Outside Kryptarium Prison, an unmarked car pulled up. Two familiar figures sat inside it.
"Yes! I can't believe we're actually doing this," squealed Chamille excitedly from the passenger side as she wrapped a scarf around her bright purple hair.
Ash hurriedly signed to her.
"What? No! Of course I'm not having second thoughts. We're doing this," said the Master of Form while grinning widely. She giggled, "I just can't believe you're letting me do this. This is the most action I've had in months! Let's go!"
She hopped out and drenched the lower front of her maternity dress with water before waddling up to the menacing gates of Kryptarium with Ash close beside her. They peered up at the towering iron wall then at each other in silent confusion.
"So do we knock or—" began Chamille, nearly jumping out of her skin when sirens started blaring. She took in a deep, steadying breath and whispered to her husband, "Showtime." In an instant, her face scrunched up into a mask of pain while Ash put on a show of panic, holding her up as her knees seemingly buckled.
"What's goin' on out here?"
"I'm 'bouta pop!"
A guard with a blinding flashlight bounded up to the gate, looking incredibly confused. "Huuuh?"
He looked one look at Chamille and his eyes widened. He fumbled with his walkie talkie as he shakily informed the others, "Uh g–guys! We got a situation out here!"
"Well, take care of it," ordered the voice on the other end.
"I can't," whined the guard, almost on the verge of full-blown panic. "There's a pregnant lady out here and she's 'bouta give birth!!"
For the longest time, there was silence on the other end before the voice gruffly said, "Fine, bring 'em in."
Ash and Chamille shared secret grins as he helped her limp inside the facility.
The Sons of Garmadon were highly suspicious of the couple but the dramatic, pained groans and shrieks from Chamille was enough to make them steer clear.
In the main holding area, the guard loudly asked the prisoners, "Do we have a doctor in the house?" He gestured desperately to the woman in "labor."
The Elemental Masters were shocked by the appearance of the couple and were also fooled by the Master of Forms performance. They all immediately pointed to Neuro who mumbled, "Guys. I have a Doctorate in Psychology. That has nothing to do with giving birth!"
"Yes, but Neuro is doctor," said Karlof, not getting it.
The Master of the Mind rubbed his temples in exasperation and sighed.
Tox, who had been looking very hard at her best friend, finally caught her eye. She raised an eyebrow in surprise when the pregnant woman subtly winked at her.
The Master of Poison murmured to her boyfriend, "Oh my First Spinjitzu Master. That little stinker is faking."
"You sure?" whispered Shade.
Chamille let out a borderline over the top wail and dramatically crumpled into Ash's arms. The Master of Smoke gently settled her on the ground, supporting her head in his lap. His acting skills were somewhat flagging at this point.
"Ah, never mind. I see," chuckled the Master of Shadow.
The Sons of Garmadon, who were all incredibly uncomfortable and panicky, immediately hauled the volunteered Neuro out along with Maya who had identified herself as being experienced with labor.
When Maya kneeled down near the young woman's head and was surprised when the purple-haired woman whispered to her between pained gasps, "Go... get the... keys."
Neuro overheard and instantly clobbered the only guard who had been brave enough to stand nearby. Even the Elemental Masters were off put by his sudden viciousness. Little did they know, the Master of the Mind was absolutely done with peeing in a bucket. He seriously wanted out of Kryptarium Prison now.
But just like their previous breakout attempts, this one also fell short. Yes, Neuro wrangled the keys from the guard, but just as he was about to stick the key in the automatic prison release (why they had such a thing he had no idea), Ultra Violet suddenly assailed him and stabbed her sai right through the hand that held the keys. He dropped them with a pained shout.
"Uh, uh, uh," tutted the general cruelly.
A cold, deadly silence fell over the entire prison as none other than the Dark Lord himself and his entourage entered, dragging the tattered remains of the Resistance with them.
