night. 

Klaude stumbled out into the clearing just as Rykari vanished without a trace. The once calm and collected hunter stood bloodied, ragged, angered, and vengeful. "Ye kin hae escaped me th'day, Furia. Ah wull fin' ye, 'n' ah wull end yer bloodline!" The distraught hunter shrieked. Those words would forever haunt Rykari from this day forward.

The storm subsided as the moon began to sink into the ocean. The journey from Beithirholm to the outer reaches was long. Rykari couldn't sleep and insisted on pressing forward. She would send out proximity roars, hoping to hear a response from her family - but she never got a response. Rykari warbled in worry, glancing over her shoulder to see if Master Wu had any ideas. 

"Patience, Rykari. Use your senses. See if you can feel their elemental resonance from deep within." Wu instructed, patting her neck in reassurance. 
She snorted and sighed, then shut her eyes. Rykari created soft reptilian clicking noises that mimicked the sound of a sonar. She tuned out the sound of the wind, the sounds of waves crashing, and the sound of birds cawing by. As she focused, she inhaled and let out an echolocation call, sending a soundwave. It sounds and looks like a regular dragon roar to human eyes and ears. To Night Furies, it's a purple-colored energy signature that scans the vicinity for fellow Furies or elemental resonances. That is what Dracolycans call echolocation in their dragon forms.

A few hours went by, and the sun was beginning to rise along the horizon. Sensei Wu was enjoying yet another cup of tea during the flight. Rykari made a hum as she spotted something ahead. Rykari sent out one last proximity roar and waited for a response. A few seconds later, she heard distant warbles of excitement, and two blasts of Plasma orbs shot into the sky. 

"Let this be your first lesson of Spinjitzu; have patience with all things but, first of all, with yourself." The old Master hummed. Rykari replied with an intrigued snort. The figures in the distance became clearer and clearer the closer they got. The familiar forms of Alistar and Cameron came into view, and Rykari let out a squeal, giving her family a big, gummy smile. 

"Tis guid tae see ye tae, lassie. Let's land afore we gie auldjin Wu 'ere a hert attack." Skye suggested, chuckling in amusement—The three Furies dove down to a small island with an ancient stone-constructed border. 
Wu dismounted Rykari, and she reverted to her human form and collapsed to her knees with exhaustion. Skye and Oliver dismounted Cameron and rushed to Rykari's side. 

"Thank th' gods ye'r a' okay!" Rykari sobbed; her whole body trembled as she released all her masked emotions from the long night. Skye sat beside her and pulled her into a hug, hushing her softly. 

"Ah ken, mah wee bairn, tis a' o'er noo," Skye said calmly, caressing her frightened child's head. 

"Thank ye fur saving me fae that ill jimmy, sis. A'm sorry fur making ye worry." Oliver murmured. Rykari hummed in amusement.

"Dinna fash yirsel aboot it, laddie. Tis mah jab tae worry aboot mah wee brother." Rykari responded lightheartedly, ruffling his hair. 

Master Wu approached the reunited family with an empathetic smile. "Your daughter is truly a fast learner. With her advanced experience in stealth, she will make a great Ninja. Her mastery of Plasma exceeds my expectations, but she still has much to learn."

Alistair reverted to his human form in a flash and hummed in agreement. "Aye. That assassin training git th' solid pairt oot o' th' wey fur ye, lassie. Whin ye git back tae th' wu's monastery, shaw thaim whit ye'v git." Alistair bellowed with pride, offering his hand to help lift Rykari back to her feet. She took his hand and got off the ground, wobbling slightly from exhaustion. 

"Heh! We'll have to see if she can face my pinkie toe. However, her performance today was nothing short of excellent. Like a true warrior, hm?" Wu chuckled. 

Rykari laughed softly. "A'm flattered ye think sae, master. A'm afraid a'm na warrior. Ah haven't earned a weapon o' mah ain yit. A' ah hud wis that wee dagger, bit tis lost noo." She rubbed her neck, flustered by the compliments. 

"Eheh... Er, ah believe that wis mah mistake, lassie. Afore ye bolted aff earlier wi' Cameron, ah wis gonnae gie ye thae afore Wu cam tae tak' ye tae Ninjago." Alistair cleared his throat and opened up his satchel. He brought out an ornate box with ancient dragon runes engraved in gold. It had beautiful amethysts embedded into the shape of the Furia clan seal. He opened the box and inside rested pristinely crafted collapsable metallic bracelets—a dark purple crystal sealed on the top plate with three tubes connecting to three metal claws. 

"Holy shite... are those Nieda's Plasma Gauntlets?" Rykari uttered aloud in awe.

"Aye, thay wur kept in mint condition, thanks tae yer maw." Alistair replied, "Go oan noo, see how they fit ye!" 

Rykari felt butterflies in her stomach. She hesitantly reached for the bracelets and took a reassuring breath. She picked one up and unlocked it with a click, then attached it to her right wrist, then repeated the process with her left wrist. The amethysts glowed immediately after equipping them with a hum. A brief clench of her fists activated armor mode, which surprised Rykari. 

"Whaur in th' hell wur thae whin we wur fightin' that baw juggler, Klaude?" Rykari commented with a furrowed brow. "Thae could've made th' square go lest twa seconds, fur fucks sake!" 

"Mind Rykari, patience. Th' key tae surviving yer ain battles is tae rely oan yer senses, nae th' trinkets." Alistair said as he folded his arms, referring to their argument from earlier. 

"Ah, richt." Rykari shrank back in embarrassment. "Ah ne'er git th' chance tae tell ye sorry aboot mah outburst earlier. Ah shouldn't hae bin sae jumpy. Bit howfur lang wid it hae taken 'til ye tellt me aboot Di's inheritance?" She added.

"Ah-- well," Alistair was at a loss for words. He sighed and scratched his chin, figuring out the correct way to go about it. 

"Da, thare is a zany bawheid that wanted mah power. Ah ken Great-Great Grandad wis th' Grandmaster of Aether, bit how come wis Klaude sae insistent oan taking me alive? Ah think ah hae th' richt tae ken." Rykari insisted. "Ah dinnae waant ony mair secrets."
Alistair felt torn; he glanced at Skye and Cameron, who gave him a similar look of 'tell her.' He looked at Wu for an answer, who gestured to Rykari in response. 

"A'richt, Ry. It's aboot time ah tellt ye th' truth aboot yer Great-Great Grandad's death." Alistair sighed. 

Dracolycans are creatures created from the deepest depths of Convexity and the Well of Souls. They were born to harness the most tainted elemental energy in all the dragon realms: Poison, Fear, Shadow, Plasma, and Dark Aether. Each element represented a fragment of power that destroyed many of the realms themselves. Malefor was the first master of this dark magic. The ancestors saw greatness in his power and encouraged him to harness the power of Aether to create a better world. He mastered all the light elements and was shaping his destiny to become the greatest dragon in all the realms. 

Malefor was the first known of the legendary Purple Dragon kind, born once every ten generations with the power to control all elements and the destiny to shape an era. Wanting to guide him to the great destiny ahead of him, the Dragon Elders taught him all their secrets, but he was never satisfied, and his eagerness and pride soon went to the young dragon's head. Soon, Malefor would stop at nothing in his efforts to become all-powerful.
Fearing his ambition and growing malevolence, the Dragon Elders banished Malefor, but it was too late; he had already fallen beyond redemption. Lusting for revenge, Malefor built his mountain power base and raised an army of Apes. Malefor mastered the Dark Aether element to such an extent that he became the embodiment of Evil, gaining the title of the Dark Master. Forsaking the calling of the Purple Dragons, he made his new goal, which he grew to regard as his destiny, to destroy the world, perhaps intending to build a new one following his ideals and rule with an iron fist. 

Malefor warred against the dragons for many years, slaughtering thousands and causing many disasters to fulfill his twisted "quest," causing the inhabitants to fear dragons. His evil power tore open the Mountain of Malefor, his base of operations, and transformed it into the Well of Souls, a chasm to the Underworld where every evil dead soul is sent, subject to his control. He used the Darkness of Convexity from this Underworld to forge a spell that could transform the lightest energy into a vessel containing a raw elemental embodiment of the darkest elements in all the dragon realms. 

He discovered a foreign creature of another world, a creature that resembled an ape but smarter, faster, stronger, and evolved. Malefor would learn that these creatures could slaughter dragons with martial combat weapons or powers of their own. He gathered as many souls of these creatures,  humans, and cursed them with his dark spell. They underwent a horrific metamorphosis, becoming children of both dragon and human origin - Dracolycans. These creatures would rise on the Night of Eternal Darkness and roam the lands until the day Malefor would die. 

Generations later, Malefor got sealed away by the next purple dragon and his former puppet, Spyro and Cynder. They brought peace to the dragon realms for many moons, and the light removed all traces of Malefor's evil - except for the Dracolycans—the children of the Darkness of Aether. Without a purpose, without their former Master, their souls began to dissipate. Until a surge of light energy flowed through each darkness-tainted soul, Spyro's light Aether cleansed the Dracolycans of their dark curse, but their forms remained. 

Confused, they sought answers from the Chronicler. He told them they would have to rediscover their purpose and find meaning in this world. Would they walk on the path of the light? Or remain on their path of Darkness? One of these purposeless creatures questioned the Wise dragon's decision for them. The Chronicler smiled and guided the young Dracolycan to the scrypools of time. 
"They who walk the path of both Light and Darkness shall master the most untamed element. They who earn redemption from the Darkness will discover their full potential—they who bear the burden that their ancestors could not bear shall become the next Grandmaster of Aether." The dragon spoke. 

This prophecy inspired the young Dracolycan. He returned to his kin, sharing what he had learned, and vowed to serve his kin as their protector for as long as he lived. The creatures' lives regenerated within themselves, giving them access to their human, true, and elemental dragon forms. The leader of them all was Aldraeyn Furia -- the Dragonlord. He thanked the wise old dragon, and they opened a portal to exit their birth realm to start a new home. 

Aldraeyn summoned his Aetherian Glaive, sliced open a rift, and led his people through it. They reappeared in their original home before the Well of Souls—Multum—the realm of Many. From there, the Dracolycans parted ways and built their clans. Many returned home to their villages with open arms; others were outcasted and banished. Few had returned to the Well of Souls, a graveyard where their humanity was left behind, dissipating from existence. 

Years passed, and Aldraeyn founded the island Beithirholm. As the current Chief, he was facing a crisis—the burden of maintaining the balance of Light and Dark Aether on his shoulders alone began consuming him with Darkness. He needed a light in his life, and as if the gods had answered his prayers, a tribe of Vikings seeking asylum on the island of Beithirholm in their time of war. Among them was a chieftess that went by the title of Nieda Doryu the Gentlehearted. She possessed a power that no Dracolycan would have ever imagined a human could inherit: Plasma. Aldraeyn, cursed with Night Fury origins, was drawn to this peculiar woman. When he approached her, he felt the creeping Darkness fade away instantly. 

Together, the two fought in the war against Dragon Hunters. Aldraeyn used his Aether elements to drive them away alongside the Master of Plasma. The war raged for nearly 100 years, and every elemental Master assisted their cause until the tide finally turned. And with every ounce of energy Aldraeyn had left, he banished the hunters to be bound to the realm of Oni and Dragons. Those who survived this great divide fled, vanishing without a trace. 
This banishment began to taint Aldraeyn's heart with Darkness. With his old age, it was more poisonous than devious to him. The night before his death, the Chronicler visited again to remind him of the prophecy:

"They who walk the path of both Light and Darkness shall master the most untamed element. They who earn redemption from the Darkness will discover their full potential—they who bear the burden that their ancestors could not bear shall become the next Grandmaster of Aether."

Aldraeyn shared this prophecy among his children and passed one of them with the inheritance of his Aether abilities. Shortly after he gave his blessing, a light flowed through him, removing the Darkness within his heart as he took his last breath. The poisonous scars he endured from this Darkness remained on Aldraeyn's lifeless body as he faded away. His remaining energy was absorbed into the land of Beithirholm, slumbering until his next successor would come and redeem, and hopefully conquer, his legacy.

Alistair cleared his throat as he shared the tale, sitting on a tree stump. "Evil fowk wha still worship Malefor ur efter Aldraeyn's inheritance. Ye wur born oan th' lunar eclipse, Ry. Muckle lik' that fateful day lang ago whin th' Night o' Eternal Darkness broke oot. We did oor best tae keep ye hidden fae th' world 'til th' day ye awakened yer inheritance o' his abilities. Althoogh, ye kin see howfur weel that gaed." He sighed, bouncing his leg. 

"We hae hope that ye will walk yer oan path that yer feelin' is right. Th' fate o' th' dragon realms rests in yer hauns," Skye added.

Rykari's face was unreadable. Her brows furrowed in deep thought; she was beginning to somewhat understand why her parents kept her in the dark. Plasma was the element she had grown up with her whole life, and if she had awakened her Aether element, would she have fallen victim to the Darkness as Aldraeyn did before her?

"If ye'r worried aboot suffering th' identical fate as Great-Great Grandad, Wu 'ere wull ensure that doesn't happen," Alistair reassured his daughter. Rykari followed her father's gaze to see what Wu had to say about it. 

"I will provide you the tools to contain that Darkness if it arises. Not only that, but you will have allies that will aid you in your time of need. You will have to do the rest." Master Wu promised. Rykari was silent momentarily, quietly nodding to herself as she processed every ounce of information she received. 

"A'richt," Rykari spoke up. "If this is my destiny, then sae be it!" She said with a newfound determination and clenched her fists, accidentally unsheathing the claws on her Gauntlets. "GAH!" She exclaimed as she lessened the grip tension, and the Gauntlets returned to their bracelet-like state. 

Cameron made a 'pfft' like snort, making the whole group laugh--including Rykari. Once their laughter died down, the sun finally rose. Rykari was dreading this moment; she had always hated goodbyes. Alistair let out a shaken sigh and took out his collapsable Glaive. Skye pulled Rykari in for one last hug for a long time. When they finished their hug, she smiled at Rykari proudly. Oliver jumped at Rykari, who caught him with a laugh and hugged him tightly. 

"Whin ye return, a'm gonnae be th' best fighter in th' hail village, Ry!" Oliver promised with a big grin. 

"Ah dinnae hae ony doubts aboot that, laddie! Ah will be keekin' tae th' future tae a spar whin ah return. Git it?" Rykari promised back, holding her pinkie out to make it official. Oliver sealed the deal with his pinkie and a giggle, and Rykari set him down. Cameron changed back into his human form and walked up to Rykari. The two hugged each other firmly; this hug was much more emotional to them than they anticipated.

"Thank yae fur saving mah arse three times. Ah pure wouldn't be 'ere wi'oot ye, Cam," Rykari thanked again, sniffling. 

"Na kinch, sis. A-ah wish ye luck oan yer path." Cameron murmured, holding back a violent sob with a smile. Rykari smiled back at him, holding back a violent sob just from seeing him hold back his own. She glanced away, chuckling slightly.

Alistair channeled Plasma into the bladed end of the Glaive after it extended, and he sliced open a rift in thin air. On the other side stood a mountain with a humble Monastery on top of it. Master Wu approached the rift and waited for Rykari to finish her farewells.

 
"Ryka," Skye put her hand on her daughter's shoulder. Rykari turned around and hummed curiously. "If ye see thaim at a', tell Lou 'n' his son we say hello, 'n' gie thaim oor regards 'n' condolences." 

Rykari was slightly confused at her mother's odd request but realized the name Lou sounded familiar. She nodded, "Ah will mak' sure ah dae." Alistair was the last person she needed to say goodbye to. Rykari hugged him tightly, and he reciprocated.
"May th' ancestors look after ye, mah wee lassie. Chap thaim deid." Alistair sniffled. Rykari smiled brightly, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Heh, ah will huv a go fur ye, Da. May they look after us a'," Rykari responded in return. She looked at everyone one last time and took a deep breath. She turned around and stood beside Wu. 

"Ready?" Master Wu asked.

"Aye, Master." Rykari nodded and bowed respectfully. Wu entered the rift first, and Rykari followed shortly after. As the rift closed behind them, a bright light engulfed the Master and the Dracolycan. A high-pitched ringing echoed throughout Rykari's sensitive ears, and she shielded her eyes from the brightness.

Once the ringing died and the light faded, Rykari opened her eyes as a cool, comfortable breeze blew through her hair. The scent of her home vanished within seconds, and she felt homesick already. 

"Welcome to the Monastery. The sacred training ground of the First Spinjitzu master." Sensei Wu introduced as he led Rykari through the massive gate. Her turquoise eyes widened in awe at the scenery inside of those massive walls. The structure was well-kept despite its old architecture. Rykari stood in the center of the clearing, admiring the unique patterns engraved in the stone beneath her boots and the Dragon statue constructed in the middle of the clearing. 

"This Monastery will be your new home. Your family has been a trusted Ally to the First Spinjitzu Master and a powerful foundation to the elemental masters of the past. I will assess your skills in emotional intelligence, swiftness, and awareness of your environment." Wu spoke with projection and instruction. He reminded Rykari of the elders who trained her to be an assassin tactician. She nodded and stood in attention, bowing in acknowledgment.

"I want you to take down all four training dummies without taking a hit." Wu instructed as he pulled a lever. Rykari watched the stone tiles shift and turn underneath, keeping her guard up. 

"Soonds easy enough," Rykari murmured.

"However, the catch is that you should not use your elemental abilities. A ninja must rely on her environmental resources, not just her power as a crutch." He added as he sat down and began to pour a cup of tea. Rykari sighed, figuring it was not going to be that easy. 

"Begin!" Wu announced. 

The dummies activated, moving around Rykari rapidly with flailing wooden weapons. Rykari ducked to avoid a shuriken star aimed at her head and rebounded into a fighting stance. She quickly knocked down the shuriken-wielding dummy, only to be knocked back by the flailing nunchucks of another dummy. The training automatically ended when she received the blow to her side. Rykari groaned in disappointment. They came out of nowhere!

"A good start, but not swift enough. Again." Wu instructed. 

Rykari rolled her shoulders and stood in the center again. The dummies whipped around again, and Rykari dodged the shurikens and nunchucks. She jumped and avoided the incoming swing of a sword, only to suffer a hit by a scythe. She growled in frustration at how close she had gotten. 

"Again," Wu repeated, sipping from his cup of tea.

Again, she went. She dodged, disarmed, and got knocked down again and again. Each time she failed, she would improve upon a previous mistake that made her vulnerable. Rykari was growing fatigued. A burning determination within her pushed her to keep going no matter what. Failure after failure, and she snapped. She clenched her fists and discharged a small Plasma shockwave, disintegrating the dummies. 

"How come ah cannae dae this!?" Rykari yelled. "Ah cannae tak' oan four dunderheids at wance in a square go." She collapsed to her knees in exhaustion and frustration. The sun was setting again, and she hadn't even had a chance to rest since she arrived at the Monastery. She heard Sensei Wu sigh and stand up. 

