Warning: super long chapter (10,000+ words). It has no great importance to the overall story.
Unfortunately, I'm not very pleased with how this chapter turned out. There will be a short, poorly written summary at the end of the chapter if you want to somewhat know what went on without having to read all this mess. There will also be an important question that I need you to answer at the end of the chapter. Please don't forget to comment and vote :)
Nya was going stir crazy. No way was she going to sleep now, not with half the Resistance out and about running all over Ninjago. Why wasn't she out there?! What could she possibly do to help make trouble for the Sons of Garmadon if she was stuck babysitting two old ladies, an insufferable bounty hunter, a metal bender, a fake brown ninja, and an invisible man?!
Okay... maybe that was a bit harsh, but Nya was still very shaken up over everything and exhausted and just overwhelmed. To prevent sadness from setting in, she chose to remain angry. Anger seemed far easier to deal with than sadness.
Honestly, she was tempted to set out on her own that night and had just about made up her mind to go when she counted the sleeping shapes of the Resistance and noticed that someone was missing. She had to count everyone multiple times before she finally realized that Tox was the one missing.
She began to panic slightly. Lloyd had left her in charge and it wouldn't look good for her if Tox went out and ended up dying. Plus, the Resistance needed every single person they had. As she searched for Tox, it got her thinking and opened her eyes to how idiotic her own plan to go out by herself was. If she died, that would leave Lloyd the last Ninja standing. He had already been through so much trauma, he didn't deserve to be left alone as well.
'Alright, point taken, Lloyd,' she thought in surrender.
Much to her relief, she finally found Tox in the computer room, staring idly at the security camera feed. Nya silently scolded herself for not having the thought of assigning someone to monitor them earlier.
Without turning to look at her, Tox inquired in a dull tone, "Were you about to go out and face Garmadon alone?"
"Yes. For a while I thought you had already gone out," remarked Nya, not seeing any point in lying.
It felt strange for Nya to suddenly be talking with Tox. First of all, she barely knew anything about the Master of Poison. Second, ever since her adventure with Nadakhan, poison in general made her feel uneasy. Third, Tox seemed to have a very dark, violent personality.
Tox gave a small chuckle and swiveled her chair around to face Nya. It was evident she had been crying. "I'm mad and of course I want revenge, but I'm not stupid enough to face Garmadon head on. I know how to kill and kill well. It's better to wait for the perfect opportunity to strike instead of wasting the chance to do any real damage on a pointless suicide mission."
The way Tox said that made Nya feel slightly disturbed. Kill. Yes, all Nya had wanted to do was avenge her brothers and sensei. Earlier, she had desired nothing more than to drive her spear straight through the hearts of those who had hurt her family; but now, seeing Tox as bitter she was helped clear the furious fog that had enveloped her mind. It was as if looking at someone who mirrored her own murderous intentions magnified the fact that killing someone, no matter how evil they were, was wrong.
She paused and ask herself, 'Is this what my brothers would have wanted? What would they say if they saw me in this awful condition? Is this what Sensei trained us to do?'
A true Ninja should seek justice, not revenge. Bitterness and the thirst for revenge were what had driven Harumi to becoming a villain. Nya was determined to not become the same person she was trying to defeat.
Nya tried to explain her slowly changing, more rational thought pattern aloud to Tox. "Y'know, I'm beginning to realize that what Karlof and Lloyd said earlier was right. If we do fight and kill recklessly like our enemies, then how much better are we than them?"
Tox seemed confused by Nya's sudden change in attitude. "What? I thought just earlier you were ready to go cut Garmadon's head off with me."
"Oh, I still want to—believe me, I do—,but that doesn't mean I should," reasoned Nya. "I don't want to end up being like Harumi."
"Ooooh, right. I forgot for a sec. You're a Ninja. You got 'morals and honor' to uphold," sneered Tox. "Well, news flash, I'm no Ninja. Already today, I probably killed at least ten Sons of Garmadon members in revenge for my kids."
"Your kids?" questioned Nya, now suddenly noticing the dried blood on Tox's clothes. "I mean, I knew you knew them, but you sound like you're really, really close to them."