Emperor Garmadon nodded to Killow who obediently pulled a trembling Gayle Gossip and Vinny out of their cell.
The large man ordered them, "You'll want start rolling your camera."
The news reporters anxiously complied, broadcasting to all of Ninjago.
The Emperor sneered loudly with contempt leaking in his voice. He motioned to all his prisoners, "Here, Ninjago, are your so-called heroes." He pulled the wounded Lloyd onscreen, letting out a maniacal cackle. "You hear me! You bow either bow or you will die!"
With that, the feed abruptly turned to static as the Emperor smashed the video camera, setting his sights on the frozen intruders.
Gayle Gossip and Vinny frantically scurried back into the safety of their cell.
"Who are you?" he rumbled curiously to Ash and Chamille.
By now, the two Elemental Masters had abandoned their charade. Chamille stood as tall and proudly as she could in her current condition. She was determined not to let on how absolutely terrified she was. Ash stood in front of her, glaring at the charlatan Garmadon. Maya was also standing protectively between the pregnant woman and the enemy.
Emperor Garmadon's momentarily flashed from blood red to bright violet and Skylor, who the others hadn't noticed until that moment visibly winced and clutched at her head. Her friends were horrified to see the Master of Amber's grey, cracked skin. What had that tyrant done to her?!
Harumi watched in trepidation as a victorious grin broke out on her leader's face. He stalked over to the couple. She thought to herself, 'Surely he won't harm them, right?'
Lloyd weakly reached out, whispering in a broken tone, "No." He knew that Form and Smoke were the only Elements left that Omega needed.
Chamille and Ash felt their blood go cold when the dark being in front of them addressed them. "Masters of Form and Smoke, I have long awaited your appearance." He gave a toothy grin, flashing his fangs. "Funny how fate has delivered you directly into my grasp. Saves me the need to hunt you down."
His smile turned into a hateful grimace as his gaze settled on Chamille. He growled in disgust, "Vile life-bringer."
The Master of Form took a wary step back. Her arms were folded protectively across her stomach, but she kept her expression steadfast.
Emperor Garmadon began commanding his lackeys, "Bring them, them, him, and him." He pointed to the Masters of Form, Smoke, Shadow, Poison, Metal, and the Mind. He also gestured to the injured Masters of Speed and Ice, "Bring them back to the Tower as well."
As they carried out his demands, the four-armed being roughly gripped the battered form of the defeated Resistance leader, pulling him along into the depths of Kryptarium. Harumi caught sight of them and silently followed behind.
The Emperor sneered, "You really hoped to beat me? You are weak and powerless. You are no great hero. Just a pathetic little boy who can't even fight his own father."
"You. Are. Not. My. Father," growled Lloyd lowly as he limped along.
The Oni's eyes narrowed dangerously. Ah, so true child had finally figured him out. Well, too little, too late. No need in concealing the truth any longer. "Correct." He harshly shoved the boy against the bars of a dark dank cell. "He is."
A figure dressed in rags shifted inside the cell. Lloyd choked back a sob as he immediately recognized the man. "Dad."
Sensei Garmadon's eyes blazed with fury as he stood and stared at the monster that held his son. "Release him. Now."
Harumi stifled a gasp from her hiding spot around the corner. Her knees felt weak. It was one thing to intercept a message from the enemy that said he was a fraud, it was an entirely different thing to find confirmation in the matter. If that was the true resurrected Garmadon, then what had she crowned as Emperor of Ninjago.
The Emperor let out one short cackle. "None of you are in position to order me."
However, he did release the Ninja, cruelly shoving him in a cell across from his father. He was almost giddy as he announced, "I would stay to finish you off, but I believe I shall leave you as a welcoming gift for my brethren to tear apart when I welcome them into the Realm."
With a haughty tilt to his chin, he strided away.
Harumi tried skittering away as swiftly and quietly as possible, but felt her blood freeze as the Emperor spoke, "Going somewhere, princess?"