"Your emotions are getting the better of you. You hold yourself to unrealistic expectations, and your lack of confidence keeps you from trusting yourself." He pointed out. "I suggest meditation and self-reflection. You have achieved this lesson before; now, you must master it. You will try again tomorrow. I recommend getting some rest." Wu walked over to the disintegrated dummies and used his Spinjitzu to reconstruct them. When he finished, he offered his hand and helped lift Rykari to her feet. He gestured to the Monastery and invited her inside. 

The moon climbed to the sky's peak, shining down onto the Monastery. Rykari was in a meditative-like state as she lay in bed. Her thoughts were racing around, and everything felt so incredibly loud that sleeping was impossible. She sat up and massaged her face, and it was hard to process everything that had happened in the past 24 hours. Rykari shut her eyes and straightened her back, taking a deep breath. She remembered what Wu had said about patience, and she honed in on her senses. She focused on the feeling of the blanket fibers, the mattress springs, and the smoothness of her skin. 

Rykari could hear the nature around her, the soft breeze blowing, the crickets chirping, and Sensei's snoring from the other side of the Monastery—every creak of the floorboards, every drop of dew that fell from the plants. Her worries began to fade away the more she focused on her surroundings. In a way, she used her echolocation without needing to be in her Dracolycan form. 

"A ninja must rely on her environmental resources, not just her power." 

"You have achieved this lesson before; now, you must master it."

Instantly, Rykari's eyes shot open, realizing she had done this before. When she had scared off those hunters in the forest back home, she turned their environment against them and easily took them out. Why didn't that click until now? She smiled, and a newfound determination gave her the energy to try again. 

Rykari quietly dressed into her gear and put her Gauntlets back on for protection. She had an idea of how to go about succeeding in this trial. She carefully stepped over older floorboards, avoiding any chances of unintentionally awakening Sensei. After quietly exiting the hall, she made it to the training ground. The nighttime environment made everything much more comfortable for her to practice. She flipped the lever and activated the four dummies. 
Rykari approached the center of the dummies and clenched her fists, activating the armor setting of her Gauntlets. She looked around, carefully observing each weapon's wooden blades and chains. She shut her eyes and relaxed, then cracked her neck. 

"Begin," She announced aloud.

The dummies automatically began their random patterns of zigzags and attacks. She heard each gear shift and every dummy creak. She visualized their next move based on their position—first, the nunchucks came flailing at her from behind. She strafed out of the way, ducking immediately to avoid getting hit by the shurikens whizzing past. The Shurikens got tangled and lodged into the chains of the Nunchucks, and she backflipped out of the way of the dummies. The two collided and deactivated their program. 

Twa doon, twa tae gang. Rykari said to herself as she whirled back 

Rykari heard the metallic whoosh of the sword coming down at her. She rolled out of the way and swept the dummy's "legs" with her own, knocking the sword-wielding dummy over and deactivating its program. The presence of the final dummy loomed over her, and she jumped up into the air, dodging the wooden scythe and delivering a swift kick across the dummy's head as she followed through the motion, and a cloud of Plasma bolts formed around her body, and changed into a vortex that spun her around and around. Rykari's spinning slowed to a stop, and the vortex faded with a static crackle. 

"Whit in Odin's name wis--" Rykari murmured aloud before a chuckle cut her off. 

"Well done," Sensei Wu congratulated the young Dracolycan. "You have just discovered the key to Spinjitzu. You truly have the determined heart of a Dragon within you, just like your father." 

Rykari smiled, and a wave of relief and exhaustion finally hit her like an anchor. She sighed deeply and bowed in her traditional Viking fashion. "A' cheers tae ye, sensei. Ye'r a guid teacher fur taking oan a headstrong Dracolycan sic as masell. A've aye bin tellt ah tak' efter mah auldjin while his younger years." She smirked. Wu hummed in amusement. 

"Now that you have a headstart on unlocking your Aether abilities, I will leave the Monastery under your care for a few days. I have left a letter in your room disclosing the details and your ninja suit. Your final test will begin when I return." Sensei Wu smiled at Rykari proudly and walked to the front gate of the Monastery. 

"May th' ancestors look after ye, Sensei," Rykari murmured as she watched him walk away.

In her room sat a dark purple ninja suit with sturdy leather straps and a golden symbol of what appeared to be an Aetherian Night Fury head binding it together. The letter Wu left behind disclosed his mission to find four ninjas to collect four golden weapons of Spinjitzu before his evil brother, Lord Garmadon, gets them first. He had already found three of them, who will be returning to the Monastery any day now. 

Your next task is to not draw awareness to yourself. Blend in with the environment and shadow these ninjas.

Observe their skills and prepare for the final test. With your advanced skills, you are the iron they need to sharpen their skills.

You are a crucial part of their recruitment, the foundation for their success.

- Sensei Wu

Rykari read this letter with confusion. Why was she brought here if only four weapons needed to be found and protected? What could a Dracolycan bring to the table? Her thoughts were cut short when she heard the creak of the Monastery gates swing open. 

Shite! Rykari panicked internally to herself.

Rykari quickly and quietly made the bed and stashed the suit and letter into her satchel. The muffled sound of voices made Rykari panic, and she cloaked herself invisible with a dim flash of the Plasma light. She opened a window and carefully snuck out, shutting it gently, and climbed to the roof. Rykari spotted three ninjas in black suits. One had a pair of nunchucks, another had shurikens, and the last had a scythe. The odd coincidence of these ninjas having the same weapons as the training dummies startled Rykari slightly. She assumed that Sensei was on a journey to find the swordsman.

She felt the sun's warmth as it rose, meaning she'd have to find a place to hide until Sensei returned. She stuck to the shadows and slowly made her way to the back of the Monastery, climbing into the tower's upper level and setting up her temporary room there.

There was a small opening where she could look out and get a perfect view of the Monastery's exterior from higher ground. 

Once the sun fully rose, she watched the three ninjas train together. They appeared to be in sync, but their forms still needed work. For the next few days, Rykari would observe them curiously, silently observing their skills and tactics throughout the day, then strategize how to combat their skills when they rested. When the final days drew near, Rykari felt prepared for her final test. 

She eventually tried on her new ninja suit, using an old mirror she snatched from one of the bathrooms in the Monastery. She felt different with this new look and liked it very much.

"Go, ninja, go," Rykari breathed aloud.

Chapter Text

Rykari snored softly in her makeshift bed, just a pile of blankets made into a nest. She started sleeping in her Dracolycan form to help ease the back pain from having no mattress. Dawn was beginning to rise, and she felt her internal alarm clock wake her up. Her mouth opened wide as she yawned, arching her back like a cat and stretching her limbs. The room inside the tower was quite small and cramped, but she had slept in worse places before. 

The Dracolycan returned to her human form, and her stomach rumbled immediately. Rykari groaned quietly and checked her stash of food she brought up with her throughout the past few days. Almost everything filling was gone. She looked outside to see how much time there was until dawn; the sun barely rose over the horizon. 

Ah's got time tae scran afore th' lads wake up. Rykari thought to herself.

Rykari carefully crawled out of the opening on the roof and quietly jumped down. She quickly turned invisible with a zap of Plasma and entered the Monastery. She heard the soft snores from the other three ninjas occupying the rooms in the corridor. She tip-toed past each room, trying to avoid any creaky floorboards. Eventually, she made it to the kitchen and inspected the food stash. What could she take that will seem like it is in the right place? 

She sniffed the air, and the aroma of several mouthwatering delicacies infiltrated her senses. Rykari's stomach rumbled louder, and she held her breath. No one seemed to be disturbed, and no snores had ceased. She did hear some rustling, but it was most likely from adjusting a sleeping position. Rykari sighed quietly and tracked down a smell that smelled like roast chicken. The smell came from the fridge, and she opened it to find a few leftover chicken-filled potstickers. Sighing in relief, she snatched them and made the fridge contents look untouched before she closed the door and left the kitchen.

Rykari exited the Monastery and jumped back onto the roof. She scrambled into her nook and sighed deeply when her invisibility wore off. She scarfed down the small meal, not caring if it was cold or undercooked. She was part Dragon, after all - she has a stomach of steel. Now that she had some food, she felt more awake and alert for today's final shadowing session. The sun was beginning to rise on the horizon. 

On cue, she heard movement and voices from inside the Monastery. A few minutes pass, and the three Ninjas exit the Monastery in ninja suits. Rykari could sense their elemental resonances, and the auras were quite strong—Earth, Ice, and Lightning. 

"Four days from tonight is our final test. We've trained together for this long, and I think we're ready to blow Sensei away!" One of the Ninjas spoke confidently. He had a higher-pitched voice and gave off an annoyingly witty vibe. He had short reddish brown hair, freckles, and electric blue eyes. He had a strong build but was shorter than the other two. He was a skilled fighter from her observations from the past few days.

"I am curious to see what this test will be. There are many possibilities to choose from." Another one spoke. He had a formal voice, more monotone than the others. He had a strange aura about him. It almost felt artificial in a way. He had frosty blonde hair, a well-muscled build, and icy blue eyes. He was the tallest out of the three. 

"Well, whatever it is, our training has led up to this moment. Let's show Sensei what we've got, team!" The last one spoke with pride. His voice was… a bit familiar to Rykari. He had a strong, gravelly voice. She couldn't quite name it, but his face screamed deja vu at her. He had messy black hair, earthy hazel eyes, and a muscular build. He was the second tallest of the three.

Rykari's eyes dilated with curiosity, keeping her eyes on the last boy. She stared at him for a while, feeling something strange inside her. It almost felt like a child-like joy, and an urge to race around like a puppy nearly took over when she felt an icy cold gaze identify her figure in the shadows. 

Shite! Nae again, Ry! Rykari panicked to herself as she quickly shrunk back into the shadows and shut her eyes. She silently prayed to the gods that they didn't spot her and investigate.

"You alright, Zane?" Asked the squeakier boy. 

"Hm? Oh, yes. I am alright, Jay." The monotoned boy, Zane, answered. 

"Alright, boys. Let's head out. When we return, we're giving this test everything we've got!" The last boy said proudly. The three nodded, pulled up their ninja masks, and swiftly exited the Monastery. Rykari sighed in relief, and the invisibility wore off. She rubbed her eyelids and shook her head to snap her out of her daydreamy mind.

"Whit's up wi' me 'n' lads lately? A'm needin' tae halt gettin' fairies in my gut." Rykari groaned, then yawned. After what happened with Klaude, she felt that she was too vulnerable emotionally. She didn't even know these boys; would they even accept her? They've certainly never encountered a Dracolycan before, so something was bound to go wrong at some point. Rykari's head felt clouded with all this worry. Some more shuteye may help clear her mind. Her sleep schedule was not helping her much, especially after the traumatic events that occurred only a few nights ago. She returned to her makeshift bed, shifted into her Dracolycan form, and fell asleep instantly.

"How long is training gonna be? Aren't we in a bit of a rush since they have the map?" An unfamiliar voice landed in Rykari's ears. It was another male voice, and it sounded winded.

Did Wu mak' this laddie climb up th' hail ben? Rykari wondered to herself.

"Patience." She heard Sensei Wu's voice; this grasped her attention, and she jolted awake. "You will be ready when you are ready. Not a minute sooner." 

Rykari slowly crawled out of the nook, turning invisible, and traveled to a shaded area on the Monastery roof to lie low while also getting a good view of what this ninja would be capable of. The boy had bright, fiery amber eyes, tan skin, and spiky light brown hair that resembled a flame. It made sense, considering she could detect the fiery aura that resonated deep within him.

"A monastery? You expect me to learn to fight in a place of peace?" The boy said with surprise. 

"Not fight. Train. To become a true ninja, first, you must be able to see what others do not." Sensei Wu explained as he stood next to a small dragon statue.

"But there's nothing here." The boy replied, shrugging his shoulders. On cue, Sensei Wu smirked and pushed the dragon statue, which revealed a secret button, and he pressed it. The button activated all of the training equipment in the Monastery. Rykari took note of this course Wu activated. Perhaps he was testing to see how much training experience the boy had.  

"Whoa! Is this going to teach me how to do that cool move?" The boy gasped in amazement. Rykari smiled softly, admiring the boy's enthusiasm to learn Spinjitzu. Her smile was quickly replaced with an 'oh shit' expression as the boy jumped on top of the training poles as it descended.

Wu paused as he watched the pole descend completely with worry. "Oh, dear."

The boy was launched into the air, landing on the dragon statue in the middle of the training ground twice, and fell to the ground with an 'oof.' Rykari snorted, quietly holding back a laugh. The boy groaned and lifted his head to see Sensei Wu sitting on the steps with his tea set laid out. 

"Complete the training course before I finish my tea. Then we will see if you are ready." Wu instructed as he laid a napkin onto his lap and grabbed a cup. Rykari quietly crawled over to the entrance to the Monastery since her invisibility was about to wear off soon, and she needed to get inside before her cover was blown. 

As Wu poured his tea and tossed some sugar cubes in, Rykari quickly swung from the roof to the railing and rolled through the open door. She hid against a wall just in case her invisibility wore off. Wu drank his tea with one long slurp and set his cup down with a satisfied sigh. 

"Today, you failed. Tomorrow, you will try again." Wu said bluntly and cleaned up his tea set. 

"Failed?" The boy exclaimed in confusion. "But I didn't even start to--" His sentence was cut short when Wu closed the doors to the Monastery. 

"Patience." Wu reminded the boy from behind the doors. The boy sighed in disappointment on the other side. 

Rykari's invisibility wore off, and she exhaled quietly. Sensei Wu chuckled softly as he walked down the hallway to his bedroom. He glanced over his shoulder and gestured for Rykari to follow, to which she obliged. When they arrived at Sensei's room and closed the door, Rykari took off her mask and shook her head. It felt strange having a piece of cloth tied around her head, but it would have to take some getting used to. 

"Yon lads o' yers ur far mair skilled than this dolly bugger ya brought back-- na offense, Sensei," Rykari commented while folding her arms. "Ah fail tae see howfur he wull be prepared in time fur th' acquisition o' th' Golden Weapons." Wu chuckled.

"You and young Kai are similar in ways you haven't seen yet. Judging from your performance not too long ago, you also faced many failures before you succeeded." Wu spoke with an amused hum. "You learned patience much faster due to your adaptive nature. Kai has grown up as a blacksmith, like his father. He does not know the way of the ninja yet. Therefore, he must be conditioned to prepare for his next step to learning Spinjitzu." 

Rykari furrowed her brows. Kai seemed to require a LOT of conditioning after how slow his reaction time was today. With Sensei's sonic tea slurping, the boy didn't stand a chance at being fast enough. She was silent for a few minutes.

"Keep observing him these next few days. Maybe you will see his potential and assist him in seeing it through. I suggest getting some sleep. Make sure you remain hidden; your shadowing assignment is nearly over." Wu suggested. Rykari glanced at the window and saw the sun beginning to set.

"Aye, Sensei," Rykari nodded. She went invisible in a flash and exited the room.

For the next few days, Rykari perched in her usual spot to observe the training unfold. She closely watched Kai's approaches to the training course; each attempt failed. She identified each mistake the boy made, made a mental note of potential fixes to footwork, posture, and strategy, and then wrote a brief note with tips to see if he would consider them. The first occasion was the night after the second day of failures; she threw a kunai knife into the bed frame with the note tied to it. Kai gasped in surprise at the sudden noise disrupting his slumber. He got up and approached the note carefully, and opened it. Enclosed was the following:

Dear Kai,

Do not worry; I am a friend. Sensei Wu assigned me to oversee any training you undergo to prepare you for your final test.

The training course is not easy, but I can offer some tips to help improve your skills. If you are interested, say yes.

If not, carry on as you wish.

- R

Kai looked around the room, trying to see if he could find whoever had thrown that knife. "Whatever tips you have, they'd better be good ones if it's worth almost losing an eye over," He muttered under his breath, "Yes." He said aloud after. His reply was met with another Kunai knife to a wooden pillar off the side. He rushed over to open it, and he read the following:

Apologies for the sudden awakening. I must keep my identity hidden if I am to pass this test.

The course is a test of endurance, timing, and quick movements. Identify patterns and time y our movements accordingly.

Please also take advantage of outside resources; they may come in handy.

Trust yourself, and think like a ninja. Then you will find the way.

- R

Kai was silent for a while; then, he nodded in understanding. "Thank you, er... R. I will try my hardest." He thanked. Kai tucked the notes underneath his bed and went to the bathroom. 

Rykari took the opportunity to drop from the ceiling, snatch the knives from their previous locations, and leave one last note on his bed before exiting the room with a flash. She heard Kai's footsteps rush back into his room as soon as she vanished. The final note reads as follows:

I wish you good luck. Our paths will cross soon, my friend.

As the people from my home would always say: May the ancestors look after you.

- R

Kai improved tremendously over the next two days. It was like night and day compared to his very first training session. He understood the course's navigation as fast as possible, but it seemed impossible to beat Sensei's tea-guzzling habit. Because of this frustration, he failed the last two attempts. The final day arrived, and Kai honed in on his concentration. Rykari observed from the sidelines as always, smiling brightly as she watched him flawlessly whip through the course, and just as Wu was about to drink his tea, Kai remembered Rykari's final piece of advice: "Please also take advantage of outside resources: they may come in handy." He had to act fast and instinctively threw his sword at Sensei Wu's cup before he could drink it. 

"Yes!" Rykari whispered to herself and pumped her fist in excitement. Her sudden grip accidentally triggered her Gauntlets to unsheathe, and she held back a surprised yelp and quickly set it back to normal. Thankfully, she was still invisible, although she was certain Wu heard her weapon unsheathe. He glanced in her direction as he hurriedly tried pouring a cup of tea, then looked back to the course with a puzzled expression; Kai was nowhere to be found.

"Was that one sugar... or two?" Kai said, offering the cup of sugar cubes with a triumphant smirk. Wu lets out an impressed hum and enters the Monastery.

"So, am I gonna learn this Spinjitzu I've been hearing about?" Kai asks, watching Wu head back inside.

"You already have. Your final test comes tomorrow." Wu said as he closed the doors. "My advice is to get some sleep." Sensei Wu then returned to his room after the exchange. Kai pumped his fists triumphantly, and another Kunai knife whizzed past him. This time, he dodged it. He opened the note and read the following:

Nice work, lad!

I'll see you on the morrow.

- R

Kai smiled and saw a shadow from the setting sun on the wall next to him. The shadow waved, and when he turned around to see the source of the shadow, nothing was there, and the shadow had vanished. 

Meanwhile, Rykari climbed back up to her nook for the final night as her fellow pupil was heading inside for the night. Her invisibility wore off, and she took off her mask to cool off. She smiled with pride; a sense of accomplishment washed over her as she was still amazed at her successful nudge to get Kai on the right track. "Ye'r a fuckin' miracle worker, lassie!" Rykari said to hype herself up. She looked outside and saw the sun had set, and the moon was rising. Something deep down inside told her that tonight was not a night to rest, as it would be a fairly long night. She only had a couple of biscuits, which she ate anyway. After tonight, she would be able to indulge in an actual meal. Now that she has some food in her stomach, she should be able to function properly for the final test. Rykari exited her nook and climbed to the top of the Monastery's tower to get a bird's eye view of the area. 

