Onyx and the others stood in Dareth's dojo, surrounding a blindfolded Lloyd. "Don't rely on your eyes. Use your ears," Cole instructed as the five drew their weapons, preparing to attack. Dareth walked through the head curtain. "Uh, guys, I'm teaching a class later, so I'd appreciate a clean dojo," he said nervously.
They ignored him, instead rushing at Lloyd. Onyx held back, watching the others attack as she leapt up and perched in the ceiling rafters, waiting for the right moment to leap down and strike. Lloyd dodged a barrage of attacks, kicking Zane's shurikens away, ducking under Cole's scythe, catching Jay's nunchucks, and leaping over Kai's swords. Lloyd grabbed Cole's scythe from him and leapt up, using it as a support to spin around and kick each of the boys in the jaw, knocking them back. Jay fell into Dareth's trophy cabinet, sending the plastic cups clattering to the floor.
Dareth gave an alarmed cry. "Ah! No, no, no, no, no, no no no, no, no!" He muttered repeatedly as he ran around picking up the trophies and hurriedly opening a window to prevent Jay, who had just been kicked across the room by Lloyd, from breaking it. Dareth quickly snapped the window shut, trapping Jay outside.
Now that the others were down, Onyx decided to make her move. She waited until Lloyd was directly under her before dropping down. To her surprise, Lloyd flawlessly dodged the attack, and she staggered upon hitting the ground, unprepared to land on wood instead of flesh. Lloyd took advantage of her vulnerability to drop down and kick her legs out from under her.
Onyx crashed to the floor, landing on her back and banging an elbow on the wood. Lloyd pushed the blindfold up, extending a hand. "Are you alright?" He asked. "Yeah, I'm fine. How did you know I was there?" Onyx asked, accepting his hand. "The wood creaked a little when you jumped. And I can usually tell when you're around. You have a strong presence," Lloyd answered. Onyx frowned, unsure of what that meant. Maybe it had to do with elements. After all, he was in tune with all of them.
Before anyone could say anything else, the television in the corner of the dojo beeped loudly and turned on, showing the face of Gayle Gossip, a somewhat well-known news reporter. "NGTV reporter Gayle Gossip on the scene of what appears to be an earthquake rocking the city of Ninjago. But it's an earthquake like no other, as scientists have yet to pinpoint the cause. And more frightening still, the aftershocks are getting stronger," she said.
The ninja glanced at each other, faces grim. "What do you think it could be?" Cole asked. "Wouldn't be surprised if it was Garmadon. We haven't seen him for a while," Kai suggested. "He would never. Lloyd's father is evil, but he would never do anything to put his son in harm's way," Misako said, her and Wu suddenly running into the dojo. Wu nodded. "Misako's right. He only tried to thwart his training. This is something else," he agreed. Onyx frowned. That first part wasn't necessarily true. The Grundal had almost killed all of them.
Jay, who had followed them in, ran a hand through his hair, messing up the style and fluffing it up. "Then what is it?" He asked. Zane stuck his head out of the window and placed his fingers in his mouth, giving a piercing whistle. The Falcon flew down from the rooftop and landed on his arm, tilting its head. "My friend, be my eyes and look for danger in the streets from above," Zane ordered, flicking his wrist as the Falcon took off. When it was gone, Onyx turned to the others. "In the meantime, we should get out on the streets and keep people safe. If these quakes keep getting worse, there could be serious damage," she said.
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Onyx gasped and nearly lost her footing as the ground shook with the most violent tremor yet, so strong that it opened a crack in the ground. She sucked air through her teeth. It was only a matter of time before buildings started coming down. Her eyes widened with alarm as a woman dashed across the street, calling for the poodle standing on the other side. Before she could make it across, the ground shook again, and the ground under her began to collapse.