She slowly turned, keeping her gaze trained on the floor as she shakily replied, "I came to inform you that we are ready to depart."
"Good." His voice had a taunting lilt as he questioned in mock concern, "Is something the matter? You look rather pale."
"I am fine," lied Harumi. In reality, her heart hammered wildly in her chest.
Though the Emperor appeared to accept her answer without suspicion, as he passed by her and she followed, he threatened in a chilling, raspy whisper, "Breath a word to anyone, princess, and you are dead."
Despite her terror, in a flash of bravery, Harumi questioned accusingly before she could stop herself. "Who are you?"
"I am who they call Omega, Sixth Sovereign of the Oni," revealed Omega, confusing and scaring the Quiet One.
All Harumi knew in her heart was that she had made a grave mistake on her path of vengeance, dooming herself and all of Ninjago.
When she returned to her generals, the only people in the world who she could consider friends, she whispered urgently, "Get in a separate van. We're leaving."
"Shouldn't we be evenly split to make sure the prisoners don't escape?" suggested Killow sensibly, eyeing the Elemental Masters who still looked ready to fight such as the Masters of Metal, Poison, and Shadow.
"No! Just do as I say. We have to leave now," snapped Harumi, her fear making her frantic.
Her generals were off put by her sudden behavior.
Mr. E nervously shifted and rubbed his arm in an uncharacteristically human manner. He shook his head, backing away from Harumi. ".taht ot dnetta tsum I .rewoT eht ot yaw ruo no iarumaS eht riaper I taht detseuqer rorepmE ehT"
"No, wait–" Harumi called desperately, but the android had already departed.
He had had a taste of the power the Emperor possessed. There was no way he was about to incur the Emperor's wrath by fleeing. They would be dead in nanoseconds. Besides, he knew the Emperor had stated that he would be the first to die if any more slip ups occurred. He wanted to survive.
Killow made sure to keep his voice low as he questioned in alarm. "Harumi, are you trying to... desert?"
After taking a deep breath, the Quiet One admitted, "Yes. That thing I– we resurrected is not Garmadon. He's some sort of weird ancient creature."
The two general's eyes widened. Well, that explained the extra weird powers of Garmadon.
Ultra Violet tugged on her ponytail and cursed the sky, letting out an incredulous cackle. "Well, I always knew I was gonna go out doing something insane."
"Harumi, you said yourself, 'It's better to be bitter allies than suffer destruction.' We can't run away now. It's too late. The Emperor will kill us," pointed out Killow solemnly. "He's killed others for less. Let's just finish what we started. Staying on his good side is the only way we'll survive this now."
Harumi's face fell in bitter resignation as she allowed Killow to gently lead her forward to where the Sons of Garmadon were loading the last of the prisoners. She caught a glimpse of the Ninja's allies she had imprisoned. Her heart twisted with the knowledge that she had destroyed her only hope of deliverance. Any belief she had in the Emperor and any hate she harbored had fizzled out, regret filling its place. How could she have been so hard-hearted and stubborn?!
After taking a long swig of the beer in her hand, Ultra Violet hopped on her bike that was parked beside Mr. E's who Harumi was borrowing for the time being. Where she had gotten the drink from, the white-haired girl had no idea. In answer to her leader's judgmental stare, the general gave a wide, toothy grin and lifted her drink.
"Aw, don't look so glum, Quiet One. We won! This is what you wanted!" crowed Ultra Violet. She took another long sip. "Celebrate! What better day to die than today! It's the end of the world!"
The purple general's behavior was drawing odd looks from the other bikers, but she didn't care. She was determined that if she was marching to her doom, then she might as well have fun doing it and go out guns blazing.
In contrast to the raven-haired woman who sped off with her distinctive wild cry, Harumi and Killow followed with grim expressions. Dread boiled in their guts as they awaited to see what monstrous thing the charlatan Emperor would summon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pixal came online with a panicked jolt. Her optics immediately analyzed her surroundings. She realized she must have been in the back of some enclosed van. She immediately caught sight of Mr. E beside her and tried moving. Her anxiety spiked when she realized she was strapped down to a table, and her fear was only worsened by the sight of tools littering the small area. This was too similar to when she had been captured by Chen.