About twenty minutes pass, and Rykari quickly turns invisible when she hears voices outside the Monastery walls. The three other pupils had returned and didn't hesitate to sneak inside. She narrowed her eyes and jumped down, careful not to make a sound. She hung behind the three as they entered the Monastery through Wu's room. Rykari followed them closely behind, cloaked with invisibility and as light as a feather. The three spied from the rafters in the bathroom where Kai was brushing his teeth. He started mumbling to himself and followed his cheesy one-liners with swings of his electric toothbrush like it was a sword.

"Oh yeah? Well, take this!" Kai must have been in a different world because he couldn't see the other ninjas jumping down one by one. First, it was the nunchuck-wielding ninja that landed by the front door. 

"And this!" Kai swung his toothbrush again, missing the nunchuck-wielding ninja and the shuriken-possessing ninja that dropped into a corner.  

"And this--" Eventually, Kai came face to face with the scythe-holding ninja. Rykari grimaced slightly, praying that they wouldn't immediately kick his arse. Kai quickly realizes that he is surrounded. 

"Oops..." He grimaces.

The three ninjas flashed their weapons and prepared to attack when Kai shoved his electric toothbrush into the shuriken ninja's mouth, which made his head vibrate. Rykari held back a laugh as this looney toons-like scenario unfolded before her. The shuriken ninja spat out the toothbrush with a ptooh, aiming for Kai. Fortunately, he ducked in time to miss the toothbrush. The toothbrush hit the nunchuck ninja with an 'oof' and landed down the scythe ninja's neck. His whole body shivered with disgust as the toothbrush vibrated down his spine. Rykari quickly knocked on the wooden rafter to catch Kai's attention and motioned him to follow. He nodded and jumped up while the others tried to regroup themselves and turn off the toothbrush. 

Rykari quickly turned invisible and vanished out of Kai's line of sight. She nearly uncloaked herself in surprise when the shuriken ninja jumped up and went for an attack. He fell off the rafters with an 'oof' after Kai dodged the attack. Rykari observed from the side, snorting with suppressed laughter as Kai laughed triumphantly; he was tackled by one of them and crashed out of the Monastery from the roof. Rykari raced outside from the hole in the roof, perched on top of the Monastery tower, and uncloaked her invisibility.

Kai bumped into the small dragon statue that revealed the training course button and pressed it as soon as the ninjas came outside. They got kicked and thrown around by the training equipment, disarming their weapons, and they started to fight face-to-face. 

Rykari cracked her knuckles eagerly at the opportunity to jump when they grouped up. She jumped down and rolled in the middle of their dogpile, swiftly separating the four of them with a whirling kick. All four of them were surprised at the addition of another ninja. 

The fighting ceased for a brief moment as all four boys circled Rykari. She remembered this scenario very clearly from her training. She scoffed, clenched her fists, activated the armor mode on her Gauntlets, and got into a fighting stance. 

Let's dance, lads. Rykari thought to herself as she prepared her next move.

Rykari flashed a handful of Kunai knives and threw them in four directions. These knives had a chain attached to them, so she could easily pull them back to her. The knives wrapped around four weapons: a pair of nunchucks, shurikens, a scythe, and a sword, and she pulled them into the center before retracting the knives. The four of them were confused but picked up the weapons regardless and prepared for an attack. She smirked underneath her mask and taunted them with the classic 'bring it on' gesture. 

The whirl of nunchucks caught Rykari's attention first; she ducked out of the way of the ninja's attempt to land a blow on her and jumped in the air. Next, the shurikens were thrown at her. She used her Gauntlets to deflect them back toward their owner, forcing him to stumble and dodge in surprise.

 The shurikens were implanted into the ground, and the ninja went to try and pull them out. The nunchuck ninja returned for a second attack, and Kai with his sword. Rykari waited for them to get close enough before she turned invisible and zipped out of the way with a plasma bolt. 

"What the-- Ooagh!" The two exclaimed in unison and collided with each other shortly after. She reappeared behind the scythe ninja and tapped his shoulder. He whipped around in surprise, only to be met with another plasma bolt blurring past him. Rykari delivered a swift, off-balancing jab to his back and whizzed past him as he tried to swing his Scythe at her. She repeated the attack pattern to try and tire him out. The only thing Rykari should have accounted for was his teammate. The shuriken ninja was studying her pattern very closely.

"Behind you!" He called out. 

The scythe ninja quickly swung his weapon at Rykari as she was lunging for another jab. In shock, she uncloaked herself and got struck by the Scythe's blade. The blow sent her flying back.

"GAH!" She shouted in pain. Rykari unsheathed her Gauntlet claws and dug them into the ground to stop her from hitting any training equipment. She panted and felt a warm sensation drip down her face; she slowly looked down at the ground to see droplets of blood stain the ground. Her gaze slowly went back up to see a tiny splatter of her blood on the Scythe.

"Y-You…" Rykari retracted the claws on her Gauntlets, shakily touched the bridge of her nose, and winced. Her old scar had been reopened and was bleeding. The four stood eerily in silence; a thick cloud of tension hung in the air as Rykari tossed aside her Gauntlets and forcefully took off her mask. "Ye'r gonnae regret daein' that!" She growled.

Kai and the nunchuck-wielding ninja gasped. "A girl?' They said in unison, then looked at the Scythe with her blood on it, then at the ninja holding said Scythe.

"Uhh-" The scythe ninja started panicking and tossed his Scythe away. Rykari charged at him without hesitation. "N-no, no, wait, wait, wait-- AGH!" He exclaimed, grunting as they both attempted to pin the other down. 

Rykari tried to hit him back, but he kept blocking her punches with his arms to protect his face." Fight back, ye fuckin'--" She emphasized with an angry punch.

"Agh, get off of me!" He pleaded.

 "Mu dheireadh thall gòrach!" Rykari yelled in her village's native tongue with another attempted punch.

"Fellas, a little help would be nice!" He pleaded again, panic flooding his voice as he kept blocking her swings.

"Bun-eanchainn!" She yelled again with yet another punch. The others quickly dropped their weapons and rushed to diffuse the situation. Two of them grabbed Rykari by the arms and pulled her off the vulnerable ninja, while the third pulled him back and helped him up from a safe distance.

“Ailbhean-sròin-- Oi! Let me at him! If th' wanker wants tae cut a lassie, ah will gie him a real square go!" Rykari pleaded and wriggled around to try and break free, but the boys holding her back struggled to keep her contained.

"Easy there, relax!" Kai said, attempting to console the enraged Scot. 

"He didn't intend to harm you, my friend." The other ninja, whom Rykari recognized as the strange monotone one of the three ninjas, added.

The doors to the Monastery flew open, and Wu stood in the doorway and stopped the fight from escalating any further. "Stop!"

Rykari stopped wiggling around like a wild animal instantly when she heard the authoritative tone in his voice. "Aye, Sensei." She murmured and slowly calmed down. She was still panicked by her bleeding nose, but she came back to her senses. 

"Yes, Sensei." The other three ninjas replied in unison. The two boys slowly let go of Rykari when she simmered down and took a deep breath. 

Kai stared at everyone in confusion. "Wait a minute, they're all your students, too?" 

Wu nodded. 

"So this was my final test, wasn't it-" Kai finally realized that this was the whole purpose of this fight but was cut off by one of the other ninjas.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! I don't remember you saying anything about a fourth AND a fifth. It's always three. Three Blind Mice. Three Musketeers. Three—" The nunchuck ninja, who Rykari remembered as Jay from what she had heard while observing their training, started to talk up a storm when the last of the three ninjas cut him off.

"Uh, what he's trying to say, Sensei Wu, is that three of us have trained together. We're solid." He said as he gestured to the other two ninjas in black. Both Rykari and Kai had their share of questionable expressions. 

"Pfft, it didn't seem so solid to me." Kai snarked as he folded his arms in an "as a matter of fact" manner. 

"'Twas gid fur ye lot o' amateurs," Rykari murmured aloud. The four of them looked at her in both confusion and offense. 

"Oh, ye heard that..." Rykari glanced away and awkwardly laughed, inhaling sharply.

"Master, what is the meaning of this?" The monotone ninja asked Wu, whom Rykari remembered as Zane, to change the subject. 

"Each of you has been chosen. Each in tune with elemental properties. But first, Ninja-go!" Wu declared as he used his Spintijzu to change the outfits of the four ninjas and gave them each a new weapon of their expertise. The four boys were amazed by the wonders a simple tornado could accomplish. 

"Whoa!" Kai exclaimed. He wore a red ninja suit, like a scarlet flame.

"How'd he do that?" 

"Whoa! Look what color I am!" Jay gasped in delight. He wore a blue ninja suit. 

"Wait a minute; I'm still black." Said the ninja, still in a black suit.

Sensei Wu approached each ninja and donned them with their respective element when he ended his tornado. "Kai,  Master of Fire. It burns bright in you." He tapped his staff on the young ninja's shoulders and moved on to the next ninja. "Jay is blue, Master of Lightning." 

"Heh, that's not all I'm the Master of. I do a little inventing. A dabble in model building. A touch of cooking. A little poetry." Jay started babbling off, telling his whole life story before the ninja in black commented.

"More like "Mouth of Lightning." He sighed, then turned his attention to Wu as he approached him.

"Black Ninja is Cole, solid as rock. Master of Earth." Wu donned. 

Cole. The name rang a bell to Rykari, but she couldn't put the name to the face then. She brushed it off; perhaps she would ask him about it later. Cole decided to show off and spin his Scythe around. Rykari rolled her eyes and slowly glanced away before he noticed her staring. Kai scoffed, and Cole leaned over to introduce himself to the Master of Fire.

"Nice to meet you, kid. I got your back," Cole said to Kai, and he took his mask off to emphasize his next sentence. "And for the record, there ain't nothing in this world I'm afraid of."

"Except for dragons." The ninja in white pointed out.

"Dragons aren't from this world, Zane. I said in this world." Cole sighed in annoyance. Rykari snorted aloud, and she covered her mouth. "What's so funny over there, princess?"

"Ah fin' it a wee bit funny that ye claim tae ne'er fear a thing in this world, 'n' ah seem tae recall a numpty - such as yerself - tossing a scythe awa' 'n' screaming fur his goons o'er thare tae save him from… oh! That's right, 'a girl'?" Rykari snapped back, mocking how Jay and Kai had their epiphany from earlier. She was still slightly bitter about not considering their team chemistry, ultimately leaving her vulnerable. She was trained to dismantle teams, as it was the only way for a Dracolycan to survive in the Archipelago.

Cole was flabbergasted. He tried to think of something to say that would save his pride. "Ugh! Well, I-I'm not afraid of a girl! You just… caught me off guard, that's all."  

"You did scream like a girl when she lunged at you. For someone who is 'solid as a rock,' that didn't look very solid at all." Kai snickered, lightly nudging Cole in the shoulder with his elbow. The comment made Rykari hold back a belly laugh; the suppression made her face turn red, and she looked away as Cole stared daggers into her soul. 

Wu sighed and continued with his donning. He approached the ninja in white. "And White Ninja is Zane, Master of Ice, and seer with sixth sense." Zane utilized his shurikens as Wu spoke and made them vanish. 

"I sense this one takes things a little too seriously…" Kai mumbled aloud.

Zane gasped and quickly removed his mask, "You, too, have the gift?" He asked curiously, a look of awe on his face. Rykari smiled softly in the background, finding his reaction quite wholesome. 

"He's just making a joke, Zane." Jay laughed lightheartedly and went over to Zane. "Remember what we talked about? Your sense of humor? Huh?" He added while lowering his voice. 

Zane nodded and smiled. "Yes, it was a joke. Haha." He said casually. Jay shook his head in disappointment. 

Wu went over to fetch Rykari's collapsable Gauntlet bracelets that were thrown to the side and tossed them back to the young assassin. "And lastly, but certainly not least, Rykari. Skilled stealth strategist trained in the Berkian assassin arts. Master of Plasma." 

As Wu spoke, she caught her weapons and equipped them back on her wrists. She clenched her fists and activated the armor mode. The metallic plates shifted around and formed a protective coating around her forearms. When he finished donning, she bowed as a traditional greeting from her homeland. "Rykari Furia, aig do sheirbhis. At your service, lads. Ye a' kin ca' me Ryka." 

"Assassin?" Cole whispered, his voice cracking slightly. Rykari lifted her head and winked teasingly. 

Aye, th' boy's real afraid o' me noo. He'll git o'er it… ah hawp. Rykari thought to herself with a slight chuckle of amusement.

"Pay attention!" Wu interrupted. "You four are the chosen ones who will protect the Four Weapons of Spinjitzu... from Lord Garmadon." He gestured his staff to the four ninjas.

"But what about my sister!?" Kai blurted out. This caught Rykari's attention quickly. Was his sister in danger? 

"We're saving a girl? Is she hot?" Jay gasped excitedly and gave Kai a nudge on the arm.

"Jay…" Cole groaned.

"I-I just wanna know what we're getting ourselves into!" Jay stammered in reply. "Does she like blue?" He followed up immediately afterward. 

"Back off!" Kai warned the Master of Lightning. 

"When we find the weapons, we will find your sister. It is time! We must go to the first weapon!" Sensei reassured the concerned Master of Fire. 

"Whoa! Hold a minute; you said you would teach us Spinjitzu." Cole said with a bit of irritation in his voice. 

"Spinjitzu is inside each and every one of you, but it will only be unlocked when the key is ready to be found." Wu gestured to each ninja with his staff. He paused and turned to Rykari to give her a map. "Rykari, I need you to scout ahead and check for patrols along this route. We will meet at this rendezvous point, and you will guide us the rest of the way." He instructed her. Rykari held the map for a few moments, analyzing the map and memorizing the location marked upon it.

"Aye, aye, Sensei." Rykari nodded, and she turned to the boys and bowed in farewell. “Beannachd leat an-dràsta, laddies. Farewell fer now!" She announced and vanished with a flash of Plasma. 

"Come! My feet are tired. We will take the horse carriage." Wu announced to the four ninjas as he walked inside the Monastery to prepare supplies for the journey. The four ninjas sighed in unison.

"Great." Cole groaned.

"Now we have to find a key?" Jay complained.

"Yeah. I feel like he's taking us for a ride." Cole added sarcastically. 

"Well, if it means finding my sister. Then sign me up." Kai said confidently.

From just outside the Monastery walls, Rykari shook her head and hummed quietly in amusement. She trekked down the mountain before shifting to her dragon form, cloaking herself, and taking flight.

Rykari landed in a misty forest about an hour later. From what she remembered on the map, she was to scout for skeleton activity nearby and plan a safe route accordingly. She sniffed the air and pricked her ears, scanning the area for any skeletal warriors. She shifted back to her human form and ran ahead. She jumped to the trees and inspected every marked location of a patrol camp on the map. Many of them appeared to be abandoned. Some had recent signs of skeleton activity, and others had routine patrols. She observed the patrol routes to see which path out of the several in this forest would be the safest and fastest. It took a few more hours, but she eventually planned a safe route to take the boys through the forest to the golden weapon location.

Rykari spent the next few hours marking the trail with her Gauntlet claws. She heard distant footsteps and huffing and puffing from the forest entrance as she marked her last checkpoint. 

"Sign me up! Way to go, spark plug." Said the nagging voice of Jay in the distance. 

"I sense this is some strange form of team-building," Zane commented. 

"Just keep pulling. We have a long way to go." Cole reassured the rest of the group. Rykari waved her hand in the distance, summoning a small spark of Plasma from her hands to signal them. The four stopped their run to catch their breath as Rykari hustled over. 

"Mornin' wee jimmies, didnae catch a wink o' sleep either, ah tak' it?" Rykari hummed, stretching her back out, and groaned.

"Oh no, we had plenty of beauty sleep, thank you very much," Jay replied sarcastically. "We've been pulling Sensei on his carriage all night and-" 

"Wait a second, how did you get here before us? We left shortly after Wu sent you off." Kai asked curiously. 

"Ah flew-- uh, ah mean- that's classified information. 'An assassin ne'er shows her secrets,' as th' saying goes, eh?" Rykari stammered and folded her arms confidently. 

"I think the correct phrase is 'A Magician never reveals his secret-" Zane began to correct Rykari when she abruptly cut him off in a hurry.

"Anyways! Enough aboot th' Scot; ah hae a path leid oot fur ye tae follow. Anno whaur 'ta gang fae 'ere, sae juist keep edgy fur mah zip zaps, 'n' ye a' wull mak' it oot wi' yer heids atop yer shoulders. Any questions?" Rykari explained quickly. The way she had phrased everything, on top of her thick accent, had left the boys looking at her like she was insane. 

"None o' ye understaun a wirk ah said, did ye?" Rykari sighed, putting her hands on her hips.

"Nope."

"Nada."

"Not in the slightest."

"Ah, shite." She muttered to herself in disappointment. "Juist look fur my Plasma flashes 'n' spark trails. It should stand out against the fog. Try 'ta keep up." Rykari said as she ran ahead and left a Plasmatic spark trail before she turned invisible. The boys followed her immediately.

"I thought I was the only one who didn't understand a word that chick was saying," Kai sighed in relief. The boys all murmured in agreement. 

"Where did you even find her, Sensei? She talks kinda funny- OW!." Jay was asking a question when he was hit with a small pebble, and Rykari's voice echoed ahead. 

"Ah heard that!" 

Sensei Wu chuckled. "Rykari is from the realm of Multum, specifically in the Archipelago region. She was raised in a village of Vikings, which is where the Master of Plasma originated from. She is a skilled warrior, trained in the assassin's ways."

"Why bring an assassin to our team, Sensei?" Zane asked curiously. "I fail to see how a fifth ninja would benefit us, as only four golden weapons need to be possessed?" 

"There's much more to Rykari than she lets on. I believe she is a vital part of your destinies; after all, she benefitted one of you already." Wu hummed as he poured himself a cup of tea. In the distance, Rykari reappeared, pausing to allow the others to catch up before vanishing again with a flash. 

"So Rykari was leaving me those notes! I had no idea." Kai said in bewilderment. 

"I assigned her to shadow each of you before your final test. She studied your fighting techniques and used her own strategies to fight back. Her adaptive nature makes her an essential part of this team." Wu explained after a sip of tea. 

"So she was basically stalking us like animals?" Jay exclaimed. "That's not creepy at all, Sensei. We appreciate the heads up." He added sarcastically.

"I did sense her presence one day while we were training. I couldn't see her, but I believe it was her observing us from afar. Her aura is quite powerful." Zane pitched into the conversation. 

"So you DID sense something! You liar!" Jay exclaimed dramatically. 

"I did not lie. You asked me if I was okay, and I was." Zane replied calmly.

"That doesn't explain why she attacked me out of nowhere, Sensei. What was that all about?" Cole asked. He was determined to know why she targeted him specifically last night.