"Guys!" Onyx shouted, dashing for the woman. She leapt off of the edge, trusting the others to catch her. Sure enough, as her hands clamped around the woman's wrists, Lloyd grabbed her ankles. "I've got her! Pull us up," he shouted to Cole, who was supporting the entire chain of ninja. "Got it!" Cole said, beginning to step back. As he did, the ground yet again vibrated, causing him to slip forward. Onyx's throat tightened as she slid farther down into the crevasse. It was deep enough that falling in would definitely result in broken bones, and that was at the very least.
Onyx heard the sound of a dog whining irritatingly as Cole managed to regain his footing and continue pulling. Finally, he got everyone back up onto the street. "are you alright, ma'am?" Onyx asked the woman, who nodded and swept up her dog. "Yes, thank you," she gasped. "No sweat," Lloyd said. "Hah. Speak for yourself," Cole murmured, rubbing his bicep. "I would recommend you evacuate the city or get to a safe place," Zane said. The woman nodded and dashed off.
"These quakes keep coming with no warning," Kai said. Misako gasped suddenly, her brown eyes widening. "That's it! A warning. The scrolls said the earthquakes would be a warning. A warning for something far worse to come," she cried, slapping a scroll down on a car hood. It depicted images of black tendrils bursting from the ground and terrified civilians fleeing from them. "Far worse? What could be far worse!?" Jay exclaimed, waving his hand at the crevices that had opened up all around them.
Onyx narrowed her eyes at the scroll. "That definitely looks worse than our current situation," she said. Cole's eyes sparked with realization. "Misako, the indestructible Stone Warrior we fought yesterday. Where did you find him?" He asked urgently. Onyx realized what he was getting at. "He was buried under the city," Misako answered. Jay gasped. "You don't think there's more, do you?" He asked nervously. Onyx swallowed hard. "If the Overlord had enough to use as an army, and they're indestructible, then... yes. I think there's more," she said. Wu's eyes darkened. "Be on guard, ninja. We must be ready for whatever comes our way," he said.
"Gah!" Onyx gave a pained cry as a bolt of pain stabbed between her eyes. "Onyx, what's wrong?" Lloyd asked immediately. Onyx took a few breaths to let the pain dull before speaking. As the sensation faded, she became aware of a new one coming from beneath her feet. "I-there's something dark beneath us," she said, staring down at the street. Wu's eyes widened. "It is as I feared," he whispered. At the same moment, Zane's hand flew to his temple. "Another Stone Samurai Warrior is loose on the streets!" He exclaimed, whipping in the direction the signal had come from.
Onyx gritted her teeth against the power of the presence as it grew stronger. "They're coming!" She cried, drawing her katanas, even though she knew they wouldn't do much good. Just as she finished speaking, stone arms burst from the ground, opening even more craters, from which Stone Warriors emerged. "No no no no no!" Kai gasped, reaching for his weapon. "We're under attack!" Wu shouted, spinning his staff.
Onyx and the others ran around on the streets, getting as many people to safety as they could. "Nya, find an evacuation point for the people!" She shouted into her intercom. "I'm already on it! Get whoever you can to the top of the Ninjoctan office building on Sekiyu Street!" Nya replied. Onyx nodded. "Got it!" She knew the one. It was the main building for Ninjago's largest oil company and had a helicopter pad on the roof that would work for the Bounty.
Onyx saw the other ninja standing around Gayle Gossip, her cameraman, and Dareth. She ran over to them. As she did, the Raider screeched up. The cockpit popped open, and Wu hopped out. "We have to protect the people. Gather as many as you can and get them to our evacuation point," he ordered. Nya's voice suddenly came through the radio on the Raider. "We've got problems with that evacuation point, guys. I can't find a safe place to land!" She cried. Onyx ran a hand through her hair. This was shaping up to be a devastating attack.
"The NGTV office building has a helipad on the roof," Gayle volunteered. Onyx nodded. "That'll work," she said. "Lloyd, tell Nya to head there," Wu shouted. Lloyd nodded and leaned into the radio, giving Nya the instructions. Gayle whipped back to her camera. "Citizens of Ninjago who have yet to evacuate the city, head to the NGTV building rooftop. Our heroic ninja will evacuate you from there! But hurry. We're running out of time," she said urgently.