"Yeah," sighed Tox. "They're one of the few reasons I actually want to live and get up each morning. I'm pretty sure Luka, er... Mr. Pale feels the same." She gave a pained laugh and quickly wiped her tears eyes. "Sorry, I must sound really stupid and emotional right now."
"No, no. It's fine," reassured Nya. She was beginning to get the idea that even though Tox put up a vicious attitude and dark personality, she definitely had a softer, loving side to her as well. "I've cried and screamed a lot since this whole ordeal went down; although, most of it's been out of anger instead of grief. I'm honestly a bit scared of what'll happen if... if I do let the sadness sink in. I doubt I'll be of much use to the Resistance if I'm an emotional wreck."
"Yeah, but you aren't much use to it anyways if Lloyd's too scared to let you go anywhere because he thinks that you'll murder every Sons of Garmadon member you come across," pointed out Tox.
"Heh, I think the last time I talked to Lloyd in complete sentences was when I was screaming in his face about killing Garmadon and Harumi," admitted Nya ashamedly.
"Well there ya go. When Lloyd gets back, at least convince him you're stable enough to make sane choices," advised Tox.
"I am stable," huffed Nya indignantly. "If he truly wants to see the definition of lunatic, he should take a look at Ultra Violet."
"Lloyd doesn't think so," disagreed Tox with a slight smirk. "He's certain your dead set on killing Garmadon and Harumi, and he probably thinks that I'm a trigger happy maniac now."
They both chuckled a bit then went quiet. In the comfortable silence, Tox suddenly remembered something.
She pulled out a lightly crumpled envelope from her pocket and handed it to Nya. "Oh, before I forget. Here. This is for you. I could tell Mr. Pale totally forgot to give it to you earlier so I pickpocketed him. It's from some nice lady called Edna."
Nya couldn't think straight as she received the letter. She didn't even question how Tox got the letter as she began to open it with shaking hands until Tox abruptly stopped her. "Wait. Don't open it in here. I don't wanna have to deal with your tears."
"Alright. I'll leave," laughed Nya, knowing full well that she probably was going to end up bursting into tears once she read whatever Edna had to say.
As she stood to leave, some commotion on one of the monitors caught her eye. The video feed was too blurry to make out what exactly was going on. She figured she'd check it out once she finished reading Edna's note.
She wandered down the darkened halls until she came to a small, secluded area with a substantial amount of light where she could read and perhaps end up crying in solitude. She took a deep breath as she opened the letter to find Edna's familiar, slightly messy handwriting scrawled on the paper.
Dear sweet Nya,
We already heard of Jay's death. I know the news must have been heartbreaking, just as it was for me and Ed. I imagine that you must be taking it perhaps even harder than we are, but do not blame yourself for his death, dearie. He knew the dangers of being a Ninja, but he still continued because he loved his job and he loved you.
One of the last conversations I had with him was about you and him. He told me that the reason he wanted to keep fighting was because he wanted to make Ninjago a safe place where you and him could raise a family together. He truly loved you so, so much. I know he would want you to forgive yourself and to continue to fight for Ninjago.
In a small pouch inside this envelope, you will find a half medallion as well as a ring that Jay was planning to give you. He hoped that you would accept his proposal to be his Yang. In Jay's words to me, "Nya is the most amazing, beautiful, and talented woman in all of Ninjago. She lights up my world whenever she walks into the room. She's my better half that keeps me balanced I really want—no, need her to be my Yang. Without her, my life would be dark and meaningless."
The ring was for when he also planned to eventually propose to you in marriage when he figured the time was right. I know all this must be difficult to take in and I am so, so sorry that you had to find out this way. Don't ever forget that Jay loved you so much and so do we. You are a part of our family.
Love,
Ed and Edna Walker
Nya marveled at the way Edna seemed to know exactly what to write down to comfort her and wound her at the same time. Edna's reminder to love and forgive herself seemed to help release a weight on her heart that Nya didn't even realize she carried.