"That is a tale Rykari will have to share on her own. She has built emotional walls around her that prevent her from trusting those she doesn't know. She was fighting a threat that nearly took her entire family away from her. If I hadn't arrived in time, she would not be leading us to the weapons today." Wu explained. 

Rykari could hear Sensei describing her life story to the ninjas from up ahead. She reappeared, waiting for the others to catch up, then disappeared with a flash. She didn't like revealing her past, but she was glad Wu did it for her. She hadn't fully accepted her situation and refused to show any vulnerability. That's what nearly got her captured in the end. The memory of Klaude's crazed gaze was burned into her memory, and she shuddered at the thought of encountering him again.

After moments of silence and understanding of Rykari's actions from the night before, Kai broke the silence with an icebreaker. "So, where did Sensei find you three?" 

"Let's just say, like Ryka, if it wasn't for Sensei Wu, I don't think we'd ever been seen together. I was testing my limits." Cole started by describing how he was climbing a mountain and stumbled across Sensei Wu enjoying a cup of tea at the top.  

"I was testing my invention," Jay described himself testing a glider, which was working well at first but crashed through a billboard, unfortunately. On the other side, he noticed Wu sitting beside it after the accident with a hot cup of tea.

"And I was testing myself," Zane recalled his experience meditating under a frozen pond and was shocked when he saw Sensei Wu sitting beside him the entire time with his signature cup of tea.

"You're right. If it weren't for Sensei, none of us would-" Kai was cut short when Rykari reappeared and signaled them to stop. 

"Shh… stoap!" Rykari whispered sharply. "We've arrived." The ninjas stopped and set down the carriage. 

A few minutes passed, and the group sat outside what appeared to be some sort of mine. 

"The Caves of Despair. Samukai must be close to unearthing the Scythe of Quakes. Remember, do not use the weapon. For its power—" Wu delivered the instructions to the ninjas when Jay interrupted him. 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! It's too much for us mortals. Alright, guys. Let's chop-socky this lemonade stand! Cole, you got the plan?" Jay asked, looking at Cole eagerly.

"Sure do. First, we lower ourselves down the ledge. And then--" Cole explained his plan when Rykari interrupted him.

"We've git a stray, laddies." Rykari sighed, pointing to Kai. He was already at ground level, sneaking past the Skulkin warriors working. 

Jay sighed. "Let's go!"

The three aborted the plan and went to catch up with Kai. Jay paused and looked back to see if Rykari would be joining them. She shook her head. "This is th' boys' time tae shine; ah will hang back 'ere." She insisted. Jay nodded and quickly caught up with the rest of the team.

Wu hummed with interest. "You don't wish to join them?" He asked.

"Ah dae wanna jyne thaim, bit a'm feelin' lik' ah git aff oan th' wrong foot wi' thaim. 'twas poor timing, honestly. A've hud tae suppress sae much emotion fer th' past twa weeks, Master. Ah dinnae wantae leave an ill impression." Rykari sighed, watching the four of them reach Samukai's hut.

"They will come around, Ryka. You've adapted excellently to this new way of life, and scars will heal with time. Patience is an important lesson you must learn if you want to accept yourself and be accepted among them." Wu reassured Rykari. 

"Ta, Sensei." She smiled warmly. She did notice that Jay had waited for her before she told him she would stay behind for now. Perhaps Wu was right after all. Then, another thought occurred to Rykari. "Sensei, whit kind o' Guardian did ye steid tae protect th' weapons?" She asked curiously. She saw all of them enter the cave, figuring they must have found the proper location of the Scythe of Quakes. 

"Ah, let me see…" Wu pondered. "I placed an elemental dragon at each weapon location. The one here is an Earth dragon."

"Ah, guid choice. Gey loyal 'n' protective cratur-- hauld yer horses, whit!?" Rykari exclaimed. 

"Wow! That is so cool!" 

Jay's voice echoed throughout the area, alerting the Skulkin army around them.

"Aw, shite!" Rykari panicked and hopped over the rock she and Wu hid behind. She turned invisible and raced to the cave as fast as she could run. She jumped and dodged several Skulkin. The moment she approached the cave, Samukai and the Skulkin were already attacking. 

"There's too many of them!" Kai shouted aloud. 

"Allow me tae even th' odds, lads! Kyah!" Rykari cried out and let loose a Plasma-charged punch that sent several Skulkin flying toward the back of the cave with a shockwave. 

"Well, look who decided to show up. I thought it was 'the boys' time tae shine!" In a very poor Scottish accent, Cole called out to Rykari as he swung his Scythe at a group of Skulkin and knocked them down.

"Thir's a different reason how come ah shawed up, bit less blabbin' 'n' mair fightin', Ninja-go!" Rykari called in return, then whirled into her Spinjitzu tornado. 

"Whoa!" Jay exclaimed. "How did you do that?"

"Think o' yer trainin' coorse!" Rykari shouted out.

 Jay paused and analyzed the situation at hand. He realized that the battle was just like the training course, as Rykari said. 

"Haha! She's right! Over the planks! Dodge the swords! Here comes the dummy! Cha-Ching!" Jay exclaimed excitedly as he unlocked a blue electrical tornado while beating up the Skulkin. 

"Spinjitzu!" Kai exclaimed in surprise. "What's the key?!"

"I'm just going through the motions." Jay described it as he beat up more skeletons inside of his tornado. "This is what Sensei must have meant when he said we already know it."

Kai felt a new spark of determination ignite inside him and reenacted the motions of the training course. "Over the planks! Dodge the swords! Here comes the dummy!" A fiery tornado cloaked Kai as he unlocked Spinjitzu.

Off to the side, a Skulkin general, known as Kruncha, started laughing hysterically at his fellow general. "He just called you a dummy!" 

The other Skulkin general, Nuckal, grumbled in protest, "No, he called YOU a dummy!" Then, they noticed Zane approaching them in his Spinjitzu tornado and retreated in fear. Zane ceased his tornado and stood before a group of Skulkin, with their leader, Samukai, staring in shock. 

"I sense you do not stand a chance," Zane said coldly, still in his eerily calm voice. 

"Retreat!" Samukai called out, realizing fairly quickly that they were in danger. The whole Skeleton Army flees the scene as all five Spinjitzu tornados approach the army. The tornados subsided once the cave was cleared, and cheering broke out from the group. 

"'N' bade oot, ye lousy bawbags o' bones!" Rykari shouted after the skeletons, kicking debris at any stragglers. 

"Huh! Guess they don't want a second serving of these babies!" Cole laughed triumphantly, kissing his biceps. Jay and Kai sighed in disappointment. Rykari turned back around to face the others, remembering why she had come in the first place. Her gaze soon met the massive figure of Wu's guardian, slowly stalking the unsuspecting ninjas. 

"Lads, ah think it's aboot time we git ou-" Rykari spoke slowly and sternly, trying to grab their attention. Cole cut her off with his gloating.

"Good thing they didn't check out the merchandise in the back!" Cole exclaimed confidently. 

"Hauld yer horses! Dinnae caw-" Rykari was trying to warn them, but they were so caught up in their victory that they didn't hear her. Cole whipped around and froze in shock when the massive Earth Dragon appeared before him. Kai and Jay were still celebrating, and Zane looked deep in thought. 

"Uh… guys?" Cole said with a shakiness in his voice, shrinking back. 

"Didn't Sensei say a guardian was protecting the weapons?" Zane asked aloud, resting his hand on his chin in inquiry. As soon as he said that, the other three looked to Rykari, Cole, and behind themselves.

"Is... that... a...? That's not what I think it is. Is it?" Cole stammered in fear.

"You mean a Dragon?" Jay squeaked in fear.

"Uh, that sure looks like a Dragon!" Kai exclaimed.

"I sense we won't be able to spin out of this one," Zane added grimly.

Oh, Odin, help us. Rykari prayed internally.

"Lads, please dinnae mak' ony sudden movements' n' keep the heid-" Rykari tried to diffuse the rising panic among the boys. The dragon suddenly reared onto its back legs to attack.

"NE'ER MYND, GIT OOT O' TH' WEY!" She leaped in the air and dove in front of the boys as the dragon spat out a cloud of sand. Rykari unleashed a shockwave of Plasma from a brief aerial kick to disperse the sand cloud as the ninja jumped out of the way. The rest of the shockwave hit the dragon in the nose, making it recoil.

"I thought dragons weren't from this world!" Cole exclaimed. 

"Ryka, what are you doing?! Let's get out of here!" Kai called out. 

"Dinna fash yirsel aboot me, mukker. Ah's dealt wi' aggravated young ones lik' this yin back home. Git yer wee hides oot o' 'ere afore this rockhead causes a cave-in!" Rykari insisted in response. She waved her arms, drawing the angry dragon's attention toward her instead of the weapon. It lashed its tail at her, and she rolled out of the way as she prepared a small smoke bomb-like item.

As the other Ninjas sat back, Kai uncovered the Scythe of Quakes, preparing to use it.

Jay grabbed Kai's shoulder, shaking his head. "No, no, Kai! Bad idea! Sensei told us not to!" 

"Then you better keep your mouth shut!" Kai threatened as he charged toward Rykari and the Earth Dragon. Rykari heard his footsteps approaching, and she held out her arm to stop Kai from coming closer.

"No!" Rykari shouted.

"Kai! DOOOON'T!!" Cole yelled. 

Despite their efforts, Kai used the Scythe anyway. The ground began to break underneath their feet, causing the dragon to collapse.

"We gotta escape!" Kai said to the others.

"We'll use Spinjitzu!" Cole pointed to an opening in the roof of the cave.

Rykari was trying to run when a quake in the earth caused her to lose her balance. "AGH!" She cried out in distress. 

"Shit! Where's Ryka?" Kai exclaimed. The collapsing rocks were kicking up dust and sand; Rykari didn't have much time to escape alone. The boys scanned the area to see if she was still visible. Cole spotted her clawing at the crumbling earth with her Gauntlets as she frantically tried to escape the gaping hole in the ground. His gaze kept flickering from the dragon to his teammate, frozen in fear of one thing and driven to save the other. However, the nagging gut feeling to get his teammate out safely overcame his dilemma.

"I got her," Cole said with a newfound determination. "Get out of here!" He ordered the others before rushing toward the crumbling earth. The others hesitated to follow his order but obeyed and spun their way to the surface.

Rykari panicked as the ground beneath her quickly disappeared; when the last piece of earth she tried to grab immediately broke off, she began descending into the hole beneath her. "Help!" She cried out. 

Cole quickly slid down and reached out for her arm. Rykari sheathed her Gauntlet claws and grabbed his arm.

"I gotcha!" Cole said as he lifted her from the hole and helped her escape the crumbling cave. Rykari held him tightly as he spun out with her in tow. The dragon had escaped the hole and flew after them, snapping its jaws behind them as they narrowly escaped to the surface.

Cole carefully set a panic-stricken Rykari down on her feet, who was still catching her breath as her adrenaline died down. She took a moment to process what had just happened and quickly let go of Cole's arm, clearing her throat. He took the time to go down there and save her by himself. Why? Even after what she did the night before? Her face felt oddly warm, but she was glad that her mask covered her face; she didn't want to give him any more leverage against her for giving him shit about being afraid of a girl. Her pride wouldn't be able to take it.

"That was so awesome!" Cole laughed with excitement. 

"Yes! We are unbelievable!" Kai cheered, giving Cole a high five. 

Rykari smiled and laughed along with them. Aside from the near-death experience she just had, they do make a pretty good team altogether. They acquired the Scythe of Quakes, so that's a positive outcome from this mission.

"We are the best!" Zane exclaimed. 

"Did you see that?! I was like, 'Pow!' And you were like, 'Bam!' And Rykari was like, 'Woosh!'" Jay gushed excitedly. 

"ENOUGH!" Wu yelled, infuriated. This caused the ninjas to jump, flinch, or pause and pay attention to their enraged Master. "I told you not to use the Scythe!"

"He did it," Jay admitted, pointing at Kai.

"What?" Kai said in surprise.

"I warned him, Sensei," Cole added with a shrug. 

"It was my only option!" Kai protested.

"Ainlie option tae`?" Rykari snapped, whipping her head around to look Kai dead in his eyes. "Didnae ah tell ye a' tae git oot while ah dealt wi' th' dragon doon thare? Ye a'maist buried me alive wi' that thing!" She scolded angrily.

"Hey, I was just following your advice of 'using my outside resources." Kai snapped back. 

"Excuse me? dinnae ye dare caw mah ain wurds against me, ye egotistical mac galla. Cole wilnae be th' ainlie yin feart o' me whin a'm dane wi' ye!" Rykari clenched her fists and activated the armor setting on her Gauntlets, locking the setting. Kai gulped, instantly regretting what he just said. Fortunately, this time, the other three jumped in to hold Rykari back before she could lunge at Kai.

"That's enough, Rykari," Wu told her sternly as he held his staff out in front of her, and she obeyed despite her wishes. 

"Aye, Sensei." She murmured and ceased her attempts to break free from the hold. The boys continued to hold her just in case, and she didn't mind. Her barbaric tendencies were getting out of hand lately. Perhaps it was better that way.

"And what makes you think you're more important than the team, huh?! Huh?!" Wu asked him sternly.

"They took my sister, remember?!" Kai fired back. 

"There are still three Weapons left. Maybe next time you can do it right." Sensei Wu said disappointingly. He turned around and beckoned the others to follow him. Rykari glanced back at him with a disappointed glint, then she shook her head and turned her focus back to the group. Kai sat back, furrowing his brows in thought. Did he really have only one choice? Or was he just being careless? He shook his head, recognizing his mistake, and caught up with the group. 

Meanwhile, in the Underworld, Samukai is seen entering a skeletal throne room, begging for forgiveness from the King of the Underworld - Lord Garmadon.

"Master, I have failed you. They have learned Spinjitzu, and they have the Scythe." Samukai reported.

"Good," An eerily calm voice replied. This reaction surprised Samukai. "Then my brother was there." 

"If I can gather my army, then we can easily ambush them and—" Samukai began formulating a plan to counter the ninja's victory when Garmadon cut him off.

"No. Let them think they're winning." Garmadon instructed. 

Samukai was still in shock. "But I... do not understand." 

"Everything is going to plan," Garmadon concluded, and the beginning of an evil cackle erupted from the dark lord. Samukai nods, complying with his Master's wishes.

TO BE CONTINUED

Chapter Text

A cold snowfall gently drifted through the icy oceans of the Frozen Wasteland as a boat sailed the frozen sea. The ninjas and Sensei Wu were on their way to acquire the next golden weapon: The Shurikens of Ice. The start of the voyage was a breeze, as Rykari had volunteered to sail most of the way to the Wasteland. So much had been on her mind for the past couple of weeks that she would zone out occasionally. The Frozen Wasteland reminded her of the colder climate back home, which was a potential source of these resurfacing memories.

She would have these sorts of waking nightmares during these occasions, a vivid memory of the moment she nearly got captured by Klaude, the choking feeling of that collar suffocating her each time she struggled to break free. The thought of her nearly losing her family made her panic internally. While Rykari was thinking, she subconsciously placed her free hand around her neck as if protecting it. Her lack of focus caused her to nearly crash the boat into oncoming icebergs several times. 

Rykari assured the others she was fine, but they all knew that wasn’t true. Since Wu had vaguely explained Rykari’s situation, they had all started to try and interact with her to try and get to know her. She came off as very stoic and aggressive at first to the others. As their journey continued, Rykari tried to contribute to the team and set her boundaries to allow the boys to do their own thing. The others noticed this, and Sensei’s claim of her benefitting their team started to make sense.

During the first couple of close-called crashes, one of the boys would check in with her, offering to steer the boat if she needed rest. Rykari would stubbornly but politely decline their offers. She hadn’t slept much since they started their journey to acquire the Golden Weapons. Even though she could function efficiently at night, she refused to rest. The dark bags underneath her eyes began to concern even Master Wu.

Rykari was beginning to zone out again, but this time, she had an intervention from one of the ninjas. She didn’t notice, but the four were on and off watching her while she was sailing. Rykari’s eyes felt heavy as she slowly began to nod off, and a hand on her shoulder snapped her out of her exhausted state. 

“H-huh? Wha?” Rykari gasped, startled by the sudden snap back to reality.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s just me,” Cole reassured her. “I didn’t mean to startle you. You were zoning out again.” He pointed out. 

“Ah, shite-” She muttered to herself as she quickly steered the boat back on course, causing the vessel to jerk suddenly. Rykari flinched as she saw the others stumble around because of it. A wave of groans erupted from near the front of the boat. “Sorry, mates!” She apologized, feeling her face burn with embarrassment, and she sighed.

“Alright, I think it’s time you rest a little. That’s the third time you nearly crashed the boat.” Cole insisted as he put his free hand on the wheel to help stabilize the boat. 

“Ah appreciate th' thought, bit ah can dae this. It's th' least ah can dae efter mah compleenin’ from th' ither nicht.” Rykari grumbled, insisting that she could keep steering. “We’re a'maist thare… I think.”

Cole shook his head. “As the more responsible one of this team, I am not asking you to step away from the wheel; I am telling you to step away and get some rest. I’ll take it over from here. You're exhausted.” Cole insisted with more assertion. Rykari stood there in surprise for a moment. She was about to protest, but then she realized he was right.

“Fine,” Rykari sighed in defeat, rubbing her eyelids with her fingertips. She took her hands off the wheel and stepped aside, letting the Master of Earth steer the boat for the rest of the way. Rykari picked up her satchel and retrieved her fur cloak. The temperature began making her feel weaker, which may have been another factor contributing to her fatigue. Night Furies can’t consistently survive long in freezing climates, especially without a constant heat source. She leaned her satchel against a crate and rested her head like a pillow. It wasn’t the most comfortable thing in the world, but it would suffice for a small nap. 

“Ye'll wake me up whin we turn up, aye?” Rykari asked, fighting a large yawn as sudden drowsiness overtook her, pulling down her mask and turning her head away. 

“Heh, I can’t make any promises, sleepy,” Cole replied with a small chuckle, noticing her face away from him to sneak in a yawn. Rykari hummed slightly in amusement at his response, then went silent. She shut her eyes after she clasped on her fur cloak. Jay and Kai watched the whole exchange and started whispering to each other, which made Jay laugh out loud. They acted like two gossiping schoolgirls.

“Hey! Cut it out!” Cole whispered sharply, motioning to them to knock it off. With her last ounce of consciousness, Rykari lifted her hand, flipped the two of them off, and immediately went out like a light. Jay and Kai stood there, rolled their eyes, and stopped teasing. Cole glanced over to Rykari as she flipped them off and laughed in surprise, then returned his focus to sailing.

A few hours passed, and Jay tried playing a game of I Spy with the others to alleviate his boredom.

“I spy something… white!” He said.

Cole sighed. “Could you try to be quiet for once? This ain’t easy.” He was distracted by Jay’s complaining when the ship barely hit an iceberg, causing it to stumble. The sudden movement made Rykari shoot up in alert. 