"We've got company!" Kai announced, nodding his head towards the end of the street, where a horde of Stone Warriors were heading towards them. Onyx and the others drew their weapons and stood close to each other, forming a wall between the warriors and Gayle. Wu looked back at Misako. "And you, stay safe. Keep out of trouble," he said. She looked past the ninja at the warriors and shook her head. "Looks like that won't be possible," she said.
Lloyd leapt out of the Raider, landing beside the others. He planted his heels and gritted his teeth. "Stand your ground!" He ordered, voice soft and determined. Onyx narrowed her eyes, preparing herself for whatever would come next.
Just as the Stone Warriors were about to reach them, the Ultra Dragon and Fade swept down from the sky, slapping away the soldiers like flies. "Yeah!" Jay gave an excited whoop. "Protect the people!" Onyx shouted to Fade, who nodded and took back off into the sky when the dragons had cleared the street.
"Lloyd, did you practice your Elemental Quakes?" Wu asked. Lloyd grinned at him. "Who needs to practice when you're a natural?" He asked, leaping up and slamming his fists into the ground, forming rock walls that blocked in the fallen Stone Warriors. He turned to the Ultra Dragon as the other boys leapt into the tank and Onyx perched on top. "Thanks, boy. Now see if you can help us find a way out of here," he ordered, leaping up beside Onyx, who gave him a slight nod.
The Ultra Dragon roared and blasted the ground with Shard's head, forming a ramp of ice. "Hang on tight!" Cole shouted, revving the gas and blasting up the ramp, sending the Raider airborne and over the waves of Stone Warriors. Onyx nearly flew off when they hid the ground with a thud that rattled her bones, but Lloyd grabbed her shoulder and steadied her. She gave him a nod of thanks. "Good! Now go help Fade!" Lloyd ordered the Ultra Dragon, which growled and obeyed.
Onyx leaned down, holding tightly to the Raider as they blasted through the streets, plowing through warriors at every turn. The same pain as earlier suddenly jabbed through her head, causing her to gasp. "You okay?" Lloyd shouted over the sound of the wind whistling in their ears. Onyx nodded. "I-I think so. That presence I felt with the warriors is back," she said. Lloyd frowned. "That can't be good," he murmured to himself.
Onyx told herself it was just how many Stone warriors were around them, but she couldn't shake the feeling that this was something different. It felt like something had been set into motion that they couldn't stop.
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When the ninja finally reached the NGTV building, they dashed inside and immediately began barricading the doors. "Everyone head to the stairwell!" Zane shouted to the terrified citizens in the lobby. They immediately stampeded for the stairs and began dashing up them. "Be careful not to hurt anyone! Don't push!" Onyx shouted, trying to reign in the chaos at least a little bit.
Dareth scoffed. "Stairs? It's twenty floors. Let's just take the elevator, guys," he said. Onyx gave him a disappointed look. Surely he knew better. "It's unwise to take the elevator during an emergency, Dareth," Zane cautioned, saying what Onyx was thinking with nicer wording. "Well, I think I'll take my chances," he said.
He immediately changed his tune when the elevator opened and a Stone Warrior leapt out. He shrieked and hit the down button, the doors closing just in time. "Okay, stairs it is. Let's get climbing, everybody!" Dareth shouted, turning and joining the crowd. Onyx, Zane, and Kai kept up the rear while Cole, Lloyd, and Jay stood at the top of the stairs and funneled the people onto the roof and directed them to the Bounty.
When the ninja finally met up, they glanced back at the stairs. "We must buy time for our getaway," Zane said. The six spun into Spinjitzu, knocking the warriors over the side of the stairs and pushing them back. They stood right back up at the bottom and roared in fury. "Gah, these guys are tough!" Lloyd exclaimed. "Hopefully we bought enough time," Cole said. "Well we don't get refunds, so let's go!" Onyx shouted, grabbing Lloyd and Kai and pulling them up the stairs with her.
