Anirei stood at the mountain where the truck she was chasing stood still, the Anacondrai that was driving it had slithered away and left her there in fear. Chen and his Anacondrai army were already at the villages taking them over, and she had no idea what was going to happen. All Anirei could feel at that moment was a terrible sense of dread falling upon her.
"Okay, Anirei, you need to focus." She said to herself, "You need to contact your brothers and your sensei."
She jumped into the truck and tried the radios to contact the others.
"Chen has-- Kai village-- Everyone--" Anirei heard Nya say, but her voice was cutting in and out, "Attacked First--- Nothing-- Stop them! Hurry-- Too late!" Suddenly, the radio buzzed out and all communications were cut off.
"Elder Sister Nya! Can you hear me? Elder Sister!" Anirei tried to connect, but it was no use. All communications were off. Anirei took a breath and calmed herself, her dragon wouldn't work if she wasn't balanced and calm.
As she closed her eyes, she tried to imagine her dragon, but the sense of dread was far too much for her to stay focused. She couldn't form her dragon, but there was one thing she could do. She had done it with her Elder Brothers on the island. It should work now.
Anirei focused on her spirit, and her connection with her friends, mainly on Nya and her Sensei.
~~~~
"They're attacking Jamanakai village. You have to stop them." Nya said through the radios, trying to connect with everyone from the newly renovated Bounty, "All communication is cut."
"If our fighters don't know where to go, who's going to stop my father?" Skylar said, and as if on cue, Chen appeared on the big screen.
"Hello." He said playfully, "As you can see, I've taken control of the airwaves, just as I'll take over Ninjago."
"You'll pay for this, Chen." Garmadon threatened.
"Brother, enough." Wu said as he took his older brother by the shoulder to calm him down, "What do you want?"
"A truce."
"Ha! Like the one the real Anacondrai wanted during the last war?" Garmadon laughed, "The truce that you destroyed by deceiving both sides?"
"I will honor my word, and no one will get hurt if you and everyone you know leaves Ninjago and never comes back. Oh, and surrender Anirei to me without a fight." Chen demanded.
"We're not leaving our home and we are not abandoning one of our one." Garmadon quickly denied the deal.
"Wait. Let us think about it." Wu said to everyone's surprise.
"How could you even entertain him?" Garmadon asked.
"Our Ninja are gone. We need more time. And the longer Anirei is away from him, the longer it will take for him to take her."
"You should listen to your brother, Garmadon." Chen said, "He's always had a way with words. Heh, heh. It convinced Misako, didn't it?"
Garmadon's eyes went wide, remembering his betrayal to his brother because of the letter he took long ago.
"What's wrong? You look a little purple?" Chen laughed, "Oh, that's right. Once a snake, always a snake."
Garmadon slithered away, his head hung down in shame at his secret being revealed not by him, but by the enemy.
"Haven't you hurt enough people, father?" Skylar asked.
"What is he talking about?" Misako asked Garmadon, grabbing him by the arm.
"Oh, he hasn't told you?" Chen smiled, "The letter he wrote that made you fall in love with him, it was written by Wu."
Misako gasped as he looked back at Wu, who was just as surprised at this shocking news.
"I-- I was trying to tell you." Garmadon said, but Wu just looked at his older brother in disbelief.
"How could you brother?" Wu asked.
"Oh, and about that truce? Deal's off. I actually only wanted to drop that delicious little bombshell. Too-da-loo." The screen went black and all the anger was released.
"Of all the things..." Wu shouted as he stormed up to Garmadon directing all of the anger he was feeling towards his brother.
"Brother, don't let anger cloud your judgment." Garmadon said.
"Don't tell me what to do. You're no sensei, and you've never been one!"
"That's enough, Sensei Wu!" A voice shouted from behind them. Everyone turned around and saw Anirei standing behind them, although she was a little more transparent than normal.
"Don't you see what Chen is trying to do?" She shouted, "First he divided the Ninja during the Tournament of Elements, and now he's trying to divide you as well. Don't fall for his schemes."
"Anirei?" Misako said, "How are you here?"
