Unlikely Allies (Ninjago Season 11)

Chapter 3: The Message

Lloyd and the mysterious white wolf that saved his life twice in one day were following the signal of the Titan Mech's tracker, the eternal cold of the Never Realm actually beginning to slow down, but it was still freezing, making Lloyd wish he brought more than the lantern to keep him warm. However, since he had no one to talk too during the journey and they were out of Mala Wujira, he decided to tell the white wolf a little about himself, since he figured they wouldn't be able to understand...He wasn't sure if the wolf was a boy or girl though.

"So yeah, that's my dad. , Lord of Destruction, King of Shadows. I wouldn't normally confide this stuff to someone I just met, but I can tell you. You're just a wolf." He chuckled. "It's kinda nice to be able to get this off my chest." Lloyd said, but then figured if this wolf was gonna travel with him, they were going to need a name. "But I can't keep calling you 'Wolf'. You ought to have a real name. Hmm. How about Rover?"

The wolf simply gave him an unamused look, looks away and barks, as if saying no.

"Hmm, don't like that, huh? Uh, how about, uh, Buster? Buddy? Nah, those don't fit." Lloyd said, trying to think of a name he could call them, but their feet crunching against the cold but soft snow didn't help. "What about Red?" He suggested. "You get it? Because, you know, this?" He pointed to their cheek where their markings are, he wondered how he got those, were they scratches? Scars? They seemed to be painted, so they can't have been blood, but before Lloyd could continue to think about the red markings, 'Red' barks happily, they must've liked that name.

"We're making progress, Red!" Lloyd said with a small smile.

But then, the tracker starts beeping and Lloyd takes it out to examine it. "The mech's signal is getting stronger." He said. "This way!"

And with that, they run off to where the signal was sending them too, it felt a bit cool (no pun intended) to be on another adventure again, even if it was very important and not something to be happy about. "We're getting close, Red." Lloyd said as he continued to walk, but then began to only hear his own footsteps. He turned around and saw that Red wasn't following him. "What's the matter? Look, I gotta go this way. You coming or not?" He asked. 

Red barks warily and sits down, worried of whatever was coming their way.

"Come on, please?" Lloyd pleaded. "I can give you another treat after this!"

Red finally gives in to Lloyd's pleading and they continue to walk on for some time until Red steps on something ...Something that wasn't a stick...It was a bone of a corpse. She whimpers when she sees the bones and barks to warn Lloyd about whoever or whatever did this to the creature that once formed the bones.

 "What is it- What the?!" Lloyd jumps back at the sight of the bones. "...What happened here?" He asked himself, but then sees a sudden large shadow fly over the both of them, he looks up and suddenly sees a humongous bird like creature diving from the sky. Lloyd and Red quickly duck, avoiding the bird's attack. The bird then soared back into the sky. "What the hell was that thing?!" Lloyd cried out. 

But before he could get an answer, the bird came diving back down, screeching louder than Jay whenever he would watch a horror movie.

"Run!" Lloyd cried, and quickly began running along with Red. They kept running and running until they quickly ducked behind some rocks, hoping the giant bird wouldn't be able to find them. But as they think it left, the eagle flies up to a cliff and breaks some rocks off it, the rocks coming down towards Red, but suddenly Lloyd blasts them with his energy, obliterating the stone. "Red! You alright?" 

Red barks, telling Lloyd that they should get to cover again, but the eagle lands down and tries to peck at Lloyd with their sharp break. Lloyd leaps away and sprints off, but the eagle grabs Lloyd's pack and shakes him. Lloyd tried to escape, but the grip of the break was too strong...The eagle must've been hungry. 

Red stops to see the eagle slowly flying off to make a meal of him, they had to do something.

"Ahh! Get off me!" Lloyd yelled, but he couldn't reach his sword or blast it because it was still shaking him.

Red barks and runs over a ledge and pounces on the eagle's head.

Blinded, the eagle drops Lloyd while Red lands down and looks up to see him falling and quickly took action, jumping across the area and catching him, and then lands on another rock.

Lloyd made a heavy breath. "Thanks..."

Red nods and then runs off with the eagle chasing after them. "There! A cave!" Lloyd cried before suddenly being knocked off Red by the eagle's claws. The Green Ninja quickly gets to his feet and sprints for the cave, managing to leap inside just before the eagle could close in.

Red barks at the eagle, but the eagle lands down at the entrance and screeches angrily at them before losing interest in catching them and flying away.

Lloyd sighed in relief, he looked like he wanted to pass out from all the running, but he didn't have the time. At least he and Red were safe for now...

But then, the tracking device starts to lose its signal, the beeping slowly stopping. "Oh, no." Lloyd muttered, not knowing what to do and how to make it begin beeping again.

Suddenly, Red growls and barks at something behind them. Lloyd turns around. "What's there, Red?" But as he turned around, he jumped back at the sight of a huge, but shadowy figure. "Who are you? Show yourself!" He cried out....No response. 

With that, he lights up an energy ball to bring some light, but then looks up to see...The Titan Mech!!

Red whimpers in fear, it was huge...

"It's okay. This is what I've been looking for. This is it!" Lloyd cried out happily, he found it after all this time! If he was lucky, Zane could've been there or maybe is there.

He jumps up onto the mech and begins his look for Zane. "Zane! Zane? Where are you?" He called out, but then sees the seat is empty. "Where are you?!" He called out one last time...But while looking around, he sees a screen recorder. He tosses his energy ball into the air for light and jumps down to take a closer look. 

He suddenly finds two jumper cable and a power box and quickly hooks up two jumper cables to the power box and a recording pops up with...Zane! But, he didn't look like he had found any success.

"...Zane?"

Zane did not reply back for a while, because it was merely a recording, a message.

"Greetings, friend. If you have found this recording, then I am no longer here. My name is Zane. I am a stranger in this land trying to find my way home." The recording of Zane sighed. "It is difficult to keep track of the days in this place. It feels like I've been here a long time. But I refuse to give up hope-" The screen suddenly went static.

"Huh? No! No, no, no!" In anger, Lloyd shakes the power box and Zane returns to the screen.

"The mech's processing unit is damaged." Zane spoke. "I may be able to fix it, but it requires running a diagnostic. I will attempt to connect myself to the mech's processor. As long as the cable is not disconnected, I should be okay." The static returns.

Lloyd growled and pounded the box again. "Come on, come on!"

The recording returned again. "But if anything goes wrong, if this should be found one day... please relay this message...This is the last recording of Zane of Ninjago, son of Dr. Julian. Student of Master Wu. I was built to protect those who cannot protect themselves. I have tried to fulfill this purpose. I have no regrets. I have the best friends anyone could ask for....Pixal, I love you ...Farewell." The recording ends in static.

"Zane..." Lloyd breathed, trying his very best not to burst into sobbing...He didn't know if Zane was dead..or...or...

Red suddenly comforted him by nuzzling Lloyd, their fur warming his now cold skin.

Lloyd smiled sadly and petted them. "Thanks, Red..."