“Oi, whit th' hell--” Rykari mumbled as she sat up, wiping off a trail of drool dangling from her mouth. “Hae we arrived awready?” She followed up with a stretch. 

“No, not yet.” Cole sighed.

“I spy something broken!” Jay groaned.

Near the front of the ship, Sensei Wu was perched atop the bow spirit, navigating the icy waters and balancing in a crane-like pose. Kai and Zane stood nearby, discussing their thoughts about the team’s position.

“If Sensei knows the way to the next Golden Weapon, then why isn’t he steering the ship?” Kai asked Zane with a light shiver as he tried to keep warm. “We’ve been drifting aimlessly for miles.” 

“Sensei’s wisdom is beyond my own.” Zane shrugged. 

“The most powerful move in Spinjitzu can only be accomplished when all five elements are combined. Earth! Ice! Fire! Lightning! Plasma!” Wu declared aloud, jumping down from the bow spirit and emphasizing each element he listed with a unique pose. At least, that’s how Rykari observed it from afar. 

“Uh, what happens when all of them are combined?” Jay asked.

“The Tornado of Creation. The power to create something out of nothing.” Master Wu answered. Kai proceeded to attempt a few moves, hoping to try and activate the Tornado of Creation. 

“No, Kai!” Wu warned the eager Master of Fire, “If done incorrectly, it will lead to disastrous consequences.”

“Disastrous consequences. Right…” Kai scoffed. The conversation ended abruptly when the boat crashed onto icy land. 

“Uh… wasn’t me.”  Cole blurted out as he took his hands off of the steering wheel.

“Yet yae were concerned about the Scot crashin’ the ship,” Rykari muttered under her breath, which earned her a side-eyed glare from the Master of Earth. She returned the glare with a smirk and stuck her tongue out. 

“Did I do that?” Kai asked with a bit of worry.

“No, we are here,” Wu concluded. The ninja prepared themselves and exited the boat. Rykari accompanied them this time to handle any dragon trouble they may encounter.

As the five ninjas approached the Ice Temple, Rykari attached a belt of smoke bomb-like devices around her waist. Zane eyed the gadgets curiously.

“What are these?” Zane asked, gesturing to Rykari’s belt. 

“Hm? Oh, aye! Thae are whit ah lik' ‘ta ca' ‘nippers.' Thay wirk lik' smoke bombs bit dispense a dragon nip clood instead o' smoke.” Rykari explained.

“Dragon nip?” Zane echoed.

“It's a medicinal herb that grows in th' forests back in mah hame. It haes similar benefits tae lavender, lemon balm, chamomile, or ither sedative herbs.” She elaborated. “It ainlie affects dragons; it mak's ‘em become softies.”  

“Huh, sounds like something we could’ve used last time,” Jay grumbled, clearly referring to Kai’s stunt with the Scythe of Quakes.

“Oi, na need tae rub salt in th' wound, zippy.” Rykari chided sharply, flicking Jay in the back of his head. He responded with a whine, but he didn’t fight it. Despite being affected the most by Kai’s recklessness with the Scythe, she didn’t hold it against him for reacting the way he did. It was a mistake; if he learned from it, he wouldn’t repeat it. Well, at least Rykari hoped that he would learn from it.

As they entered the temple, their path was littered with frozen Skulkin warriors. 

“Whoa… looks like someone’s already been here,” Cole commented as they all passed by the skeletons. 

Up ahead, Rykari could make out the figure of a gaping dragon mouth with two golden objects hovering just below the creature’s jaws. “Is 'at it?” She murmured aloud.

“The Shurikens!” Zane exclaimed. The ninjas approached the Shurikens, and Rykari formulated a plan to avoid a mishap like last time.

“A'richt, lads, three o’ ye wull boost whoever wants tae grab th' shurikens. Th' moment that dragon starts movin’, stairt runnin’ toward th' exit.” Rykari instructed, gesturing to each step accordingly. “I’ll skelp ‘em wi' a nipper, 'n' we shuid hae a painless, flawless escape. Any questions?” She concluded, waiting for confirmation from the team. The boys exchanged glances with each other, nodding to each other before giving a final group confirmation nod.

Rykari nodded and stepped back to give them room. Kai, Jay, and Cole gave Zane a boost to grab the Shurikens. Rykari stood by, her hand hovered near one of her bomblets, and waited for the slightest movement from the slumbering Ice dragon. Zane grabbed the Shurikens, and he got frozen in a block of ice. 

“Now! Run!”  Rykari shouted, ushering them out of the way before the dragon dropped from the frozen ceiling. 

Kai, Jay, and Cole grabbed hold of Zane and started beelining for the exit with frightened screams. When the dragon dropped, Rykari unhooked a bomblet and threw it at its snapping jaws. She jumped away and slid along the icy path to avoid inhaling any ‘miracle powder’ - dragon nip would affect her just as much as it did for the Ice dragon; she couldn’t risk revealing her Dracolycan identity just yet. 

The dragon grumbled in confusion and stumbled around. It appeared heavily disoriented but still determined to protect the Shurikens of Ice.

“Persistent bastard, aren’t ye?” Rykari scoffed aloud. She had three bomblets left, so she unhooked one more bomblet. 

Meanwhile, the ninjas had the exit in their sights.  The ground started to shake beneath them. And they heard the echo of Rykari’s voice saying, “Bombs awa'! Yahoooo!” followed by a woosh, a disoriented reptilian grumble, and a loud thud.

The Master of Plasma came sliding down shortly after at high speed, shouting, “Brace yourselves!” Before colliding into them, giving them a sudden shove out of the exit. They all shouted in surprise and flew in the air, landing on Zane’s frozen body while they slid down the snowy path back to the boat.

They all steered in sync, leaning left and right to avoid the cliffs that plunged into the frozen ocean below them. They finally stopped as everyone face-planted into a wall of ice, shattering Zane’s icy prison.

“Ow,” Zane groaned, and the other four fell over him. 

“Tellt ye it wid be painless… fur th' maist pairt.” Rykari grinned sheepishly. Everyone reacted with a collective sigh.

The ninjas have successfully acquired two golden weapons of Spinjitzu. According to Wu’s map, their next golden weapon location was the Temple of Lightning, located within the Floating Ruins. When they arrived, the five began climbing up to the base of the massive chain that holds the ruins within its stormy stronghold. 

Zane took a peek below to see the skeletons making their way up. “We’re being followed.” 

“Let’s go!” Jay encouraged as he climbed up the long chain in the sky, with the others following closely behind. Once Jay reached the top, he located a pair of golden Nunchucks hovering upon a flat surface. “Heh, alright!” He exclaimed triumphantly. He snatched the Nunchucks of Lightning and held them up proudly to show the others.

Suddenly, a lightning bolt struck down behind Jay, and a Lightning dragon appeared, spewing an electrical mist from its mouth. Jay quickly jumped off the platform with a “Woohoo!” He activated his gliders and safely descended downwards, and the others followed suit and activated their gliders. Rykari trailed a bit behind them to make sure the dragon didn’t follow them and heard the distant sinister laugh of Samukai. His laughter concerned Rykari, but she brushed it off for now and went to catch up with the others.

The five of them descended to the Forest of Tranquility to meet with Sensei Wu and set up camp for the night. Once night fell, Kai and Jay were dancing to Cole’s drumming, Zane meditated, Rykari rested on a tree branch, staring at the night sky, and Wu sat in the middle of the group, deep in thought. Kai noticed the lack of celebration from both Rykari and Sensei Wu. 

“Come on, Sensei. Join us!” Kai encouraged him. 

Wu shook his head sternly, “There is still one weapon left! We must get our sleep!” 

“Aww, Sensei. Look, you gotta admit, we’re kicking their boney butts!” Jay exclaimed.

“Get up here. Show us some moves.” Kai insisted before turning his focus to the tree above them. “You too, Rykari. Get down here!”

Rykari sighed deeply, knowing she would get nagged if she didn’t join them. Some of her wanted to celebrate their victory so far, but something didn’t feel right. Everything felt too… easy. She shook her head and hopped down from the tree branch.

“Gotta admit, a'm curious tae see if th' auld man can bust a move,” Rykari snickered, which made Wu chuckle.

“I guess I could,” Wu murmured aloud as he stood up. “Now, this move is very special.” 

“But if done incorrectly, will it lead to disastrous consequences?” Zane asked aloud. This gave everyone a good laugh, thinking it was a clever joke.

“Zane, is that a joke? A sense of humor… You found it!” Kai laughed.

Wu decided to break out his dance moves, shuffling around, performing incredibly old-school moves, and even playing with his beard as he sang along. “Shake what your momma gave you. Yeah, look at this one now. Hmm... oh yeah. Spin round. Oh yeah. I put my feet.”

Everyone laughed as Sensei busted his ‘special moves.’ Jay and Kai joined in with his dancing as Cole played the drums and Zane meditated off to the side. Rykari felt too much secondhand embarrassment to join in then; she hoped she wouldn’t have to dance in general. Unfortunately, she wasn’t as slick as she had hoped. When Sensei finished his dance, the attention was focused on Rykari.

“So, do you have anything that could top Sensei’s ‘professional choreography,’ dragon lady?” Kai teased.

Rykari’s heart nearly skipped a beat when he called her that. She relaxed when she realized he referred to her tactics to soothe the Guardians. 

“Na, na. A' anno are traditional Viking lassie ribbon dances. They're nowhere near as... special as Sensei's groundbreaking moves." Rykari laughed nervously. This moment of vulnerability was detected by Wu, who decided to give Rykari a helpful nudge to open up about herself.

“I’m sure it would be lovely to share a piece of home with the others. Consider this a team bonding exercise. Complete this exercise, and you can come with us to retrieve the Sword of Fire tomorrow.” Wu instructed with a snicker. “Per decretum, Draconianum.” 

Rykari stood there stunned, her mouth agape and her face flustered. “Ye didnae juist dae that.” She said in disbelief, then laughed. Wu simply smiled and laughed cheekily, which made Rykari stop her laughter, and a look of horror rested on her face. “…Ye'r nae pul'in mah chain, are ye, Sensei?” 

“What’s happening right now?” Cole asked, seeing as everyone was completely lost in this conversation.

“Care to explain?” Wu asked, giving Rykari an encouraging glance. He knew exactly what he was doing, and Rykari hated it. She slowly glanced from Wu to the others, who appeared to be holding back laughter and had secondhand embarrassment for Rykari. 

“Well, lads,” Rykari sighed deeply, “We speak twa languages based awn oor unique traditions in mah homeland. Scottish Gaelic fer our Viking traditions, 'n' Latin fer our… er… Draconian… traditions.” She spoke slowly, trying her best to be as understandable as possible. She had to pick her words carefully to avoid exposing herself as a Dracolycan. They aren’t ready to know about that just yet.

“What are Draconian traditions?” Zane asked curiously. 

“Ah, aye. Uhh…” Rykari paused to gather her thoughts and not look like a nervous wreck.

Fur Valhallah’s sake, lass. Yer gonnae sound suspicious if yae keep stutterin’ lik' a buffoon lik' this! Rykari scolded herself internally.

“Draconian traditions are a fancy schmancy term fer th'… Beitherian Assassin Creed.” Rykari stated confidently, although she cringed internally due to how cheesy that came out. “Th' phrase 'Per Decretum Draconianum' roughly translates tae 'By Draconian Decree' in Latin.” She tried her hardest not to glare at Wu too much. He was standing on thin ice by forcing this “show and tell” time.

“Accordin' tae th' Creed, ony challenge say under th' Draconian code mist be honored, na maiter th' circumstances. ” Rykari paused for the dramatic effect, taking off her Gauntlets and stuffing them into her satchel. She sifted through it to find a pair of black-scaled gloves and put them on, then fastened dragon talon-like finger armor to her hands. 

“Since Wu wis sae kind enough tae propose this challenge tae me, ah hae na choice bit tae accept it. Otherwise, ah wull face th' consequences, which means na protection fae th' big scary dragon guardian fur th' lot o' ye.” Rykari concluded as she tested her special gloves with a few sparks of Plasma. 

Cole quietly gasped, then coughed to pass it off as a tickle in his throat. “Well, I think this will be worth the bonding, right boys?” He spewed out quickly, laughing nervously.

“Relax, Cole. Even if she refused, I’m sure we’d have been able to handle ourselves. The nippers aren’t that hard to use.” Jay nudged him with his elbow teasingly. Cole laughed lightheartedly before giving Rykari a look that screamed, ‘I am begging you - do NOT refuse.’ 

Rykari rolled her eyes in amusement, smiling lowkey. She generated what appeared to be a Plasma-like ribbon and whipped it in the air, making it crack like a whip. She did this same exercise a couple more times, adding more tricks to it as she regained the feeling of her routines. When she felt prepared, she shut her eyes and deeply breathed. 

“A'richt, let's git this shite o'er wi'.” Rykari groaned under her breath, motioning to Cole to start drumming. With a crackle of his knuckles, he began drumming to the beat from earlier. Rykari inhaled softly and brought her hands to the center of her body, concentrating on her surroundings. She summoned two Plasma ribbons and opened her eyes, her pupils glowing white as she began a simple circuit of painting figure 8’s and twisters with the ribbons. The sparks of Plasma trailed off into the air like sparklers, creating a mesmerizing effect. 

There was no turning back now; Rykari had grasped everyone’s attention with the shiny light show she had going on. Wu leaned over to Cole and whispered something to him, and the Master of Earth began to drum faster. This forced Rykari to match the pace and perform more advanced techniques.

She incorporated twirls, jumps, turns, and whip-crackling throughout her routine. To put her spin on this routine, she funneled some of the open flames from the campfire set up and converted it into a Plasma-like spark trail. As a grand finale, she spun around and around until she created a pseudo-Spinjitzu tornado out of the spark trail, leaped into the air, and broke the tornado with a crack of her Plasma ribbons as she stuck the landing with a bow. She shut her eyes again and returned to the resting pose from the beginning. 

“Yes! Aha! Nailed it-” Rykari squealed in excitement, completely forgetting that an audience was still watching her when she opened her eyes again. Her face flushed a bright red, feeling like she was showing too much excitement over something she had struggled to perfect for years. 

“Uh-- ah mean,” Rykari quickly regained her ‘serious’ composure, clearing her throat and brushing off some stray Plasma sparks from her ninja suit. “A-Ah think that satisfies th' requirements o' th' challenge.” She said as she folded her arms, glancing up at the sky in complete embarrassment.

“Satisfies? More like obliterated the challenge! How did you manipulate the fire like that?!” Kai exclaimed in excitement. 

“And those Plasma ribbon things? Insane! What is the trick to making those?” Jay added. 

“Well, Plasma is an element that contains similar qualities to fire and electricity. It’s a high-temperature gas, but it also contains electrical properties-” Zane was beginning to spew a scientific lecture about Plasma’s properties when Rykari quickly cut him off.

“Pardon mah interruption, bit before ye go intae a detailed physics lecture; it's nae exactly th' identical as that kind o' plasma. A'm sure th' ithers wid loue tae hear it anither time.” Rykari politely corrected him.

“Oh?” Zane hummed curiously. He sat down and allowed Rykari to speak.

Rykari nodded, then proceeded to explain her understanding.

“A lot o' mah elemental power is… adapted from a dragon species native tae mah homeland. In th' auld book o' dragons, th' Berkian Viking tribe wrote many years ago, th' Night Furies wur technically th' very first Masters o' Plasma. Thair scales ur made tae withstand lethal lightning shocks 'n' th' maist pure burnin` flames. Thay an' a' ur made fer channeling lightning, or charges o' plasma, tae cloak themselves invisible fur a limited time.” Rykari explained, sitting by the fire as she prepared to share the semi-accurate origins of the Master of Plasma. 

“Th' Doryu clan, mah Great-Great Grandmother’s clan, wur th' chosen protectors o' thae creatures 'n' wur blessed wi' similar affiliations o' Plasma. Th' Chief or Chieftess o' th' clan wid be gifted wi' stowed oot access tae thae powers thro' something cried th' alpha scale. It acts as a sort o' storage source fur excess plasma. It keeps it contained 'n' controlled, allowing it tae be manipulated freely by human beings.” Rykari unfastened the dragon talon finger armor, removed the black-scaled gloves, placed them back into her satchel, and sifted through to grab her Gauntlets. 

“Th' metals used tae create mah Gauntlets wur forged fae th’ foremaist Alpha Scale. Th' weapons hae bin modified o'er time, o’course. Aye, th' lest thing mah late gran tellt m’ afore she passed wis, ‘when yae master th' Ealain na Primordial Flare - th' Art o' th' Primordial Flare - yer true potential wull be realized.” She concluded as she snapped her bracelets back on her wrists. 

“Art of the Primordial Flare? What’s that supposed to be?” Cole asked. “That wasn’t what your ribbon dance was?” 

“Na, even ah dinnae ken whit she meant by it. She wis considered th' village's crazy lady as she git older.” Rykari laughed, then sighed and buried her face into her hands. “Gods, a'm feelin' lik' ah juist gobbed oot mah entire life stoory!” She wasn’t used to opening up this much around people from another realm - literally. 

“I see nothing wrong with it. After all, Sensei did say it was a team bonding exercise. I think it benefitted everyone here.” Jay commented reassuringly.

“The purpose of team bonding is to get to know your teammates. After how far we’ve come, I say we have a solid team bond. We still have a long way to go, but I believe in us.” Cole added confidently, and the others nodded in agreement.”What say you, Ryka?”

Rykari lifted her head from her hands, staring at the fire momentarily to process the conversation. Cole was right. Everyone was right. She looked around at each ninja, who all gave her a look of encouragement. Her eyes began to water as Rykari sensed the genuine feelings from all four of them; Rykari hadn’t felt this euphoric with a group like this in years. She sniffed quickly, glanced away, and coughed.

“Aww,” Kai chuckled softly, “Is the big bad Assassin crying?”

“Na, ye heard 'n' saw hee-haw!” Rykari said with a suppressed snort of laughter. She turned her body around to try and wipe her eyes and compose herself.

“You can’t hide now! This is team bonding time; embrace the bonding!” Kai teased. 

“God fuckin’ damnit!” Rykari laughed, shaking her head as tears dripped down her face. “Fine, mibbie a'm shedding a tear or twa. Ah juist don’t ken how ye a' treat me sae nicely whin ah’ve bin an arrogant arsehole tae ye, lads. Ah dinnae how th' lot o' ye kept me aroond fur this lang.” She admitted before looking at Cole apologetically, then quickly moving her glance away from him. She returned her gaze to the fire and breathed deeply. 

“Whit I’m trying tae say is… Thank you. Anno sensei mentioned some o' it briefly th' ither day, bit I’ve bin thro' a lot thae past few weeks, 'n' adjusting tae a freish environment is difficult. It wull tak' me a while tae open up completely, sae don’t fret aboot me awfy much.” Rykari admitted, sniffling. “Ah dae appreciate ilk o' ye trying tae git me tae open up. Th' wee hings lik' that mak' it easier fur me.” She added quietly, rubbing her arm shyly.