"A skill I picked up from my training after we defeated the Overlord for the first time. But we can't focus on that right now. I don't much time to talk before my spirit needs to return to my body, but I have to say this. We cannot let Chen have his way. Fighting against our allies will do us nothing but harm. Please, Chen's army is going to head west. Is there any specific place where he might be going?"
"I don't know, but we'll round up the others and figure it out at the Samurai X cave." Nya said.
"Thank you, Elder Sister Nya. I'll meet all of you there as soon as I can." Anirei smiled before she vanished, leaving the team in the Bounty.
~~~~~
All of the Elemental Fighters gathered in the Samurai X cave, receiving a message from Neuro about the Anacondrai's plan to head west, although, Nya and the others had already gotten the information from Anirei, they still needed to know where they were going to attack from.
Anirei raced through the elevator doors, seeing the Elemental fighters all gathered around.
"Rei!" Lloyd shouted, running over to Anirei and hugging her tightly, "You okay?"
"I'm fine. No need to worry." She replied and broke from the hug, walking over to the two Sensei and Misako.
"Tea?" Wu said, offering the cup of tea to Misako and completely ignoring his older brother.
"He knows about the letter?" Lloyd asked his father.
"The message was delivered." Garmadon said.
"By the wrong mouth of course." Anirei said angrily.
"So why were we asked here?" Griffin asked, "We should be fightin' snakes."
"Because anyone can fight." Wu said, "Only one side can declare victory."
"In the time that it took you to get here, Chen has taken over the entire Eastern seaboard and is moving inland." Nya explained, "With each village destroyed, they grow stronger."
"That's a lot of red." Karlof said staring at the screen that showed Chen's movements, "Karlof not like red."
"How are we supposed to stop them? Most of us have lost control of our Dragons, not to mention we're outnumbered ten to one."
"Actually, 62.4 to one."
"That's not helping the situation, Elder Brother Zane." Anirei sighed.
"Look, I'm scared like the rest of you." Lloyd said, "It may looked like we've lost, but it's not over." He walked over to Zane and Anirei, placing his hand on Zane's shoulder and holding Anirei's hand with the other, "When we thought we lost Zane and Rei, it nearly tore us apart. But we didn't quit. We let it fuel us. We grew stronger."
"There's hope." Sensei Wu said, pointing to a narrow path on the map, "The Corridor of Elders."
"Corridor of Elders?" Shadow repeated.
"We may not stand much of a chance taking on his entire army at once, but after he's controlled the East, he'll move West tomorrow and have to pass through Echo Canyons. Our best tactical position is to make our stand where it bottlenecks: Here, at the Corridor of Elders, the monuments honoring our ancestors."
When Anirei heard this, she wondered if her mother and father were carved into monuments. But then again, because they were immortal at the time, it was highly unlikely, considering the fact that immortals weren't supposed to make any lasting marks on the world before they gave up their immortality and passed away.
"It's the narrowest channel, but our greatest chance." Wu continued.
"If we can't stop them here, the rest of Ninjago will fall like dominos." Garmadon said.
"Karlof not like to lose." Karlof said, "Karlof fueled."
"Then we have one day to save tomorrow." Anirei said and everyone cheered, before the Ninja went all over Ninjago to gather up anyone who was willing to fight the next day. However, Anirei stayed behind to think. That sense of dread was still weighing heavily on her mind, and she couldn't shake it.
As she sat on the edge of the Bounty, she questioned what this feeling meant. She had only felt this feeling once before. When her parents passed away fighting the Overlord.
"Anirei?" A voice hissed behind her. She turned and saw Garmadon slithering closer to her.
"Master Garmadon." she said, "Why are you out here?"
"I could ask you the same question." He countered, "I would have thought you would be with my son or the Ninja. You're hardly ever by yourself."
Anirei sighed, "I know, but... I needed time to think on my own."
"Please, tell me what troubles you. It's better to talk about troubling things with at least one other person."
Anirei looked up at Garmadon and sighed, "I don't know why, but I've feeling a sense of dread lately."
"Dread?"