She realized that deep down, she actually did blame herself for not being able to save Jay and that was one of the major reasons why she was trying so hard to get back at the Sons of Garmadon. She wanted to somehow "make it up" to Jay and her brothers in order pay some nonexistent debt.
Jay.
Just the thought of him was enough to bring tears to her eyes. Nya was absolutely terrified to see the medallion and ring from Jay, but she also couldn't bear to not see them. She eventually summoned enough courage to open the small pouch.
She gasped at the sight of half of a gorgeous gold medallion and sparkling sapphire ring. A few tears slid slowly down her face as she slipped the ring onto her finger. It was a perfect fit. She gently ran her fingers along the beautiful Yang half of the medallion and silently wondered if Jay had had the Yin half with him when he died.
A tidal wave of emotions and regrets seemed to crash down upon Nya. Oh how she longed for the chance to give Jay one last kiss and let him know how much she truly loved him!
Still stubbornly willing herself to not break down and begin sobbing, she quickly stood and wiped the tears from her eyes, deciding to go check on the disturbance outside to distract herself from her grief.
The source of the commotion outside was just what she suspected, the Sons of Garmadon; but what she didn't expect to see was her parents in the middle of the brawl. For a moment, Nya stood frozen and watched in awe as her parents gracefully fought the Sons of Garmadon.
Apparently their skill as partners on the battlefield had not been lost during their time with Krux as they still managed to wordlessly signal to each other what they were doing and play beautifully off one another. Just because they did not possess their Elements anymore did not mean that they still couldn't fight masterfully.
Maya delivered a swift Wing Chun punch to one biker then leaped nimbly out of the way as Ray performed a flawless spinning hook kick and incapacitated the man completely.
It was a small band of bikers, only eight; and of the eight, only two possessed firearms. When Nya saw one of the men begin to aim their gun at her mother, she finally snapped out of her awe inspired daze and leaped into battle. With the help of Nya, they were able to quickly defeat the rest of the bikers.
Once they had all caught their breath, her parents exclaimed in unison, "Nya!"
"We've been looking all over the city for you and Kai!" cried Maya as she threw her arms around her daughter.
Ray smiled at the sight of the embrace. "Yes, we came to New Ninjago City as soon as we heard the news that Garmadon had conquered it. It wasn't easy considering most people are fleeing from the city instead of traveling to it."
Nya felt nauseous. Her parents had no idea what had happened to Kai.
"Nya, is something wrong? Where's the rest of your team?" questioned Ray. His smile began to fall when he noticed Nya's scared, sickened expression.
Tearing up, Nya quickly motioned to her parents to follow her into the Resistance's hideout. Once inside, she broken-heartedly explained everything that had taken place and what terrible calamity had befallen her brother, boyfriend, and teammates.
Maya buried her face in her hands and began to sob, grieving as only a mother could after losing their child. It broke her heart to have to face the reality that she had lost her son again, but this time, she could not hold onto hope that he would perhaps find her or come back.
Ray had gone tense, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. Fury smoldered in his amber eyes and hot, angry tears ran down his face. He could hardly believe that just a short time after reconnecting with his son, Kai was gone. Knowing that her husband was furious, Maya gently placed her hand atop his fist as a silent reminder to just breath. He was not alone in his grief.
Hardly any words were exchanged after Nya had finished recounting the tragic events that had taken place. The last memory Nya had of that night before going to sleep was her and her parents sharing a sad embrace. During their embrace, she repeated tearfully over and over, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Hmmm, this place seems quiet. Too quiet,' thought Shade warily. Slipping out of New Ninjago City had been extremely easy, a bit too easy for his liking, but he supposed he should take advantage of it while it lasted. The combination of night along with the shadow and gloom that accompanied Garmadon's reign were the best possible conditions for Shade to travel completely unnoticed.
Carefully, he crept up to Bolobo's secluded cabin that was situated somewhat deeply within Ninjago's Eastern Forest. He immediately knew that something was wrong when he saw that most of the cabin's windows were busted in and the door was ripped off its hinges. Numerous bullet holes decorated the front of the cabin, adding to its ravaged appearance.