She flinched away when Mr. E moved.
".uoy gniriaper ylerem ma I .ecaeP" hushed Mr. E with an uncharacteristically gentle tone.
To her surprise, he slowly undid the straps that bound her to the table. She sat up, testing her functionality. The patchwork job over her bullet wound was done with a surprising amount of skill. It was not unnoticed by Pixal how the general kept a hand warily hovering over his katana. Good, he still considered her a threat despite the Vengestone chains still locked around her wrists.
She was suspicious of Mr. E's somewhat kind demeanor. "Why have you helped me?"
As he began to put up all his tools, he replied, ".enilno kcab uoy gnirb ot em dednammoc rorepmE ehT" He added with a shrug, "?ytip fo ecnuo na htiw noitucexe rof detals esoht taert ot yramotsuc ton ti si ,sediseB"
"Execution?" repeated Pixal in alarm. That made no sense. Why bring her back online to just kill her off again?
".laog sih hsilpmocca ot uoy desu sah eh ecno od lliw reropmE eht emussa I tahw si tahT" stated Mr. E with a slight regretful intonation seeping into his garbled voice.
The van hit a bump, causing both of the androids to stumble in the back. Pixal hurriedly gripped the table, slipping gracelessly on the table before managing to right herself. Mr. E had nothing to grab to stabilize himself so he ended up slamming into the wall of the van.
An audible groan of metal and pop was heard over the clattering tools as the joint connecting Mr. E's leg to his body came loose. The leg that the Emperor had torn off from the android in his "lesson" to threaten Harumi and her generals hadn't been repaired properly nor with the utmost care.
The Son of Garmadon bit back a hiss of pain as he attempted to regain his balance and stand tall, refusing to show any weakness lest his enemy decide to attack him. He wobbled slightly as he limped and sat on the bolted down bench in the roomy van. He kept his peripherals warily on the mechanical Samurai who hadn't moved and was watching him closely with her calculating green optics.
Pixal was taken aback by his human-like behavior. She watched attentively the general lift his dark helmet off, catching sight of his faceplate that was extremely similar to her lost love's. The resemblance was uncanny and there was no way this android wasn't related to Zane in some way or another.
Ah, Zane. What would he do in a situation like this? Words she'd listened to in Zane's thoughts from his old lessons floated to the forefront of her processor. 'The best way to defeat your enemy is to make him your friend.' What novel idea.
In a move of kindness, she slowly shifted, hopping down from the work table, and motioned with her chained hands. "Allow me to repair you."
Mr. E eyed her with an expression full of mistrust. His copper face was pinched into a deep glare that was so unlike Zane. He refused, ".flesym xif nac I .rehtruf em kaerb lliw uoy ,oN"
"I will not harm you," assured Pixal. "You repaired me, so it is only fair I return the favor."
".gnihton uoy ewo I sa tsuj gnihton em ewo uoY .ssendnik fo uoy riaper ton did I" pointed out Mr. E.
"Perhaps not, but I still desire to repair you. It is apparent that you took the utmost care when mending me, even though you could have done the base minimum to get me back online." Mr. E looked away and mumbled something unintelligible when she brought attention to this detail. "Logically, it would make sense that I would do the same for you."
"Besides," added the Samurai with a touch of pride in her voice, "I was originally built for and am equipped to carry out delicate tasks. And judging by the... antiquity of your model, it would be safe to assume that I hold more modern technological knowledge than you."
The biker stared towards her again. His wariness and glare were lessened and replaced by a more deadpan countenance as he questioned, "?dlo em gnillac uoy erA"
"Well, you are certainly quite a good deal older than me," said Pixal smugly.