Anirei nodded, "The only other time I've felt like this.... was when my mother and father passed away when I was little. I couldn't see them die, but I knew that they did. And now that I'm feeling it again, I'm afraid that we're going to lose someone."
Garmadon knew the feeling just as well, having lost the trust of his brother, but he was used to these horrible feelings. Anirei was still a child, and he thought of her as his own daughter, especially when he saw how Lloyd felt about her. He had hoped that one day he would be there to see how they would grow together. But he too was feeling a sense of dread that he had never felt before.
He placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile, "Whatever happens, whatever may come during this battle against Chen, I know that you and the Ninja will be stronger afterwards."
Anirei nodded as Garmadon slithered away, but he turned back around to say something else.
"Anirei, can you answer a question for me?"
"Of course. What is it?"
"How do you feel towards my son?"
Anirei smiled as her cheeks turned red and her heart beat just a little bit faster.
"That is something I should tell Lloyd first. Besides, I believe you already know the answer to that question."
Garmadon chuckled, "I don't why I'm saying this, but..." He paused for a second, "If something were to happen to me during this battle, will you.... will take care of my son?"
The sudden question threw Anirei off as she turned back to see Garmadon's smile.
She nodded, "Of course I will. I always will."
"Thank you, Anirei. I'm glad that Lloyd has someone like you by his side."
As Garmadon left her alone, Anirei continued thinking about what he had said, and silently hoped that no one would be lost in this battle.
~~~~~
The sun rose high on a day that would possibly change the fate of Ninjago. To be ruled by peace, or to be ruled by Chen and his Anacondrai army. Only one fate could be victorious.
The Ninja held up the front of the blockade at the Corridor of Elders, the majestic carvings of their ancestors watching them as they stood strong while the ground began to shake.
"Huh. There's so many of them." Jay said seeing the horde of Anacondrai slithering towards them, every soldier ready to attack when ordered to.
Lloyd used his power and drew a line in the dirt in front of them before pulling down his hood and turning to face those there to fight for their land.
"We fight for each other. We fight as one." He said as the people behind him cheered.
"Today we will be victorious, and our enemies will fall knowing of our strength and courage to never give up!" Anirei added and the people cheered even louder.
"Hold the line..." Lloyd said, the Anacondrai beginning to charge towards them, "Hold the line!"
"Hold!" Anirei shouted.
Just as the Anacondrai were about to get close to them, many of them fell into a deep pit dug earlier before they came in.
"Trap door? That's my signature move." Chen whined, "Unh! Destroy them!"
"Now!" Lloyd ordered and the battle began.
Zane quickly froze over the trap door so none of the captured Anacondrai warriors could escape and the fighters began charging into battle. Kai and Jay were back to back, shooting fire and lightning as the soldiers.
The citizens who didn't have powers fought with whatever they could, even some of the other Serpentine tribes came to help, fighting alongside the people from the surface. Anirei was happy to fighting alongside the Serpentine, as this was what her mother and father had wanted for a long time, but she had no time to bask in the alliance between the Serpentine and the people.
Anirei used her power over light to blind several of the Anacondrai and then used the darkness of the shadows to bind them to their places before throwing them away from the group.
"Not backwards! Forwards! You're Anacondrai! Crush them!" Chen shouted and the soldiers pushed forward. The Elemental Fighters and the people stood back at the line Lloyd had drawn. The Anacondrai pushed forward, but everyone stood their ground, doing their best not to let any of the Anacondrai soldiers past the drawn line.
"I'm slipping!" Cole shouted.
"Don't let up!" Kai shouted back.
"Push!" Lloyd shouted, everyone pushing even harder than before. Just then, Chen and several of his soldiers took off in jets right over their heads.
Shadow looked over at Anirei, who seemed to have the same idea. They both used their powers to transport themselves through the shadows and quickly caught up with the Anacondrai. They both jumped onto one of the jets about to take off and pulled the soldier out from the pilot's chair before kicking him off.
"Shadow, take the controls." Anirei said.
"You got it." Shadow said and took control of the jet, flying back over the battle and firing missiles at the Anacondrai.