On the roof, Jay and Kai ushered people onto the Bounty, Cole and Zane kept things as calm as possible, and Onyx and Lloyd stood sentry by the doorway. "Hurry, they're coming!" Lloyd shouted as the warriors came into view, a few flights from the top. Misako suddenly gave an alarmed cry. "My research!" She shouted, dashing over to them. "No, Mom. It's too dangerous to go back!" Lloyd pleaded. Onyx opened her mouth to argue, but the look on Misako's face, a determined fire, stopped her. There was no stopping the woman.
"It's too important to leave behind," Misako said, giving Lloyd a quick kiss before running off down the stairs. Lloyd's face made Onyx's heart ache. A desperate, young terror. "Lloyd, we can't stay here," she said softly. "But-but she's..." Lloyd stuttered. "Now, now!" Kai shouted, desperately beckoning to them. "I'm sorry, but we have to go!" Onyx yelled as the Stone Warriors reached the final flight, grabbing his hand and practically dragging him onto the ship.
When they boarded, Lloyd took in a shaky breath, his eyes hardening with determination. "Nya, get ready!" He ordered. "We have to hurry!" Onyx added as Stone Warriors flooded onto the roof and began to claw at the engines. She and Lloyd began to throw empty tea crates at them, but that did nothing. "They just keep coming!" Lloyd shouted. Nya gasped as a red light went off on the dashboard and one engine began smoking. "Oh, no. This is bad. We have everyone. We've gotta get out of here. Our only remaining booster won't last much longer!" She shouted.
Lloyd's facade cracked. "We have to wait for my mom. I just got her back!" He cried. "I'll go after her!" Wu suddenly shouted, dashing by the two and leaping from the ship as it ascended. "No!" Onyx shouted, lunging for him. Her fingers just barely brushed his back, but she couldn't grasp onto him. "Sensei!" She cried, watching him vanish among the horde of warriors. Onyx clambered up on the edge of the ship, preparing to jump as her mind went to the worst-case scenarios.
"Onyx, no!" Lloyd shouted, his arms wrapping around her and yanking her back. "Let go! I can't let him go alone!" Onyx shouted, trying to elbow Lloyd. "Onyx, stop! If Sensei wanted you to go with him, he would've brought you!" He said intensely. "He's right. We can't afford to lose a ninja," Kai's voice said. Onyx stopped struggling, falling back against Lloyd, who hugged her. "It's okay. Sensei will be okay," he said.
The look on Onyx's face was almost impossible to look at. It was a vulnerable, pained look. For a moment, she looked like the child that she had once been, before everything had been turned on its head. Then she nodded. "I'm sorry. I was stupid," she said, taking her weight off of Lloyd and standing. "Let's-" Onyx swallowed hard, collecting herself. "Let's go. We have to-" she was cut off by a thud behind her.
She whipped around, expecting to see a Stone Warrior, but was instead confronted by the sight of Wu and Misako standing in the middle of the deck, a bit scuffed but otherwise unharmed. Wu barely had time to dust himself off before Onyx lunged at him, yanking him into a hug, accidentally knocking his hat off in the process, which Misako caught before it could blow away.
"Onyx, I'm alright," he said. Onyx stayed where she was for a moment longer before stepping back. "I know. I just needed to do that," she said. Wu had scared her. He had become the father she had lost, and the thought of losing that terrified her. "I told you," Lloyd said, stepping up beside her and placing a hand on her shoulder. Onyx glanced away from him. "Yes, well... I needed to see it to believe it," she said, turning and walking below deck.
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It's three days until Christmas. Where the heck did the rest of the year go? Anyway, happy holidays!
Musical of the Day: Death Note (yes, there's a musical. No, it's not in English, though there are translations for the songs, yes, I sang one for an audition and got a role, yes, you need to watch it)