That's when it clicked in Mr. E's processor. His opponent was actually being genuine and for some reason, even going as far as to friendly tease him. That was illogical, especially considering the vendetta he had held against her partner. He asked in pure bewilderment, ".eid ot gniog era uoy dna ,ymene ruoy ma I ?etanoissapmoc os eb uoy nac woH"
For a moment, Pixal gazed thoughtfully in the distance with a bittersweet countenance. True, she should hate this droid for all the pain he'd inflicted upon her and Ninjago. Truthfully, she did hold resentment toward him; but here, alone in the van, she also realized that there was a different layer to him underneath all that pent up anger and bitterness. Besides, how could she truly hate someone when they carried a likeness so much like her Nindroid. She had most certainly taken note of the droid's human-like behavior and the fear that drove his wariness.
She shrugged. "As you mentioned, I am heading towards certain doom. I may as well do something productive before my time is up."
Realization dawned on Mr. E why the Samurai was treating him with such kindness. He spat out, ".rehto hcae htiw railimaf neve ro sdneirf era ew taht dneterp ton oD .mih ma I naem ton seod ,mih ekil kool I esuaceb tsuJ"
Pixal winced at the reminder of her loss. Her eyes grew cold as she stated, "I am not acting out of any love for your likeness. I am doing this to offer contrast to your mighty Emperor and Princess. They are not benevolent and do not deserve your allegiance."
'!gnorW" snapped Mr. E. This clueless heroine knew nothing! Nothing of the years he spent cast aside and forgotten! ".ytlayol ym denrae naht erom sah ehS .gnihtyreve em nevig sah enO teiuQ ehT"
"You serve them out of fear," argued Pixal.
Mr. E let out a short, harsh laugh. He admitted openly, ".uoy ekil sloof sa eid dluow ew naem dluow ngier sih tsniaga dnats oT ?dnahtsrif rewop sih dessentiw ton uoy evaH ?ton ew nac woH .od lla eW .raef fo tuo rorepmE eht evres I"
"Well, you will inevitably be killed anyways, whether you misstep or not." She motioned for him to remain silent until she finished explaining. "And I am saying this for two reasons, not just because of the Emperor's penchant for destruction. First, the creature you resurrected is not Garmadon. He is an ancient Oni who seeks to open a gateway to bring armies of Oni into Ninjago. I doubt there will be much life left in this Realm if he succeeds."
Pixal leveled her gaze at Mr. E staring straight into his copper eyes. "Second, if you do not die in the invasion, the Emperor will still kill you because he will see you as a threat. If I am not mistaken, you are of familial relation to Zane." From the flash of hatred in his countenance, Pixal assumed she guessed correctly. "Because of this, when I am gone, you will become the new Elemental Master of Ice, something your leader will not take lightly."
Surprise flickered across Mr. E's face as he processed all this new information. He did not detect any lies in the Samurai's report, which made him worried. He knew his chances of survival were low, but he had not realized they were that low.
He begrudgingly accepted the Samurai's aid. Once she was finished repairing him, he couldn't stop an automatic, "uoy knahT," from slipping out much to his embarrassment. He refused to look at the smug, bemused expression that decorated the face of his opponent. How she managed to appear so level-headed when facing such danger was beyond his comprehension.
Deep in his mechanical heart, Mr. E secretly hoped now that the Resistance would find some way to win despite the insurmountable odds. Apparently, as people say, he had been "backing the wrong horse." He realized that now. He'd gotten his revenge but at what cost? The masks were coming off and the beings revealed underneath were either vicious or vulnerable.
Deep down, Pixal had mixed emotions. Was this the end? If so, she resolved to face it bravely. The future of Ninjago did not depend on her. If she did not see the darkness conquered by her hand nor the Resistance, she had the hope that Zane and the others were still alive and fighting to return. When they returned, she knew they would vanquish the darkness.