Anirei smiled as the Anacondrai were being pushed back, but it wasn't enough as even more Anacondrai kept coming through. Anirei was just about to use her powers to help in the battle, but something else came to help.
"The new girl hates being left out!" Nya shouted from the skies flying in the Bounty. Garmadon and Wu fired nets at the charging Anacondrai, but the Anadcondrai in the skies were ready to attack.
Anriei jumped through the streaks of light coming through the sun and landed on one of the ships firing at the Bounty. She used the light to blind the soldiers and caused them to lose control of their jets, forcing them away from the Bounty. She jumped off the jets before they got too far away from the Bounty and landed on the deck.
"Sensei, are you two okay?" Anirei asked Garmadon and Wu.
"We're fine, Anirei." Garmadon answered.
"Nya, drop it like it's hot." Wu said to Nya.
"Aye, aye, Sensei." Nya dropped the anchor and crushed one of the vehicles heading towards Skales on the ground.
Over and over, the anchor was dropped down on the tanks and buggies, destroying them without hesitation and protecting the good side from much harm. Just then, the jet that Chen was in fired a missile at the canyon's edge, presumably to escape the line. It hit the canyon's edge and destroyed the stable rock keeping one of the monuments up on the edge.
Anirei didn't hesitate and used her power to created a silver shield that protect everyone below from the falling statue. The Master of Gravity then used his power to levitate the statue away behind the people just as the shield was fading.
Below on the ground, the Ninja and the people were struggling to keep the Anacondrai back.
"We have to stop them!" Lloyd shouted.
"We don't have enough people!" Kai said.
"We can't hold them all!" Cole added and several of the soldiers crossed the line without having to fight them.
"They crossed the line!" Nya shouted.
As Lloyd was fighting on the ground, he noticed a familiar white snaked riding on a swamp rat with the spell book Clouse used to own.
"I have something your father needs to see." Pythor said but Lloyd seemed hesitant, "Oh, come on. You can trust me, because if anyone is going to take over this world, I'd rather it be me. Take me to your father and he can end this once and for all."
Lloyd, not having any other choice, took Pythor and the book before running to the anchor of the Bounty and being lifted to the ship. He jumped onto the deck and rushed over to his father, Sensei Wu and Anirei panting heavily from loss of breath.
"Pythor says he has something that can end this war." He said setting Pythor and the book down on the table set nearby.
"They've crossed the line of no return." Wu said, "No amount of power can stop this now."
"But the might of a True Anacondrai can." Pythor countered.
"Do you see what's happening?" Garmadon asked, "This isn't about you. Making you big solves nothing."
Pythor flipped furiously through the book, "But if the Generals you banished to the Cursed Realm so long ago saw this mockery, they would stop this travesty at once."
"No one comes back from the Cursed Realm." Misako revealed.
Garmadon looked down at the book and read what was on the page Pythor had turned to. He suddenly got very quiet with a sense of sadness in his eyes.
"Unless he that cursed them takes their place." He read, "I could unleash the spirits of the Anacondrai generals."
"If you banish yourself." Pythor said "Magic has it's rules, you know."
Anirei gasped at the realization. Now she knew what the sense of dread meant. It was an omen, one that was warning her about losing someone she thought of as family. Only this time, she was seeing it with her own eyes.
Lloyd, however, was furious.
"We're not cursing you." He said, walking up to his father and taking the book from his arms, "We're not losing you to bring them back."
"If we do nothing, we lose Ninjago." Garmadon said.
"We don't even know if they'll help." Misako said, trying to get Garmadon to change his mind.
"We do know that the real Anacondrai wanted peace as much as us. It was Chen who started both wars. I'd never thought I'd say this, but Pythor is right."
"I cannot allow this, brother." Wu said.
"Who are we fooling?" Garmadon said to his brother, "There's not enough time for me to make up for the pain I've caused in my life, but if I could save Ninjago..."
"You want my blessing to walk out on us again, fine." Lloyd shouted and shoved the book into Garmadon's hands angrily, "But don't expect me to stick around to watch you go. My real family needs me."
Lloyd was about to rush off the Bounty, when Anirei's wavering hand caught his own.