Jay started sniffling right after Rykari finished her sappy monologue and cleared his throat. “Gosh darn it, now you’ve got me tearing up!”

“Oh, gods, please dinnae greet fur o' me!” Rykari exclaimed as she buried her face into her hands in embarrassment. Everyone laughed at Rykari and Jay’s reactions, and Jay quickly walked over to Rykari to bring her to her feet with a sniffling chuckle. 

“Bah, don’t worry about it! We need more bonding on this team anyway!” Jay reassured Rykari as he wiped away the built-up tears from his eyes and recomposed himself. “These people can be so, so cruel….” He whispered to her in a dramatically sad voice, placing his hand on his forehead like he was pretending to be some kind of damsel in distress. This made Rykari laugh. 

“Ye ken… whin ah first arrived 'ere, ah didnae think ah cuid git used tae a bunch o' dunderheids lik' yerselves.” Rykari sighed happily, and a genuine smile formed on her face. She lightly clenched her fist and placed it against her chest. “Tae shaw mah thanks, ah wish tae the noo mah hi'est honor o' gratitude fur welcoming me.” She kneeled on one knee, bowing her head respectfully. “As per th' Draconian Decree-- ah, Rykari Furia, pledge mah undying loyalty tae ye a'. Ah shall serve mah purpose tae this gang as th' Master o' Plasma, Et futurum Aetheris Grandmaster.” A surge of Plasma gently pulsated around her, and particles flowed through each ninja with a tickling shock. 

A series of bewildered gasps and chuckles escaped all of the ninjas. Rykari stood up once again with a refreshing look on her face. She now felt a stronger bond with this group of boys and had Wu to thank for it. Their dynamic reminded her of her brothers back home, which gave her a comforting feeling for the first time since being away from her family.

“Well done, my pupils. The exercise has been fulfilled flawlessly, and Rykari can accompany you to the Temple of Fire in the morning.” Sensei Wu finally spoke after quietly observing the interactions. “Now… let’s lighten the mood with more dancing, shall we?” He suggests with a mischievous chuckle and continues his corny dancing while Cole drums. Jay, Kai, and Rykari dance again, and Zane meditates contently. 

Hours pass, and everyone is fast asleep. Rykari was partially asleep, still feeling this was all too easy. Her worries about Samukai’s devious laugh haunted her conscious. Suddenly, she hears a whisper calling out a name. 

“Kai… Kai…” The feminine voice whispered. 

Kai woke up with a jolt and glanced around. “Huh…?”

“Kai…” The feminine voice whispered again, but it was much closer in proximity this time. 

“Was that…?” Kai murmured in disbelief. Rykari opened an eye to see what was happening, and sure enough, she saw a figure of a girl in the woods.

“I have to go now…” The girl said to him and ran to the forest. Kai quickly got up and followed her.

“Nya, wait up!” He called out to her. Rykari shot her head up and quietly stood to her feet. She cloaked herself invisible with a muted flash of Plasma and followed Kai with an awful gut feeling. Kai ran as fast as he could but lost Nya fairly quickly. Rykari noticed how inhumanly fast this girl was and sensed something was very off. 

“Slow down! Why are you running so fast?!” Kai called out to Nya frantically. “Nya! Where are you?” Eventually, the girl, Nya, led them to the Temple of Fire. Rykria hangs back as she watches Kai search for Nya, who appears in the Temple doorway.

“Kai…” Nya whispered again.

“Nya?” Kai repeated her name again and proceeded to enter the Temple. Rykari quietly followed behind him, struggling to keep her invisibility activated to remain undetected. Upon searching for his sister, Kai finds her standing before the Sword of Fire. Rykari watches from afar, looking out for any trickery from the skeletons. She sensed a dark presence in the room but couldn’t determine where the source was.

Kai let out a sigh of relief when he finally saw his sister. “Nya!”

Rykari felt the dark presence grow stronger and stronger. Her eyes widened as she felt the presence radiate from Nya. 

“Don’t worry… I’m right here, brother.” Nya ‘s voice becomes distorted, and her figure becomes cloaked in shadow.  The shadow grows larger until it takes on the form of the King of the Underworld - Lord Garmadon - and laughs evilly.

“Garmadon,” Kai murmured aloud with fiery angst. He reaches for his sword to prepare to fight him but realizes he has left it at camp.

 Rykari’s eyes widen with surprise, and she sneaks around to get closer in case Kai needs backup. 

Ah knew something wasn't richt! it shouldn’t hae bin that easy fur us tae snatch th' weapons. Rykari thought to herself, narrowing her eyes.

“Forgot something?” Lord Garmadon snickered.

“You can't hurt me here. You're banished. Trapped in the Underworld.” Kai fired back determinedly. 

“And that is why you are going to remove the Sword of Fire for me,” Garmadon replied with an evil hum.

“I don’t think so!” Kai retorted.

“Are you sure about that?” Garmadon chuckled sinisterly as he disappeared, revealing Nya chained above the lava pools within the Temple.

“Kai!” Nya cried out with fear.

“Nya!” Kai called out to her again, panic settling on his face.

“If you don't remove the sword, how else will you cut the chains to save your precious little sister?” Garmadon hummed sinisterly. Kai looks at the sword, then Nya, then Garmadon in panic. The Master of Fire felt the pressure of the situation tighten around him.

“You know it’s a trap. I can… free… my…self…!” Nya tried to reassure Kai as she struggled with the chains. When she can’t get herself free, she grunts. “Okay, that’s tight.” She admits with a sigh. Suddenly, Nya is dropped down closer to the lava, and she lets out a frightened scream.

“Nya!” Kai called out again and ran forward. He stops when he hears Garmadon’s evil tch.

“Tick tock, tick tock…” Garmadon taunted. 

"C'moan kai, dinnae let him intimidate ye, laddie," Rykari uttered under her breath.

Rykari watched closely as she prepared to spring in when the time was right. She saw him keep his composure with a deep breath and watched him spring into action. Kai jumps across rock chunks floating in the lava and grabs the sword from its pedestal.  

“Ninja, go!” Kai shouted aloud as he used Spinjitzu to reach Nya and cut the chains. He secured Nya in his arms and landed on solid ground, setting her down and taking the lead. Garmadon began to laugh evilly once Nya had been freed.

“Stay close,” Kai said to Nya.

“Trust me, I’m not going anywhere!” Nya replied fearfully as she stuck close to her brother. Garmadon’s shadow appeared on the cave wall before them, looking down deviously.

“You can’t hurt us! You’re only a shadow!” Kai exclaimed, pointing the Sword of Fire at Garmadon defensively.

“Even shadows have their uses….” Garmadon trailed off as a shadowed version of Kai appeared before them. 

“Kai, look out!” Nya exclaimed frightfully.

“Nya, stay back!” Kai blurted out and stood before her protectively.

“Stay close, stay back. Make up your mind!” Nya replied sharply in panic, crouching behind some rocks for protection. Kai then attempted to attack his own shadow, but nothing seemed to work. Kai’s shadow easily attacks him, knocking Kai back by Nya.

“That’s not fair!” Nya protested.

From afar, Rykari growled lowly as her eyes changed to her reptilian gaze. This, indeed, was an unfair fight for her friend. 

“Oh? Am I being too hard?” Garmadon snarked as he summoned more Kai shadows, severely out-numbering the Master of Fire. Kai struggled to get up as he tried to fight them. One of the shadows disarms him and picks up the sword. Rykari is about to jump down and help when Wu appears out of nowhere and attacks the shadows, retrieving the sword. 

“Brother. I see you protect one, but what about the other four?” Garmadon hummed maliciously. 

“They are safe! Far from your grasp, Garmadon!” Wu fired back determinedly. 

Garmadon laughs slowly and deeply. “I wouldn’t be so confident….” Garmadon said as he showed Kai and Wu what was currently happening at the Forest of Tranquility. 

Cole wakes up in front of a Skulkin Warrior and reaches for his Scythe taken by Kruncha. At the same time, Nuckal stands on top of Zane and Jay, and Samukai wields the collected Golden Weapons.

“I believe these belong to Lord Garmadon now.” Samukai snickers evilly. The Skulkin celebrate their victory with noises of triumph and cheer.

The glimpse of their situation ends, but Wu notices the lack of one other Ninja from this glimpse. His gaze trailed to the shadowed areas of the cave, and he spotted Rykari, ready to pounce at any moment.

“My brother must not unite the four weapons. We must keep them apart!” Wu told Kai and Nya aloud, loud enough for Rykari to hear. Rykari curtly nodded in understanding and started to move her way down but stopped in her tracks when Garmadon summoned the Sword of Fire’s Guardian as soon as Wu, Nya, and Kai ran for the exit with the Sword.

“Awaken, guardian of the deep! They're stealing the Sword! You must not let them escape!” The Dark Lord of the Underworld called out. 

Soon enough, Wu jumps on top of the Fire dragon's head as it reaches out of the lava. It roared angrily, making Nya scream. It seals the trio inside the temple so that they would not escape. 

“There's no way out! He's taken away all our options.” Kai said with defeat in his voice.

“All but one,” Wu spoke up with a grim tone. 

From afar, Rykari’s gaze narrowed with concern, and her expression grew worrisome. She didn’t like the way Sensei had said that.

“Sensei, what are you doing?” Kai asked with concern. Wu says nothing, and he grunts as he whips around and cuts himself off from Kai and Nya with a swing of the Sword of Fire, slicing through the rock between them like butter. 

“No, you fool!” Garmadon roared in anger. The rock Wu is standing on begins to float down the river of lava toward the lava fall, and he speaks up. 

“If he is to bring the other weapons here, then I will take the Sword of Fire to the Underworld. It is my sacrifice to pay.”

Kai called out to Wu with panic and desperation. “No! It's mine. I shouldn't have come on my own. You don't have to do this! There has to be another way!”

As Kai pleads for Sensei to change his mind, Wu sits down with the Sword of Fire in his lap. The rock drifts closer and closer to the end of the lavafall, and Wu takes out his teapot and cup. He pours himself one final cup of tee before disappearing over the edge. 

Rykari gasped as she witnessed Wu’s sacrifice, covering her mouth with a hand as her heart stopped. 

“No…” She uttered in disbelief.

“NOOOOOO!!!!!!” Kai cried out in despair and dropped to his knees weakly.

Garmadon huffed and spoke up with an evil hiss. “Then I will see you there, Brother!” His shadow then fades away as he follows Wu to the Underworld.

“This is all my fault. Sensei won't be able to hold up for long.” Kai choked out with sorrow. His tone showed much regret, and he felt all hope leave his body.

The Fire dragon is seen snarling behind Kai and Nya, angered and ready to attack the intruders in his domain. 

“Forget Sensei. What about us?” Nya murmured fearfully as she tried to help Kai to his feet.

“Where’s Ryka when you need her….” Kai whimpered as he looked at the angry Guardian with fear. As if on cue, Rykari jumped down and revealed herself with a quick bolt of Plasma. She unsheathed her Gauntlet claws and stood between the siblings and the angry dragon before them.

“Ye cried?” Rykari remarked with a triumphant snicker. 

“Ryka?!” Kai exclaimed in surprise at the sudden appearance of the Master of Plasma. “Were you following me this whole time?!” 

“Whit kin ah say? A'm a light sleeper.” Rykari replied with a brief chuckle. “Noo watch very carefully, young firecracker. Ah will shaw ye how tae tame one o' these creatures.

The dragon still appeared hostile, but its behavior shifted to a confused hostility when Rykari arrived. The dragon leaned its head toward her and began to hiss threateningly. Rykari smirked, and while her back faced Nya and Kai, she let her eyes change to her reptilian eyes and murmured something in an ancient tongue.

“Relaxa, pullulans. Sumus amici.” Rykari murmured and sheathed her Gauntlet claws, holding her hands out visibly for the dragon to see that she was unarmed. The dragon recognizes the language and starts to calm down with ease as it looks into Rykari’s friendly, draconic gaze. The dragon relaxed and lowered its head to eye level, and Rykari smiled brightly. 

“That's it, whit a guid laddie.” She praised calmly and stroked the dragon’s snout, making him hum affectionately. “Ab umbrae mala quaerimus hominem protege gladium.”

Kai and Nya watch her interact with this magnificent beast easily. Looks of awe erase all feelings of fear and hopelessness. 

“Woah… Sensei wasn’t kidding when he said you had a connection with dragons.” Kai commented in awe, cautiously walking to Rykari’s side with Nya close behind. 

“Ah hae mah quirks, heh! This big man is ferr a sweety, aren't ye, ye big bundle o' kindlin'!” Rykari said as she started to baby-talk to the dragon, making him excited like a giant scaly puppy. She smiled at Kai and Nya before offering, “Dae yi'll waant tae pet him?” 

Meanwhile…

Cole, Zane, and Jay are still in the Forest of Tranquility, tied up and hung on a tree by the Skulkin.

Samukai held the three acquired weapons of Spinjitzu and declared to the skeleton army, “To the Fire Temple!” The Skulkin cheered in agreement and prepared to leave when Garmadon’s shadow appeared on one of the Skulkin vehicle wheels.

“My brother has taken the Sword of Fire to the Underworld. Hurry! Return home and unite the weapons before it's too late!” The Dark Lord ordered raspily before fading away. Samukai stood there with a shocked expression, lost for words.

“Uh... change of plans. To the Underworld!” Samukai ordered again. The Skulkin celebrate again and prepare to leave. During the Skulkin's celebration, Nuckal's sword gets replaced by a stick.

“What happened to your weapon?” Kruncha asked Nuckal with annoyance. He sighed disappointedly and joined the rest of the Skulkin. Nuckal threw the stick away. 

The Skulkin depart to the Underworld, leaving the three boys dangling in the tree.

“Great. Now what?” Cole coughed. 

Jay chuckled as he revealed Nuckal’s stolen sword cheekily. “Now, we get outta here.”

“Uh, Jay. Before you do that, you might wanna…” Cole tries to tell Jay but is cut off when he cuts through the ropes, causing all of them to fall on top of each other.

“...warn us.” Cole finished with a groan. The trio quickly recuperate and get to their feet.

“Let’s go!” Zane said, and the three Ninjas sped off in pursuit of the Skulkin.

The Skull Truck and other skull vehicles speed ahead, traveling fast to unite the Golden Weapons to the Underworld in time.

“Faster! We need to go faster to cross over to the Underworld!” Samukai ordered hurriedly. As some vehicles cross over to the Underworld, the three Ninjas catch up to them.

“There they are!” Cole exclaimed. They followed the vehicles from the trees to the ground and eventually made it to the vehicles.

“More speed! We'll never get home at this rate.” Samukai barked, eyeing the speed dial as it fluctuated between red, orange, and yellow. Soon, the Skull Truck loses acceleration, and Samukai is dumbfounded. “Uh… what’s wrong?” 

Samukai looks behind the Skull truck, and Cole is shown to be pulling the chain on the vehicle to slow it down with his super strength. Zane landed on the vehicle, knocked off two warriors, and waved at Samukai. Jay knocked off the remaining two warriors when he landed on the vehicle shortly after.

“Get them!” Samukai ordered. More Skulkin warriors are summoned to eliminate the Ninjas.

“Ninja, go!” Jay called out as he used his Spinjitzu to knock off more warriors. He located the Golden Weapons on the back of the Skull Truck and attempted to break the padlock with a punch. He regretted it immediately when he felt incredible pain from the impact.

“Ooh! Okay... that's why they make keys.” Jay groaned in pain as he climbed onto the Skull Truck to help Cole.

Meanwhile, Cole tried to knock off Kruncha and Nuckal with his scythe.

“Hey, Cole--” Jay began to speak up when Cole accidentally hit Jay's throat with the back of his scythe, causing him to cough, sputter in pain, and lose his voice. Cole finally knocks off Kruncha and Nuckal in the process, then attends to Jay.

“Jay! Sorry. I didn't see you.” He apologized.

At the front of the Truck, Zane is seen approaching the driver of the Skull Truck.

“Greetings-- oof!” Zane's greeting is quickly cut off as he is knocked off the Skull Truck by Samukai. Thankfully, he managed to hang onto the vehicle. Samukai then knocks off the driver and drives the vehicle with an evil giggle. The Skulkin general drives at full speed, enough for the three Ninjas to fall off the vehicles and for him to cross over to the Underworld. The portal opened and closed within a flash, and the Truck was gone. Cole, Jay, and Zane approach the end of the road, looking at the last place where the final vehicle has vanished in defeat.

Jay tried to speak, but his voice was incredibly weak and full of pain. “...e …dn't …op …em.” He groaned out weakly. 

Cole sighed in defeat and shook his head. “You don't need to say it. I know…”

“We've lost.”

Meanwhile, in the Underworld…

Sensei Wu wakes up with a jolt when he feels the solid ground beneath him. He sits up and looks around, slowly recognizing the environment around him. The Sword of Fire is beside him, and Wu picks it up before standing. Wu walks forward as he examines the area he is in and concludes about his whereabouts.

“Hmm… the Underworld,” Wu hummed. He spots several Skulkin warriors across the caverns, including an oncoming patrol, and hides behind a cluster of stalagmites. Thinking on his feet, he grabs a sheet of cloth from his robes and wraps up the Sword of Fire to conceal it. 

He quickly snuck out from his temporary hiding spot when the coast was clear. He travels across a ribcage-lined bridge and enters a doorway that leads deeper into the Underworld fortress.

Back at the Fire Temple…

Cole, Jay, and Zane return to the Forest of Tranquility and trek to the Fire Temple in search of Wu, Kai, and Rykari. The doors are closed, and everything is eerily quiet.

“Kai! Ryka! Sensei!” Cole called out, waiting for a sign or an answer. Something to indicate they are safe, but nothing happened. 

Zane pulled up his mask with a grim look as he spoke. “The Sword of Fire was here, as well as our friends, but I only sense… loss.” He pauses as he turns around to face Jay and Cole, then continues. “We are too late. The Elemental Weapons have left this realm and are now in the Underworld. The end is drawing near.” 

Cole grunted in defeat and frustration as he sat down on the steps. “Ugh… great. The one place no mortal can cross over.”

Suddenly, a familiar voice echoes from inside the Temple.

“We might not be able to cross over….” 

The three instantly focused their attention on the Temple at the sound of Kai’s voice from inside. The Temple opens up, and a cloud of smoke ominously surrounds a massive silhouette before the trio. 

“...bit a dragon can!” Rykari said with a determined grin and let out a triumphant laugh. Kai, Nya, and Rykari are on top of the Fire dragon’s back as he spreads his wings, letting out a fearsome roar. This causes Cole to scream in fear and jump behind one of the Temple pillars to hide.

“Our father used to tell us stories about the dragons, that they were mystical creatures that belong to both worlds and ferried between them,” Nya explained with a bright smile, patting the dragon on his back as Kai jumped down. 

Cole stammered in shock, feeling extremely terrified as he protested. “Are you insane?!” He exclaimed in fear.

