Onyx and the others stood in a secluded orchard, where they had landed in the early morning hours and begun camouflaging their vehicles, whilst Onyx had given Fade a letter for Dareth, who'd been helping keep an eye on the school, and instructed her to head back. "This is a perfect place to lay low. No robots, no cameras, and no problems," Lloyd remarked, glancing around. "Still, if any aerial drones pass overhead, you better wear this," Nya said, tossing him a gi that matched the others'.
Lloyd stepped behind a tree to change, a moment later stepping back out with his golden gi folded nicely in his hands. "Yeah, this is sweet," he said, looking it over. "Green's definitely your color," Onyx remarked, tossing a last branch over Cole's mech and brushing her hands off. Lloyd grinned at the compliment. "Lloyd?" A familiar voice said. Onyx turned as Misako emerged from the trees.
"Mom!" Lloyd exclaimed, giving her a quick hug. Misako looked around at the gathered ninja. "Oh? What are you all doing here? I would've put on some tea if I'd known," she said. Onyx frowned. "The Overlord has returned and taken control of New Ninjago City. He... has Sensei." She had a bit of trouble getting the last part out. She understood why he'd done what he had, but that didn't make it any easier to accept. Misako offered a supportive smile. "Wu's tough. There's a reason he's lived as long as he has," she said.
There was awkward silence for a moment as the ninja looked at the ground. "Well, where's Dad?" Lloyd asked finally. Kai's eyes narrowed, flicking around at the trees. "Yeah, where's Lord Garmadon?" He asked. Onyx glanced up. She'd been wondering about this as well. Misako shook her head. "He no longer goes by Lord. Here, he is Sensei Garmadon, and he won't be back until this evening's lesson," she said kindly but firmly.
Jay cocked his head. "Uh, did you just say Sensei Garmadon?" He asked. Zane nodded. "I'm glad he's on our side now. With Sensei Wu gone, we could use the help," he said. Onyx held back a wince but didn't argue his word choice. Wu was gone, and until they managed to get their act together, it would stay that way. Misako nodded. "Come in, but your weapons are not allowed. Ever since Lloyd saved his father, Garmadon swore an oath to never fight in the hope of making up for his evil past. It's an oath he takes very seriously," she said.
Kai's hand wrapped protectively around his technoblade. "But we were supposed to protect these with our lives," he argued. "And never let them out of our sight," Jay agreed. Zane sighed. "You guys go on ahead. I will stay back and watch over them," he said. The boys cheered, handed Zane their weapons, and took off after Lloyd and Misako. Onyx gave Zane her technoblade. "Should I stay here?" She asked. Zane shook his head. "No, it's alright. I'd like some time to think," he said. Onyx nodded. "Alright then. You should probably take these as well," she said, pulling a few daggers from her socks and handing them to Zane, who raised an eyebrow. Onyx shrugged. "You never know when you might need them," she said before turning and dashing after the others.
Onyx caught up with them in the courtyard. She stepped up to Misako and Nya, watching a group of children crowd around Lloyd excitedly. Onyx grinned as Lloyd crouched down and let the kids climb all over him. "I recognize that look," Misako said suddenly. Onyx glanced over, then realized that she was talking to Nya, who had an expression that she wasn't able to decipher. Onyx followed her gaze to both Cole and Jay. "What look? I wasn't looking!" Nya cried, face turning red. "Two boys, one heart," Misako said. Nya groaned and covered her face. "Am I that obvious? What do I do? Jay's the only one who makes me laugh, but Cole...Cole's not Jay," she said.
Onyx frowned. "Since when were you interested in Cole?" She asked, confused. This was a new development. Either that, or she'd missed something somewhere. "Since Borg's Perfect Match machine told me that Cole's a better fit for me," Nya said. Onyx cocked her head. She didn't know what that machine was, but it wasn't hard to guess. "But it's just a fancy algorithm. It doesn't factor in how you feel," she said. Suddenly, a little girl ran up to Onyx and handed her a flower. "The Green Ninja told me to give you this," she said before running off with a giggle. Across the courtyard, Lloyd sent her a quick wink. Onyx wondered just how much of the event was Kai and Jay's instructions. Still, she wasn't complaining. Onyx smiled and tucked the flower into her lapel.
Nya sighed. "Easy for you to say. You don't need a perfect match to figure that out," she mumbled. Onyx flushed.
(=^･ｪ･^=)(=^･ｪ･^=)(=^･ｪ･^=)(=^･ｪ･^=)
Onyx and the others sat in a row with the other students, awaiting Garmadon's arrival. After a few minutes, a silhouette appeared on the other side of one of the screen doors. Onyx tensed when she noticed that it had four arms, though her brief moment of panic subsided when the door slid open to reveal a young man standing in front of Garmadon, who was still the same elderly man he had been a year ago.
"Ah, my son. So glad you could join us," he said, smiling warmly at Lloyd. "Hey, it's been a while, Father," Lloyd responded. Jay leaned over. "Check out the new Sensei. Looking sharp," he whispered to Cole. "Silence!" Garmadon snapped, smacking Jay over the head with his staff, which elicited a yelp of pain from him. Onyx instinctively winced. She'd been on the receiving end of Wu's whacks more than she cared to admit, and they never failed to hurt.
Garmadon had the tiniest hint of a smirk on his face as he stepped to the center of the room. "Close your mouth and open your ears. Tonight's lesson is the Art of the Silent Fist: To fight without fighting. May I have a volunteer?" He asked, glancing around the room. Onyx thought about volunteering, but Lloyd's hand went up before hers. "How about me?" He said. "The Ultimate Battle: Round Two!" Nya joked. Garmadon nodded. "Attack me. But please, no powers. I happen to like my monastery," he said, waving his hand to prompt Lloyd to make a move.