As he warily slinked into the darkened cabin, his heart dropped at the sight of the Sons of Garmadon logo messily painted on one of the walls. He also noticed with a fright that streaks of dried blood covered the floor. Yep, they had definitely gotten to Bolobo long before Shade could.
He began to look about the ransacked cabin for any trace of Bolobo's wife and daughter. He hoped to find evidence that they had managed to escape. His search was soon interrupted by the sound of a rifle being cocked and a gruff voice ordering him to identify himself.
Shade turned around slowly, preparing himself for a fight, but was surprised to find Basil, Bolobo's older twin standing in the broken doorway, brandishing a rifle. Apparently Basil was also startled to see Shade instead of a Sons of Garmadon member.
Immediately, he lowered the rifle. "Shade? If you're looking for Bolobo, he's not here. The Sons of Garmadon came and hauled him off."
"Yeah, I kinda figured that out considering their logo is painted on the wall over there," replied Shade with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Where exactly did they take Bolobo, and are Serenity and Blossom alright?"
"I don't know what happened or where they took him, but I don't think they've killed Bolobo, at least not yet. And yeah, Serenity and Blossom are fine, Bolobo made sure of that. They're staying at my place right now," explained Basil.
"Well, that's one less Elemental Master for the Resistance," sighed Shade in disappointment.
"Yeah, I'm real sorry 'bout that," apologized Basil.
"Um, maybe I can contribute something to help?" offered Basil. He snapped his fingers. "Hey! Does the Resistance need any medical supplies? Bolobo stockpiles that stuff like crazy."
Not one to turn down such an offer since the Resistance was essentially grasping at whatever straws they could, Shade accepted, "Sure, I'll take whatever I can get. But, are you sure Bolobo won't mind that you're giving away his stuff?"
"Nah, I'm sure he won't care," dismissed Basil. "It's all for a good cause, right?"
Shade departed from the cabin shortly after collecting all the medical supplies he could carry. He was definitely disheartened by the fact that he was too late to save Bolobo. Since he still had the rest of the night left, Shade set out to track down Gravis, hoping to recruit at least one Elemental Master to the Resistance.
Sadly, Basil had no clue as to where Gravis was. Since Gravis was somewhat of nomad and enjoyed traveling all over Ninjago, all Shade could do was hope that Gravis was in New Ninjago City or at least close to it. He asked around as nonchalantly as possible about the whereabouts of the Master of Gravity and found that Gravis actually was somewhere in New Ninjago City. All Shade had to do was find him in the huge city.
It was pure chance that Shade managed to run into Gravis, literally. Gravis had just flown over a building while fleeing from some bounty hunters and landed safely behind it when Shade came bolting around the corner and collided with him. The impact sent Gravis sprawling to the ground while Shade stood there, rubbing his now aching head.
"Shade!?" blurted Gravis as soon as he was on his feet again.
"Gravis!? I can't believe I found you!" gaped Shade, not believing his blind luck at finding the Master of Gravity.
Of course, that small amount of luck did not last as the bounty hunters that were after Gravis quickly surrounded both of them. A small nod of affirmation was all they needed from each other before they began to take out the bounty hunters together. They both felt hopeful as they managed to easily deal with their opponents. Shade still fought well despite being weighed down by the medical supplies strapped to his back.
The temporary moment of hope died the minute some bikers that Shade had been trying to hide from came to aid the bounty hunters in capturing the Elemental Masters. Slowly, both Shade and Gravis put their arms up in surrender, realizing that they were no match against the heavy firepower their opponents wielded.
"Well, fancy meeting you here, Shade. I'm guessing you need me to join the Resistance?" questioned Gravis, seemingly ignoring the fact that they were surrounded by the Sons of Garmadon.
"Yeah," answered Shade uncertainly. "I—"
Without warning, Gravis rapidly thrust his arms forward and up, using his Element to send Shade flying away and out of the reach of the Sons of Garmadon before they could do anything to stop him. Hoping that Shade would land somewhere safe, Gravis turned to deal with the now highly displeased bikers and bounty hunters.