Rykari laughs in amusement at Cole’s reaction and hops down. “As th' resident dragon tamer o' th' team, ah kin confirm this is true! These beasts are capable o' sae much mair than we realize. Quite fascinating they're, 'n' they're very reliable companions if ye train thaim well, tae!” 

“Once he realized we were trying to protect the Sword of Fire, he actually became quite a softie,” Kai said with a chuckle. The dragon started to nudge his arm playfully as soon as Kai said this, grumbling affectionately. “Hey, knock it off!” Kai pat the dragon’s snout as both Rykari and Nya giggle.

Jay started to talk with a painful groan, trying his best to sound as clear as he could without straining himself. “You… ike… lue?” He asked Nya with a wheezy cough. 

Zane steps in to help out his friend and translates. “He cannot talk, but he wants to know if you like blue,” Zane tells Nya.

“It’s my favorite color,” Nya replied warmly.

“Yes!” Jay groaned weakly as he pumped his fist in triumph. This makes Kai shake his head in annoyance before looking at his sister as she jumps down.

“Nya…” He says softly as he removes his mask. 

“This is goodbye, isn’t it?” Nya says somberly, already knowing it’s time for them to depart again. “Come back to me in one piece, okay? I don’t wanna have to run the store on my own.” Nya added with a lighthearted smile. 

“I promise, I won’t be gone for long,” Kai assured as he hopped back onto the dragon. 

“I’ll keep a candle lit outside our shop until you return,” Nya tells Kai. As Jay and Zane rush to claim a spot on the Fire dragon, Rykari walks over to Nya and smiles with a hand on her shoulder. 

“Ah will keep an eye awn him fur ye,” Rykari says with a lighthearted wink. “Is he normally th' arrogant 'n' overconfident yin o' th' family?” She whispered into Nya’s ear, making her laugh and nod quickly. 

“Hey! I heard that!” Kai exclaimed with a hmph. The girls share a laugh at his reaction, and then Cole begins to speak up.

“You guys go on ahead.” Cole insisted as he continued to cower behind the pillar. “There's not enough room for all of us on that... thing.” He added fearfully as the dragon glanced at him when Cole said ‘thing.’ The dragon lets out a ‘hmph!’ like snort. Rykari started to chuckle slowly and walked over to Cole with a mischievous glint in her turquoise eyes. 

“Oh, mah dear mukker, Cole.” Rykari hummed as she brought her arm around his shoulder and forcefully brought him out of hiding. He whimpered in fear and tried to resist her pull on him, but Rykari didn’t let up.

"Ye kin be correct aboot this itty bitty predicament, bit Kai 'n' ah 'greed awn a perfect solution tae this Kinch,” Rykari explained with the biggest, smugest grin she could make. While Cole is off guard by her chit-chat, Rykari quickly drags him aboard the dragon and sits before him. Cole is freaking out as Kai quickly makes the dragon fly away. 

“Haud awn ticht, lads! This is whaur th' fin begins!” Rykari shouted with excited laughter. Cole starts screaming and wraps his arms around Rykari in pure terror, and Rykari starts guffawing with amusement. The others joined in with her contagious laughter as the five trekked back to the other three elemental temples. 

At the Ice Temple…

The five ninjas return to the Frozen Wasteland first to tame the Ice dragon. Zane and Rykari depart and race up the path to the Temple. 

“Ah forgot ah hud tae gie this laddie a double nipper. Th' poor fella must’ve bin heich outta ‘is mynd fer a while!” Rykari said with a light laugh when they arrived. Zane looked at her questionably as they entered the Temple, and the Ice dragon was in a deep sleep. 

“I fail to see what you are referring to by ‘high out of his mind.’ Was the herb you dispensed harmful to this dragon?” Zane asked with a bit of a concerned expression. 

Rykari quickly shakes her head. “Oh, gods, na! Dragon nip is a very “relaxing” herb fur a dragon. It wirks best in wee doses; which is how much-- agh, forget th' aw the info. ” Rykari sighed, knowing they were on a time crunch to get to the Underworld. “It's supposed tae be dragon-friendly weed. 'n' ah mean th' happy kind o' weed..” 

“I still don’t understand your terminology,” Zane said simply. 

“Hoo boy… Ask th' ithers tae explain th' concept o' weed ta’ yae. We git a dragon tae wake up.” Rykari sighed and entered the Temple with Zane, and the Dragon snoozed peacefully. When they approached the Dragon, he made a sleepy grumble and began opening its eyes. 

“Guid mornin’ boy,” Rykari said softly as she kneeled down to eye level with the dazed reptile. He responded with a tired coo and rubbed his face on the icy floor. She laughed softly and motioned for Zane to come over, seeing that the Dragon was sedated enough not to attack them. Rykari gave the dragon some gentle chin scratches and spoke to him in the ancient tongue from earlier.

“Paenitet te nimis pulvis antea dare. Capitis dolores esse potest, mi amice!!” Rykari murmured with a gentle smile. “We wur trying tae protect th' shurikens, bit noo we need yer help tae git thaim back, laddie. Urr ye game?” She asked, with a tilt of her head. 

The dragon groaned and lifted its head, sniffing Rykari’s satchel. 

“Oh, sae it's gonnae be lik' that then, aye?” Rykari scoffed. She opened up the satchel and took out a nipper bomblet. “Gimmie yer haun,” She asks Zane, holding her free hand out. Zane nodded and placed his hand on Rykari’s open palm. Rykari opened the bomblet and sprinkled a small amount of dragon nip into Zane’s hand. When she closed the bomblet and put it away, she guided Zane’s hand to the dragon’s snout. 

Zane observed the interaction with interest, finding this fascinating. The dragon began to sniff Zane’s hand, and an excited grumble erupted from the dragon. He nuzzled the Master of Ice’s hand and rose to his feet, feeling much better. Zane laughed in awe and amusement at this once-in-a-lifetime experience, and the dragon practically threw Zane onto his back along with Rykari in excitement.

“Haha! This laddie is a wild yin, mate!” Rykari exclaimed as the dragon charged out of the Temple and leaped into the air with a thrilled roar. Kai, Jay, and a frightened Cole take off on Kai’s Fire Dragon to join Rykari and Zane at the next destination: The Temple of Lightning.

At the Temple of Lightning…

Rykari and Jay climbed up to the very top of the massive chain in the Floating Ruins, and the Lightning dragon appeared after a bolt of lightning struck the ground before them. The dragon was wary of the returning intruders but didn’t appear hostile. Rykari handed Jay a small sprinkle of dragon nip into his palm and carefully led him to the dragon. 

As soon as the scent of the nip flooded the dragon’s senses, he quickly approached Jay with a happy grunt. 

“Aww… el… o… big… fell… a…!” Jay groaned out with a wheeze. The dragon snorted in response to the Master of Lightning’s pained greeting, which caused the nip dust to blow out of Jay’s hand and into his face. He started coughing and sputtering, making Rykari snort several times to suppress a huge laugh. 

“...is …uff …is …po… tent!” Jay groaned in disgust as he tried to spit the foul-tasting herb dust out of his mouth. Rykari roared with laughter as she patted Jay on the back, wiping away some of the tears in her eyes. 

“Hoo, Jimmy. A'm sae sorry fur laughing, Jay. That wis priceless!” She apologizes with a big grin. While Jay tried wiping away the dust from his eyes, Rykari helped him hop on the Lightning dragon and take off to meet up with the others. 

At the Caves of Despair…

 Jay, Kai, and Zane hung back to watch Cole get dragged into the caves with Rykari. He kept begging her not to make him do this. Rykari would reassure him as best as she could, trying to hype him up and be as convincing as possible to get him to give in. Eventually, Cole complied and stuck close to Rykari’s side as the two approached the Earth dragon. 

The dragon’s head lifted slowly as he saw the two familiar faces and rose to his paws. A low, defensive growl erupted from him and caused Cole to yelp. 

“Relax, ye big Jessy,” Rykari chuckled to Cole as she kneeled by the dragon’s head. “Dragons kin sense fear, ye kin, isnae that richt, ye wee pebble?” She continued and lightly baby-talk the dragon, who began to slink back with a small, concerned hum. Rykari raised an eyebrow at this unexpected behavior. The dragon’s gaze seemed to be hovering at something behind Rykari, and she followed it to see Cole trembling slightly. 

“Uhh… wh-why is it looking at me like that…?” Cole stammered, gulping nervously. 

Rykari looked back at the dragon, and an idea formed in her head. She leaned back a little to present Cole in view, and both the Master of Earth and the dragon stepped back. 

“Oh my gods, this is unbelievable! Ye twa are afraid o' each ither!” Rykari broke into a belly laugh, and Cole and the dragon grumbled in unison. When Rykari regained her composure, she kneeled by the dragon again and spoke to him one-on-one. 

“Tu et puer inter se timent. Non vult tibi nocere, promitto.” She says softly in reassurance, patting the dragon’s snout. Rykari pulls a bomblet from her satchel and holds it out for the dragon to sniff, which soothes his worries easily. The dragon hums curiously and tilts his head.

“Ah wis gonnae gie ye some o' this earlier, but… ye ken,” Rykari laughed lightheartedly. She looked over her shoulder with a cheeky grin, then leaned to the dragon’s ear and whispered, “A'm waantin' ye tae be a brave laddie fer me ‘n gie this ither rockhead a wee bit o' affection. Shaw him yer juist a big softie lik' anno yae are.” She asked quietly with a wink. The dragon cooed excitedly and lifted his head to look at Cole. 

Rykari turned around and walked over to Cole with a smug look on her face. She hummed a happy little tune and opened up the bomblet. 

“Wait, wait, wait, what are you doing now?” Cole asked with a hint of panic in his voice. Rykari’s smile got bigger as she held back mischievous laughter, took his hand, and opened it, sprinkling some nip into his palm. 

“A'richt, a'm needin' ye tae be a big brave man fur me 'n' haud still. Ah wull be richt 'ere haudin' yer haun every step o' th' wey.” Rykari said reassuringly with a hint of a tease. Cole looked at her with the most horrified look as he watched the dragon start to approach them. Cole whimpered in terror and squeezed his eyes shut, looking away. The dragon is finally within arms reach and pauses to sniff the nip. He makes a soft, reptilian hum and gently nudges Cole’s hand to let some dust fly.

“Oh, god-” Cole exhaled shakily. Rykari hummed with approval and slowly lessened her grip on his hand. 

“Waant me tae hulp ye pet him, yae big Jessy?” Rykari snarked lightheartedly. “Keep in mynd that ye dae hae an audience ootside th' cave.” She added with a hushed whisper and smirked cheekily. 

Cole’s eyes widened with embarrassment. He looked over his shoulder to see Kai, Jay, and Zane watching intently with the biggest amused grins, and he sighed. “...no.” He answered quietly, turning his head back to face the dragon, and opened his eyes. Cole takes a deep, reassuring breath and slowly places his hand on the dragon’s snout. The moment he does this, the dragon lets out a long, rumbling hum and closes its eyes affectionately. 

“Heh… no way…” Cole uttered in shock, and a grin formed on his face. “He likes me!” He added excitedly, almost jumping up and down in excitement. Rykari stepped back momentarily with a big, mischievous grin and silently murmured a countdown.

“Three… twa… yin, aaannnnddd~!” 

The dragon senses the change in emotion from Cole, and he springs into action with a happy snort. He nudges Cole and knocks him down, causing the Master of Earth to yelp in surprise. The dragon proceeds to nuzzle his body and give him big, slobbery licks as Cole exclaims in disgust and laughter.

“Rykari, get him off of me!” Cole pleaded as he squirmed around, laughing. 

“Ah dunno, Cole! he seems pure eager tae gobble ye up!” Rykari teased with a laugh. Once she had her fun, she ushered the dragon to dial it back. “Alrighty, ye big boulder-brain. Ye won him o'er. Gie th' laddie some room.” She says with a pat on the dragon’s neck. 

The dragon stepped back and crouched down, humming with excitement. Rykari grabbed a rag from her satchel and helped Cole to his feet, offering the rag to wipe up the dragon spit. He took it and wiped off his face and suit, groaning in disgust at the drenched feeling. Rykari rolled her eyes in amusement and walked over to the dragon. 

“Noo, it's time fer th' fun pairt! Ur ye ready tae tak' th' wheel? Er… reins?” Rykari asked Cole with an adventurous glow in her eyes. 

Later…

“E-easy… not so fast…!” Cole stammered in fear as he held onto one of the saddle bars awkwardly for dear life. Rykari was taking the reins on Cole’s dragon, laughing with amusement and thrill. Kai, Jay, and Zane were all sharing cheers of excitement as they soared on the backs of their respected Elemental dragons. 

“Woah! This is awesome!” Jay managed to shout out, only to have a severe coughing and wheezing fit from the pain it caused him. 

“Yes. This is quite fun.” Zane says in agreement. The dragons would take turns swooping up and down, twirling around, or doing dive bombs to entertain their new Masters. 

“Ryka? How do the Dragons cross over to the Underworld?” Cole asked with concern, slowly readjusting his position to sit behind Rykari. 

Rykari laughed with a hint of nervousness. “Haha, well… it's different fer each dragon, sae ah hae na clue whit thae young’uns ur capable o'. We’ll juist hae tae bugger aroond 'n' fin' oot, eh?” 

Cole started to stammer with fear again. “W-wait, WHAT?!” 

“Whatever it is, we’re about to find out!” Kai exclaimed as all four dragons began to dive through the clouds, accelerating at full speed. Everyone shouts in excitement but quickly shifts to fear as the ground rapidly approaches. The dragons spin in unison as they perform a Spinjitzu-like tornado, generating a portal to enter with a flash before they hit the ground. When the flash subsided, the dragons continued to fly through a tunnel of passageways full of several crystals and magical ores.

“Is… is it over?” Cole shakily asked, holding onto Rykari with pure terror, his head buried into her back. 

“Hardly! I hope these dragons know what they’re doing, Rykari!” Kai exclaimed.

“Juist trust th' process, lads!” Rykari replied reassuringly. “We're a'maist thare!”

A montage of swift flight maneuvers occurs as the dragons weave along the path, avoiding oncoming obstacles such as stalactites, stalagmites, fire spouts, and electrical bolts. The four Elemental dragons start to speed up as they reach their destination.

“Haud awn, fellas! They’re speedin' up!” Rykari warned and kept a firm hold on the saddle. The others brace themselves as the dragons open another portal and enter.

After a moment of silence, the five Ninjas finally arrive in the Underworld…

 The dragons quickly apply brake pressure to the ground to decrease speed when they touch solid ground, sliding rapidly down a cavernous path. When the dragons slow down completely to a stop, all five Ninjas are flung off and fall on top of each other with a groan. 

“Solid ground. We made it!” Cole said with relief. The team takes a few moments to gather themselves and examine their surroundings. The dark architecture of the Underworld is proof enough that they have successfully crossed over, and the looming fortress from across the cavern was filled with Skulkin warriors.

“Sensei’s inside,” Zane says as he notices the fortress.

“They’re expecting us,” Kai added with a focused tone. The five closely observe a group of Skulkin with a wagonload of supplies approaching the fortress's entrance. The group was stopped for an inspection. In the distance, they could hear Kruncha and Nuckal performing these inspections.

“Hold up! Nothing gets through without inspection.” Kruncha alerted the Skulkin wagon in a rather decent, professional manner. 

“Ninja search!” Nuckal exclaimed as he started to knock everything out of the wagon, creating a huge mess. During his thorough search, he didn’t find any Ninja, which was enough for Nuckal to feel accomplished.

“Okay, clear to pass,” Nuckal concludes, allowing the group to enter the fortress. Kruncha sighs in disappointment, as well as the supply runners, as they pick up their supplies before heading inside the fortress.

While the Skulkin appeared to be distracted for the most part, the Ninjas made their way to the building by swinging through the air on stalactites until they came into contact with long, thin, and oddly flexible stalactites from above. As the Ninjas traveled over the clearing on these strange objects, Jay looked up and noticed that these were not, in fact, stalactites at all, but Spykor creatures. Jay panics and tries to warn everyone. But with his lost voice, he can only make strained noises and quiet groans. 

“Can I be the first to say it’s been an absolute pleasure since Jay lost his voice?” Cole joked quietly, and Kai nodded in agreement with a quiet sneer. 

Rykari didn’t like the feel of these strange stalactites, making her feel disgusted for some reason. 

“Eugh! What the fuckin’ hell are these things? They’re boggin' me oot!” Rykari whispered sharply in disgust as she felt one of the Spykor limbs crunch in her tight grip. She made a quiet, horrified gasp as she took one hand off the “stalactite” and saw some nasty fluid-like substance on her hand. Then Kai, Cole, and Zane looked at her hand with confusion, then, as a hungry, arachnid-like hiss forced all of them to look up, they all quickly let go of the Spykor limbs when they saw the hungry jaws of those creatures snapping. 

They drop to the clearing below with a panicked yell and land on the ground with a grunt of pain and discomfort. Their drop-in alerted the Skulkin on the platform they fell to. Kruncha and Nuckal look at them dumbfoundedly, and then Nuckal turns to Kruncha.

“Uh... if there are more than one ninja, is it 'ninjas' or just 'ninja'?” Nuckal asked his fellow Skulkin General. 

“I think it’s just ‘ninja.’” Kruncha replied.

“Oh, okay. Then, NINJA!!!” Nuckal shouted, alerting the Skulkin warriors around them. As they rose, the army started to surround the five Ninjas, standing close together and getting into defensive stances.

“A've bin waitin' tae fracture some mair o' these boneheads!” Rykari declared as she unsheathed her Gauntlet claws with a scoff. 

“Don’t hog all the fun now, girly. I count ten boneheads to every one of us. I think I like these odds.” Cole chimed into Rykari’s comment with a cocky tone. As soon as he said this, five Spykor descended from the ceiling, adding another problem to their circumstances.

“Ye juist had tae say something, didnae ye?” Rykari retorted with another disgusted groan. 

“Anyone got any bright ideas?” Kai asked aloud with a bit of panic in his voice.

Meanwhile, with Sensei Wu…

Sensei Wu is still searching for his brother, Lord Garmadon, with the Sword of Fire still in his possession. He reaches the base level of the fortress and enters a throneroom. An evil laugh echoes behind Wu as the King of the Underworld reveals himself.

“Brother,” Garmadon snickered. 

“Brother,” Wu responded, uncovering the Sword of Fire. 

“Seize the sword!” Garmadon ordered, and a group of skeleton warriors started surrounding Wu. 

Sensei Wu looked at what he was up against, then used his Spinjitzu to take care of the warriors quickly. “Ninja, go!” He says as he knocks off all the skeletons within mere seconds. “You’ll have to take it from me!” Wu tells Garmadon with a determined voice. 

The raspy voice of Samukai interjects this confrontation as he wields the other three Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu. “My pleasure,” He chuckled darkly and started to fight Wu.

“Teach him a lesson,” Garmadon tells Samukai with a sinister sneer.