"Lloyd, please, stay with your father until the end." She said.
"Are you seriously on his side, Rei? You want me to stay here and watch him leave me again?"
"It's the only way that we can stop this, Lloyd! I know it's hard, but this is so that we can continue on with the peace we've wanted for so long."
"I can't believe what I'm hearing right now! You would rather me lose my father?"
Anirei stomped closerto him and showed him her face more clearly. Angry tears were falling down her cheeks, which took the boy by surprise.
"I know the pain of losing someone close to you very well. I lost my parents and I wasn't able to even say goodbye. Lloyd, you have that chance to see your father. To tell him goodbye. If you don't stay... then you'll be filled with that regret until the day you die. I don't want that for you."
Lloyd couldn't say a word. He simply shrugged Anirei's hand from his and jumped off the Bounty to join the others in the fight below. All of a sudden, the ship rocked as the Anacondrai were firing missiles at the Bounty, throwing everyone to the floor.
"It this is going to happen, I suggest we do it now." Pythor said.
Anirei wiped away her tears and stood up, facing her two sensei.
"Master Garmadon." Anirei said. Garmadon nodded and gave the spell book to Wu.
"Read it, brother." He said, "You know as well as I, the Ninja don't need two Sensei. Only one can remain."
"Very well." Wu said and flipped to the page where the spell was written, "Komodo, nicktu, demic tara..."
Immediately after reading the first few words of the spell, a bright greenish-blue light encircled Garmadon in a vortex, lifting him high off the deck and into the air while a harsh wind blew at those watching the ritual.
"Misako, will you ever forgive me for the letter?" Garmadon asked.
"I already have." Misako answered.
"Tell Lloyd I'm sorry."
"You can tell me yourself." Lloyd said, jumping back onto the deck and walking over to Wu, "If anyone should be sending you off, it's me."
Lloyd took the book from Wu, and Anirei took his hand in support.
"Kenji, severus, toto demada, cursono, neeboro..."
A bright pillar of light shot into the air as a vortex of energy piercing the realm of the living and of the cursed opened above their heads. Garmadon closed his eyes and prepared to separated from his family once more. This time, for good.
"Actu, Cursono, Neeboro..."Lloyd continued to chant.
"I yearned to make the world in my image." Garmadon said, "I never realized I already had, in you."
Lloyd looked up at his father, feeling Anirei squeezing his hand as he continued to chant the words to the spell.
"Sono, hokido, bo-rock!"
Garmadon screamed as he was forced into the Cursed Realm, "Anirei Vevila! Remember what you had promised me!"
Anirei nodded, "I promise! I will keep that promise!"
And in an instant, Garmadon was whisked away into the Cursed Realm.
"Is he..." Misako trailed off.
"We shall see." Wu answered. The pillar of light carrying Garmadon away vanished in a flash. And from the vortex, several green balls of light appeared, voices overlapping with each other as they traveled down into the Corridor of Elders. They scattered all throughout the canyon, appearing in front of the Ninja as they stole the souls of the Anacondrai warriors that they faced.
"The Spirits of the Anacondrai Generals." Kai gasped upon seeing them.
"They're cursing Chen's Army." Cole added. The Generals went through the canyon cursing the army one snake at a time.
"Arcturus, what are you doing? We are both on the same team." Chen said as he ran from the spirits, but they caught up to him.
"You will never be one of us." Arcturus said, "Because you're a liar, a cheat and an imposter!"
Chen tried to run away, but the Generals cursed him as well, and no even dared to stop him. Not even Chen's daughter, Skylar, helped save him from a curse that he deserved.
The army was defeated and the vortex disappeared, leaving the victory to the Ninja and all the people of Ninjago. But of course, there was a sense of loss, as a great Sensei and father was lost to them forever.
Lloyd looked down in his pain from the loss of his father.
"The war is over." Misako said, putting her hand on Lloyd's shoulder, "It had to be done."
The Spirits of the Anacondrai Generals appeared in front of the group and Arcturus looked down at Pythor.
"Thank you, Pythor. You should be rewarded for your courage and bravery. You have made your ancestors proud... finally!"