Lloyd charged at his father, only for the older man to quickly slip aside, causing Lloyd to crash into a table. Onyx noticed the candles set upon it and winced nervously, relieved Lloyd hadn't knocked any over. "You see, the key is balance. Let your opponent fight himself," Garmadon said, ignoring the fact that his son had completely floored himself. Lloyd staggered to his feet and dashed at Garmadon's again. The man easily dodged a flurry of attacks, grinning when Lloyd lost his footing and fell again. "Let the enemy tire himself," Garmadon said, not even winded.
Lloyd dragged himself back to his feet and ran at his father with a frustrated growl. Garmadon easily sidestepped him with a yawn, smirking when Lloyd crashed into a column and fell backwards. "Pupils, I give you the most powerful ninja in all the land, the Golden Ninja," he said. Onyx tilted her head slightly. It was fascinating just how different Garmadon's teaching style was from anything she'd ever experienced. There was an acidic element to it that Wu didn't have.
"Ugh, Lloyd..." Jay groaned, running a hand down his face. Lloyd leapt to his face, eyes narrowed in frustration. Onyx immediately went on edge as he summoned a ball of energy around his hands. This had the potential to escalate. Garmadon put a hand up. "Easy, son. It is only a lesson," he said calmly. Lloyd's eyes widened slightly, and he quickly put his hands down. "Sorry, I don't know what got into me," he apologized immediately. Garmadon put a light hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "You let the anger take over. I know that feeling well." His voice carried a forgiving tone, but also a slight reprimandation. Garmadon waved his hand. "Now, let's divide into groups for individual practice," he said.
Lloyd offered Onyx a hand. "Want to partner up? It's been a while since we last worked together," he asked. Onyx accepted the help up. "Yes, of course," she said, taking her fighting stance across from Lloyd, who did the same. Once they'd both taken their places, Lloyd nodded to show that he was ready.
Onyx aimed a kick at his head, but he ducked underneath and grabbed her other, taking her down. Onyx braced herself for impact, but Lloyd caught her just before she hit the floor and righted her. She nodded her thanks. "You know, I missed working together," Lloyd said as Onyx dodged a strike and slipped under his arm to spin behind him and catch him in a loose chokehold. Onyx nodded. "Yeah, me too. It's nice," she remarked as he used her dashing momentum to flip her over his head, once again catching her before she hit the floor. She wasn't lying. It was nice to be so close to him again. This was a feeling Onyx had missed. Not that she'd ever admit it to anyone but Lloyd. Jay would never let her hear the end of it.
"Yeah. I like spending time with-" Lloyd wasn't able to finish his sentence, because at that exact moment, a female scream sounded from outside. "The Techno Blades!" Kai cried, dashing from the room. Onyx and Lloyd immediately snapped to seriousness and ran after him.
The ninja skidded to a halt outside of the temple when they saw Zane pulling a tied-up nindroid along behind him. It took Onyx only a moment to recognize Pixal's face. "It's Pixal! But how did she find us?" Cole exclaimed. Onyx narrowed her eyes. An excellent inquiry. "How about we take her apart to find out?" Kai growled. Zane tossed the technoblades aside and put his hands up. "Please, she was only doing what she was programmed to do. She may hold many answers, but perhaps there is an easier way," he said, retrieving his blade and activating it. Onyx frowned. This might have been the first time he'd allowed emotion to affect a mission. "No. I-" Jay cut off Garmadon's argument. "Ah, relax. Ain't a weapon, only hacks into things," he said.
Zane gently placed his blade on Pixal's chest. After a brief moment, her eyes went from vibrant red to a gentle blue. "Where am I? Why am I tied up?" She gasped, looking around. Zane placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "You were under the control of the Overlord. How did you find us?" He asked softly. Pixal shook her head. "They've mined Sensei Wu's memory. The Overlord knows all of your hiding places," she answered dazedly. Onyx gritted her teeth. There were certain things she couldn't forgive, and violating someone's very memories had just been added to that list.
"My brother. Is he...is he okay?" Garmadon asked, worry etched on his face. Pixal nodded. "Yes, but the Overlord wants your son. His Golden Power is the only way he can escape the digital realm and become real," she said. Onyx looked at Lloyd. Protecting him had just become even more critical.
Kai looked at the technoblades. "Why did Borg give us the Techno Blades to protect? Why are they so important?" He asked. "Because together, they can reboot the system, wipe the master computer clean, and destroy the Overlord virus for good," Pixal answered. Her eyes were clearing, and her voice was becoming stronger the more she spoke. Suddenly she gasped. Onyx didn't like that sound. It was a gasp of horror.
"What is it?" Nya asked urgently. Pixal's eyes were wide as she answered. "I didn't come alone."
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I'm home! Though I'll be staying with my grandparents again next weekend. Also, I've been watching Ninjago with my little sister. Some highlights are: when she cried when Cole fell during S10, how she jumped around giggling when Jay proposed to Nya, and how her jaw practically hit the floor when it was revealed that Zane was the Ice Emperor. Then she punched me and said "WHAT!? You lied to me! We've been seeing Zane this whole time!?!?" Huh????" It's always an adventure with her. Also, I realized just how mentally f—ked Zane would be after that season, and I am definitely going to use that.
Musical of the Day: Starry (it's about Vincent van Gough. I don't like artists much, but it's a neat musical)