Back with the Ninjas…

Many Skulkin warriors and Spykor still surround the Ninjas. They are still at a loss for a battle plan, and the tension is getting stronger. As warriors drew closer, each ninja would force them back, only for the warriors to come back with double the numbers.

“Any ideas? I’m all ears!” Kai asked with panic as he attempted to slice a Skulkin warrior with his sword.

“A’d offer a Plasma discharge, bit ah wouldn't guarantee that ye wee jimmies wid escape that wi'oot some kind o' burns or electrocution,” Rykari grunted as she knocked back a row of skulkin with a slash of her Gauntlet claws. Jay is deep in thought as the team tries to fight off their enemies, and he finally gets an idea and tries to speak up.

“...or ….ado ….o …rea …ion!” Jay groans out.

“Huh?” Kai asked with confusion.

“You feel a weird sensation?” Cole guessed as he looked at Jay questionably.

“No.” Jay groaned in reply.

“You ate an odd crustacean?” Zane guessed in a questionable tone.

“Yi'll waant tae go tae th' train station?” Rykari pitched in as she took a turn guessing.

“..orna… o… of… rea…tion!” Jay groaned again, getting frustrated by everyone’s lack of comprehension.

“I got it. I got it!” Kai exclaimed with a pause for dramatic effect, “Two natives on vacation. Eh?” He finished with a confident expression.

Jay sighs deeply before he speaks one last time, “Tornado of Creation!” He shouted, finally regaining his voice. 

“Ohhh…” Kai, Zane, Cole, and Rykari all say in unison.

“Welcome back,” Zane said with a relieved laugh, patting Jay on the back. 

“But it could lead to disastrous consequences.” Cole pointed out, reminding them of Sensei Wu’s warning.

“We’re about to have a disastrous consequence!” Kai replied. 

“Tis a risk this Scot is willing tae tak'!” Rykari says with determination. 

“Alright, let’s do this! Earth!” Cole says as he calls upon his element, performing Spinjitzu. One by one, the rest of the team calls upon their respective element to construct the Tornado of Creation.

“Fire!”

“Ice!”

“Lightning!”

“Plasma!”

“Ninja, go!” They all shout in unison and combine their Spinjitzu tornadoes, creating a massive elemental tornado. It begins to suck in everything nearby: Skulkin, Spykor, and the nearby structures surrounding the fortress. When the tornado subsided, a Ferris Wheel-like structure was created from the absorbed materials, trapping every Skulkin warrior in a cage as the wheel slowly spun around. Kruncha and Nuckal were trapped in a cage, and Nuckal was blissfully enjoying some cotton candy. Kruncha sees him enjoying this treat innocently and knocks it out of his hand in annoyance, causing Nuckal to whine as he watches his cotton candy fall into the depths below. The Ninjas admire their handiwork, and Kai speaks up after a brief silence.

“Come on! There’s no time to waste!” Kai said as he motioned for everyone to follow, and with a united nod of agreement, they proceeded into the fortress. 

They made their way to the throne room to see Wu fighting Samukai. Sparks flew as the Weapons clashed together, both sides dodging or parrying every attack one threw at the other. Seeing their Master was at a disadvantage with only one Golden Weapon against three. As some of the ninjas were getting ready to jump in and help Wu, Kai held his arms out to block them before speaking up.

“No. This is Sensei’s fight.” He said. The others pause, look at Kai confused, and eventually back down. It made sense, as this was a fight between brothers. 

The battle rages on. Samukai and Wu are evenly matched in the beginning regarding martial combat. Still, the tides started shifting when the Golden Weapons came into play. Wu blasts flames out of the Sword of Fire but misses. Samukai counterattacks and uses the Shurikens of Ice to freeze the Sword of Fire on the ground. He then uses the Scythe of Quakes to split the ground into pieces and the Nunchucks of Lightning to disarm Wu within minutes. Samukai approaches the sword, much to Wu's worry.

“Bring me the four Weapons,” Garmadon ordered with a raspy voice. 

Samukai began to chuckle slowly, and his chuckle turned into an evil cackle as he turned around to confront Garmadon. 

“No! You will obey me now!” Samukai barked back. Garmadon laughed mockingly, and Samukai started to lose control over the Weapons. Samukai looked around with panic, unable to bring himself to speak. Wu quickly jumps out of the way, landing where his Students stand safely.

“No one can handle all their power at once,” Wu spoke grimly. 

“Selfish fool. Did you think I wouldn’t plan on your betrayal?” Garmadon sneered at Samukai with an evil grin.

“What’s happening to me?!” Samukai panicked as he started shaking uncontrollably. 

“You’ve fallen right into my master plan. Not even I can handle all of their power! But now that they're combined, it'll create a vortex through space and time, allowing me to finally escape this ghastly place!” Garmadon elaborated scornfully to Samukai.

Samukai began to tremble faster, and he realized that he was doomed. “Uh oh…” He whimpers and screams as the overwhelming power of the Weapons causes him to float, and he explodes with a puff of smoke as his screams echo off and fade along with his death. The Golden Weapons fall to the ground with a clatter, and a bright light fills the throne room as a portal opens. Garmadon soon approached the portal to make his escape.

“Father would not want you to do this, Brother.” Wu pleaded to Garmadon with a look of sorrow in his eyes. 

Garmadon whips around to face Wu with a look of anger in his eyes. “Father is no longer here!”

The portal shines brighter as electrical bolts of energy crackle, causing the Ninjas and Wu to shield themselves from the bright light.

“Good and evil, there has always been a balance. Where I go, the balance can be destroyed. Soon, I will be strong enough to possess the Four Weapons... so I can recreate the world in my image!” Garmadon continued with his evil monologue. He turned around to walk further toward the portal, then stopped to say one last thing to his Brother. 

“You! You were always his favorite.” Garmadon snapped at Wu with a bitter hiss. He finally exited and jumped through the portal before it closed behind him and left the Underworld. When the portal dispersed, Wu and the Ninjas jumped over to the Golden Weapons to reclaim them. 

“He is gone, but he will return,” Wu spoke up somberly after a moment of silence.

“Then we’ll be ready for him,” Kai confidently replied, picking up the Sword of Fire. The other three boys would follow suit and pick up their respective elemental weapons and Kai. Jay would pick up his Nunchucks of Lightning, Zane acquires his Shurikens of Ice, and Cole reclaims his Scythe of Quakes. 

“And keep an eye out in case he has any more of his evil plans,” Cole added. 

Wu looks at the four of them, nodding in approval. “Then, I have done my part. The balance has been restored… for now,” Wu concluded. 

Rykari stood off to the side, smiling proudly at this small group she had been welcomed to. Despite everything that led her to this moment, she was happy she could experience victory for once after leaving her home realm only weeks ago. Then, a golden light appeared in her peripheral dimly, and she glanced down at her wrists.

“Whit in Odin’s name…?” Rykari uttered curiously as her Gauntlets began to glow with a golden light. The light grew brighter, and this caused the others to turn their attention to this phenomenon. 

“Your Gauntlets…” Kai uttered in awe. The Sword of Fire also began to glow, and a few orange particles began to flow from the weapon and absorb into the Amethyst crystal embedded into Rykari’s Gauntlets. Shortly after, the other three weapons began to glow and disperse small amounts of blue, brown, and white particles. The particles gently float toward the Amethyst and absorb into the crystal. Once the elements embedded themselves inside, a purple aura cloaked the Gauntlets. It changed the appearance of Rykari’s metallic Gauntlets as the Amethyst glowed brightly, crackling with Plasmatic energy. They were now a Golden Weapon of Spinjitzu.

“Woah! That was so cool!” Jay exclaimed excitedly.

Rykari continued to admire the new appearance of her Great-Great-Grandmother’s Gauntlets “Ah dinnae ken, Master. Ah thought thare wur ainlie four Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu?” Rykari asked Wu as she looked at him with confusion. 

“You are correct, Rykari. My Father forged these Weapons to create Ninjago. But, there are some secrets my Father never shared with me or my Brother, and it appears that one of those secrets has now been shared. You have been given a great blessing, and now you have been shown the path to your future within your Great-Great-Grandmother’s Gauntlets of Plasma.” Wu imparted, smiling proudly at Rykari and giving a small bow of respect. 

“Oh, Please, na bowin'! I’m flattered, bit ah dinnae if I’m th' right… person… fur this jab, ye know?” Rykari stammered, rubbing the back of her neck shyly and smiling awkwardly. 

“What are you talking about? Don’t you remember that you helped me get my butt in gear and not give up so easily?” Kai exclaimed in shock. 

“You also helped us get to the Underworld without any problems!” Jay chimed in, then paused, and added again, “Well, almost without any problems,” He said as he glanced at Cole and snorted. 

“Hey!” Cole replied defensively with a hmph, his face flushed slightly from embarrassment before he cleared his throat. “...Although, Jay’s not entirely wrong.” He mumbled as he looked at Rykari, giving her an encouraging wink. 

“Not only that, but you have helped us unlock Spinjitzu. Without your help, we may not have been as efficient with this Weapons acquisition. Your adaptive nature makes you an essential part of the team.” Zane stated with a small smile of reassurance, then continued. “I sense you normally lack confidence in your natural abilities, yet you have portrayed to everyone that you are more than capable of being a Ninja. I fail to see what makes you feel insecure.”

“Huh?! I’m nae insecure! Whit mak's ye think a'm insecure, eh?” Rykari replied defensively, only to realize that Zane had read her like an open book. “Ah thought team bonding wis o'er at th' forest o' tranquility!” She protested with a snort, then started laughing. The boys joined in with her laughter, and Wu looked at the five of them with pride.

The dark clouds that plagued the skies above the small village of Ignacia parted away, revealing the warm, orange light of day once more. At the heart of the village stood the Four Weapons Blacksmith shop, and inside the shop sat Kai’s younger sister, Nya, at a table next to the window. A candle sat beside her, flickering with a small flame. 

Nya stared out the window sadly, hoping Kai would return home soon. She noticed the villagers glancing up at the sky, and the faint beating of wings flapping grew closer and closer as the fire from the candle blew out. Kai had finally returned on the back of his Fire dragon, and Nya rushed out to greet him with relief.

“Kai!” Nya exclaimed. 

As soon as the other three elemental dragons landed with the rest of the team, Kai dismounted his dragon and rushed over to Nya. The two siblings were reunited at last with a firm embrace. Jay saw the opportunity to make his move and quickly jumped off his dragon to hug Nya next.

“Hey, my turn!” Jay added as he ran over to Nya, giving her a big hug. Surprisingly, Kai was okay with this. He watched the two hug each other and smirked with amusement. The people of Ignacia celebrate the Ninjas’ victory and talk amongst themselves.

“I’m so happy you’re back,” Nya sighed with relief. 

“Ah tellt ye a'd keep an eye awn him,” Rykari reminded Nya with a playful chuckle and hugged her when Jay was finished. “Ah believe ah havenae properly introduced masell. A'm Rykari Furia, a new friend o` yer brother. Feel free tae ca' me Ryka, 'n' dinnae mynd th' accent; it’ll graw awn ye th' mair ye git tae know me. Richt, lads?” She added, glancing at the others with a mischievous smile. 

“I will say, I’d rather listen to the accent than Jay’s mouth of lightning,” Cole snarked, which made Jay scoff in offense and cross his arms.

“I’d hate to interrupt the celebrations and the friendly banter, but we must remember that we won for now. The battle may be won, but the war is not over. Lord Garmadon will return.” Kai interrupted grimly, causing the people to pause their celebration. Their gazes were filled with worry, and then Cole spoke up.

“And we’ll be ready for him.” He chimed in with a determined nod. This lifts the people’s spirits once again, and they cheer.

“Yeah!” Cole cheered, and the five of them raised their Golden Weapons together like a high five. A small explosion sent the Ninjas flying in all directions, causing the people to gasp in unison. 

“Okay, we gotta remember not to do that again,” Kai chuckled.

“Good idea,” Cole groaned.

“Ah can agree tae that,” Rykari sighed.

“Yeah, we'll stick to high-fives instead.” Jay groaned in addition.

“Agreed,” Zane said with a small sigh of amusement. As everyone began to laugh, Zane asked one last thing out of curiosity. “Was that a joke?

Later that evening, back at the Monastery…

Rykari quietly snuck outside the Monastery while the others were asleep and jumped onto the roof, climbing her way up to the top of the Tower and inside her old nook. She looked at her makeshift base with a wrinkle of her nose and cleared out the blankets and garbage stored up there. 

She quietly brought down the garbage and threw it into the dumpster outside the Monastery, then climbed back to her nook to retrieve the folded blankets, personal items, and mirror she took from one of the bathrooms. She saw herself in the mirror as she put the blankets into a bag, and she pulled down her mask to look at her face.

Only weeks ago, she saw the terrified, paranoid Viking Assassin who had just arrived in Ninjago shortly after a near-death incident that could have ended her life if Master Wu hadn’t come in time. This time, she saw a different girl. A girl who left her old life behind to follow her destiny. 

A girl who went to fulfill her Great-Great Grandfather’s Mastery of Aether and follow in her Father’s footsteps to become the next Master of Plasma.

A soft smile rested on her face, and suddenly, she felt a presence snap her back to reality as a voice interrupted her thoughts.

“I didn’t think you would be up at this late of an hour,” 

Rykari gasped and whipped around, activating the armor mode on her Gauntlets of Plasma and getting into a fighting stance. 

“W-wait! It’s me! Sorry!” Cole yelped, flinching and using his arms to shield himself in case she pounced at him again.

When she saw Cole, she immediately backed off and deactivated the armor on her Gauntlets. “Crivvens! A'm sorry, pal. Ye caught me aff guard there,” Rykari sighed with relief, shaking her head in amusement at herself. “Whit in Odin's name is yae doin’ oot this late?” She asked, tilting her head curiously as she picked up the mirror. 

“I’d ask you the same thing, but I think that question has been answered for me,” Cole admitted as he looked around the nook. He noticed how cramped it was and stepped out of the way for Rykari to exit the nook with her items. “Was this where you were hiding here the whole time when Wu assigned you to shadow us?” He asked.

Rykari nodded. “Aye, ah didnae git much o' a chance tae sleep in th' Monastery efter ye, Jay, 'n' Zane returned. Ah didnae git much sleep while th' bygane few weeks anyways. Shadowin’ assignments ur na joke whin it comes tae strategics. Sneakin’ aroond wis difficult sin ah wisnae familiar wi' this place.” She admitted with a pained laugh. 

Cole looked at her with shock. “You sure did a damn good job at staying hidden, that’s for sure. We never would’ve guessed someone was watching us from afar… well, except for Zane, who withheld that information.” He pointed out, chuckling softly.

“Heh, it's that sixth sense he's known fur. That wis mah fault, though; ah wis starin'- ah mean, a wee tae observant in mah patterns. He sensed mah presence among th' shadows.” Rykari stammered slightly. Cole raised an eyebrow with curiosity and smirked teasingly. 

“Ah, I see….” He said with an amused hum.

“Oh, wheesht, yae!” Rykari grumbled lightheartedly and smacked his arm. Something about this banter they were having felt oddly familiar to her. It was almost as if they were old friends from several years ago; that was how strong the deja vu felt to Rykari. This thought had been nagging at her since she first saw him, and she wasn’t sure how to bring it up without sounding weird about it.

“Anyways, I wanted to say that I am sorry for accidentally nicking your scar with my Scythe the other night.” Cole apologized after clearing his throat. 

“There’s na need tae apologize. Ah overreacted fur o' mah ain issues. Besides, it didnae mak' it worse. 'Twas juist a wee flesh wound.” Rykari reassured with a sincere tone in her voice. Cole smiled with relief. 

“Thare wis an' a' somethin’ ah wanted tae tell ye - if ye'v git th' time fur it noo?” Rykari asked with another slight tilt of her head. She hesitated to ask about it, but the deja vu she felt every time she looked at him drove her crazy. 

Cole nodded. “Sure, what’s up?” He asked her, sitting down on the roof and leaving her some room to have a seat. Rykari set the mirror down and joined him, sighing as she figured out how to word her thoughts correctly. 

“Fae th' moment ah wis shadowin’ ye lads, ah kept feeling this streenge moment o' deja vu ilka time a clocked ye. It soonds pure weird, anno, bit it's bin buggin’ me ever sin yae grazed mah scar.” Rykari admitted, looking at her feet as they dangled over the side of the roof. 

Cole listened intently, and his own thoughts began to stir as she continued speaking.

“Ye remind me o' someone ah met as a wee lassie. Mah fowk visited his home often, 'n' we became very close friends. Eventually, th' visits became less frequent, 'n' mah folks ne'er tellt me how come we stopped. They’d always say, "You’ll ken whin yer bigger, Ry,” She paused to chuckle bittersweetly, then continued. 

“A'maist a decade efter, ah still dinnae understand. Oor lest interaction made me think that th' laddie hated me fer bein'... Wha a'm. Ah haven't thought aboot him fur years, 'N' whin ah met ye, it gave me hawp that ah micht see him again one day.” Rykari sighed hopefully, shifting her gaze back to Cole with a small smile. Cole meets her gaze and chuckles softly before speaking.

“Funny how you bring that up because… I had a similar feeling when you attacked me after I nicked you,” Cole admitted. “You weren’t wrong when you called me out for being afraid at that moment, actually. You were very close to scaring me as much as dragons did, if not just as scary… but the fear faded quickly after getting to know you more.” 

Rykari’s eyes widened slightly, then she started snorting. “Hauld yer horses, are ye serious? Ah scared ye that much?” 

“Yeah, admittedly, you really did,” Cole laughed. “It’s a bit embarrassing, but it reminded me of a nightmare I had as a kid. It was a long time ago, though. It’s probably just a weird coincidence, honestly.” He added with an amused sigh. 

Rykari joined in with his laughter, nodding in agreement. “Yer likelie richt. It wid be th' maist bizarre thing if we hud met afore.” She felt much better after getting this off her chest. The ordeal would have eaten away at her if she had never asked him about it, but she was glad she could brush it off as a simple case of imagination. 

Once they made up, Rykari grabbed the mirror and the bags with her items and jumped down with Cole. They entered the Monastery and parted ways after saying goodnight. Rykari quietly returned the mirror to one of the bathrooms and returned to her room. The moment she entered, she opened the bag, fished out the blankets she used in the nook, and threw herself on the bed with a comfortable sigh. Rykari could finally rest peacefully after a long couple of weeks. She was safe from the dangers of Klaude, and she had survived this new realm with her new friends at her side. 

Rykari’s mind wandered back to Cole as she crawled into bed. Something about him was so familiar to her, and the frustration of being unable to recall why made her sigh deeply. She rolled over and stared at her Gauntlet bracelets on the nightstand. Another thought crossed her mind as she remembered how her Gauntlets became golden. She was curious about why this phenomenon occurred and had many questions about her family’s history.

There was one burning question that wouldn’t leave her mind as she drifted off to sleep that night.

What does the Future have in store for me…?

TO BE CONTINUED…