"Oh, what can I say? Everyone can change."
A bright light shone from the General's hand and lit Pythor up, growing him into his normal size once more.
"That's more like it. Ha, ha!" Pythor laughed at the reward he was given.
Arcturus floated over to Lloyd and bowed, "And thank you, Master Lloyd. Because of your friends, you have done what we never could, united the Serpentine and your kind as one. Yin and Yang would have loved to see this achievement."
"I know that my mother and father would be happy and proud of the Ninja, Serpentine and the people who helped fight in this battle." Anirei said. Arcturus looked over at the girl in silver and his eyes widened.
"I know those eyes." He said, "What is your name, child?"
Anirei smiled, "My name is Anirei Vevila. Daughter of Yin and Yang Vevila. It is an honor to finally meet you, General Arcturus."
"Yin and Yang had a child? I never would have imagined. It is an honor to meet you as well, Anirei Vevila. So much power in those eyes."
"I am grateful for your words, General."
The general smiled at the small group, "Because of all of you, the balance is restored. And Young Master Lloyd, because of your father, our spirits can be free. You will have our eternal respect, as the greatest warriors to ever battle for Ninjago."
Lloyd and the General bowed in respect of each other before Arcturus turned back to Anirei.
"And Anirei Vevila. Your mother and father were two of the greatest warriors I have ever had the honor of meeting. And they were even greater friends. If we meet Yin and Yang in the realm of the Departed, I will speak of you to them."
Anirei smiled and nodded bowing at the general. The Generals then took their leave and disappeared into the other realm, leaving behind the peace that was achieved by the Elemental Fighters, the people and the Serpentine.
~~~~~
Later, as the sun began to set on the day, the Ninja, Wu and Misako all gathered at the top of the canyon's walls, a small fire lit as the tea was poured so that they could drink in honor of those they had lost.
"To the Anacondrai, the greatest warriors of their time." Kai said as Wu poured his tea.
"Yeah. Now it's our turn to make our ancestors proud." Jay said.
"Because we're proud of those who were here before us to show us the way." Lloyd said, clutching the spell book in his hands, "Goodbye, Father."
"His loss will affect us all." Wu said.
"Not his loss, his life." Misako corrected.
"Master Garmadon made us all stronger, and he brought us together." Anirei added with a sad smile. Lloyd smiled at Anirei, and took her hand in his. She simply clutched his hand back, knowing that this goodbye was something far too painful to go through alone.
"I am Lloyd Garmadon, son of Lord Garmadon."
"Student of Sensei Garmadon." Wu added.
"He made me who I am today. He was my father, he was my adversary, but in the end, he was my friend."
"Because of him, we will live to see tomorrow." Zane said.
"And for every tomorrow, we'll live to honor him."
Lloyd took the spell book and threw it into the fire, letting the pages burn to ash never to be used for evil again.
"And because of him, we'll be ready for whatever comes next." Jay said as everyone faced the monument being carved into the Corridor of Elders in honor of Garmadon.
"Skeletons, snakes, Nindroids and Anacondrai wannabes." Cole said, "If they can't stop us, what can?"
"That's for tomorrow to decide." Lloyd said.
"Today we say goodbye to a legend." Anirei said. She let go of Lloyd's hand and stepped forward, sitting on the ledge and cupping her hands together. Anirei smiled as she used her power to create a silver lotus flower. The flower changed it's shape into a beautiful flute decorated with white and black dragons.
"Thank you, Master Garmadon. For all you have done." Anirei said before closing her eyes and playing a simple melody in honor of their lost friend.
The melody was short, but it brought everyone to peace, as if it was carrying their spirits away to a land of comfort and warmth.
Lloyd smiled at seeing Anirei play her flute. It had been some time since he had heard her play, and he almost forgotten how sweet and gentle her music was. It was just as beautiful as her. As gentle as her. And filled his heart with all the love he felt for her.
Little did anyone know....
That someone else heard the music.... laughing as a plan was put in place foe the Ninja's next adventure.
An ill wind was coming, and it would bring forth a storm.