She felt pity for Lloyd and Nya who seemed to bear the weight of the world, not believing her when she told them that the others were alive. She hoped they all would be able to endure long enough to see the light triumph. She was sorry she would not be there to assist them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fear roiled in Harumi's stomach as she marched the prisoners up to the top of the Tower. At this point, the Emperor was putting minimal effort in keeping up appearances as Garmadon. Dark Magic, something the real Garmadon did not wield, crackled in the air and bent to the Emperor's might as he prepared some sort of spell.
Harumi was greatly regretting all her life choices that had led her to that point. She allowed pity to leak into her gaze as she stared at the eight Elemental Masters. They stared back with hate. She winced at the sight of the roughed up Master of Speed. The white of his clothes made the dark splatters of blood stand out alarmingly, and he was being supported by the Master of Metal. The Quiet One shifted nervously as the pregnant Master of Form stared hard at her accusingly.
Even the typically stoic Mr. E seemed unnerved by what was unfolding. He subtly shuffled closer to Ultra Violet, away from the Master of Amber who stood stiffly at attention with an eerily blank expression.
The Emperor dismissed all Sons of Garmadon, much to their relief, except for Harumi and her generals. Beside her, the three generals snapped to attention and obeyed immediately when the Emperor hissed at them to hand over their Oni Masks.
His next words surprised the high-ranking Sons of Garmadon. "Consider this my one act of mercy for being so instrumental in my rise to ruler ship. Get out of my sight. Run as long and as far as you can from this city. Maybe then you will prolong your miserable lives. You are useless to me now."
At first, the four didn't move, thinking it was some sort of trap or sick joke. But they were spurred to immediate action when the Emperor at last threw off his disguise and revealed his true form to his underlings. He transformed into a horrifying beast with gnarled horns that seemed to gouge the darkening sky. His violet eyes narrowed dangerously at the pitiful mortals.
Harumi and her generals fled in fright, something those who had been tormented by them thought they would never get to see. It was almost comical how even greater evil made the evil from before appear as pitiful as a kicked puppy.
As they exited the Tower, Harumi had enough mind and compassion to drag some of her loyal lackeys out with her in their escape. So much for her grand vision for the future of Ninago under Garmadon, she thought ruefully as they sped away with no particular destination in mind. What had started out as a plot of vengeance had morphed into her own undoing. So much for thinking Garmadon would set things right in Ninjago.
She was no great threat, commanding hundreds. Instead, under her cruel mask was a scared, broken girl.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Omega snorted derisively as he watched the cowards flee. They had served their purpose, but now, finally, he would command an army that equaled his grandeur.
He focused his attention on the chained prisoners. Smoke, Form, Poison, Shadow, Mind, Time, Metal, and Ice—all accounted for.
He twirled the Realm Crystal shard in his hand, brandishing it like a dagger. With an unsettling amount of glee coursing through him, he lashed out at the Elementals, opening up bloody gashes in their palms or, in some cases, reopening closed wounds. Once he was certain the shard was coated in all their blood, or what equated as blood for that metal creature, he merged it with the Realm Crystal. To the Elemental Masters horror, the crystal changed from a lovely blue to dark scarlet.
Omega placed the Oni Masks equidistant around the Realm Crystal while chanting under his breath. Purple fire ignited in his palms and the Oni Masks began to levitate as his chanting rose in volume. Dark clouds swirled in the sky and thunder rumbled forebodingly. The Elemental Masters doubled over in pain as fire seemed to race through their veins, shrieking when the pain intensified unbearably.
Meanwhile, Omega's incantations had died off as he eyed the Realm Crystal, mesmerized by the black smoke that had begun to leak from it. Above the mortals' cries of suffering, he tilted his head back and cackled. No longer was he a mere Emperor, he was a god.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Life's gotten super busy and stressful but I'm hanging in here!
"But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" - Matthew 6:23 NIV
"What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs." - Luke 12:3 NIV
"Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness." - Job 30:26 NIV