A bold biker swiftly tackled Gravis and cuffed him in vengestone before he got any ideas to send the rest of them flying into oblivion. Gravis went with them peacefully because he had heard Garmadon's decree earlier about hunting down the Elemental Masters and did not want to give his captors a reason to present his carcass to Garmadon. While not happy about not having the chance to offer assistance to the Resistance, he was silently pleased with himself for at least keeping Shade safe.
Shade screamed, a little higher pitched than he cared to admit, as he hurtled through the air. What had possessed Gravis to throw him like that?! Shade was relieved and disgusted when he finally crash landed into a large pile of garbage that had been accumulating ever since the Sons of Garmadon had taken over the streets.
Exhausted and sore, Shade slowly made his way back to the Resistance, feeling somewhat humiliated for failing to find at least one ally. Unfortunately for him, Gravis had hurled him in the opposite direction of the base so it was going to take while to make it back.
'Ugh, I hope Lloyd has a better plan than just relying on the Elemental Masters for help because the odds are already looking bad with or without them.'
Shade knew the value of strength in numbers. He had felt hopeful earlier at the aspect of gaining more allies for the Resistance, but from what he could see, Garmadon's power over Ninjago was tightening and the potential to gather those brave enough to oppose him was fading fast. His spirits fell as he realized that if they could not find anyone else to join them in their stand, then the new emperor would have very little difficulty snuffing out the small spark of hope that the Resistance offered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cautiously, Skylor leaped from rooftop to rooftop. When she finally arrived at the famed Ninjago University, she was completely unprepared for the sight she was met with. Apparently the Sons of Garmadon had decided to trash and burn the place as a way to say, "Hey, we own Ninjago, and we can do whatever we want."
A ragtag group of volunteer firemen were still putting out the last of the devastating fire, and only a handful of paramedics were available to tend to what seemed like hundreds of injured people. It was tragic to see the once famed Ninjago University now reduced to nothing more than a pile of ashes.
Skylor scanned the scene, wondering if Griffin had fled or been caught in the fire. A man zipping speedily in and out of the crowd grabbed her attention. He was covered in ash and soot and seemed to be having a very heated, emotional talk on the phone with someone while rushing to an empty area.
Not wanting to interrupt but still needing to make sure this man was Griffin, Skylor silently followed him. As she got closer, she began to hear bits and pieces of the conversation.
"I don't care that the city is to dangerous to travel in! For the love of the First Spinjitzu Master, just come see your son! He's on his deathbed for crying out loud!"
Tears were dripping down Griffin's face.
"He's not a failure!"
Pause.
"Maybe he hasn't met your expectations of a 'good' son, but Justin is still an amazing person and he's done so much better with his life than meet your stupid goals! He legit sacrificed himself to save a bunch of people tonight! Don't you love your son! All he wants is to see you for one last time!"
Another tense pause.
"Woah, wait! Go ahead and insult me all you want, but don't you dare try to pin his death on me! We both made the decision to risk our own butts to save countless lives tonight! I never forced him to do anything!
Before the people on the phone had a chance to say anything else, Griffin continued, "Now listen up! All I'm asking you to do is fix your relationship with Justin before it's too late! The only reason I know he's still holding on and breathing right now is because he's waiting for you! He really, really wants to see you again because he knows he didn't end things well with you last time you talked! I know this is shocking news that came outta nowhere, but please give your son a last goodbye!"
Griffin's expression hardened as he listen to them talk. Eventually he ended the call with, "FINE! I'm sorry you care more about your own safety and old grudges than your son! I guess it's almost a good thing that Justin is leaving behind you trashy people!"
He practically punched the end call button and looked ready to fling his phone across Ninjago but then thought better of it and harshly stuffed it into his pocket.
Skylor got the idea that she should probably hang back until Griffin was finished with this whole ordeal before trying to recruit him into the Resistance. It was awful to see the usually chipper, borderline arrogant Master of Speed reduced to such a saddened state. Garmadon's reign was hurting everyone.
Griffin mournfully made his way over to one of the many stretchers in the crowd where on it lay a young man, covered in many grievous burns. One didn't need a medical degree to see that he wasn't going to last for much longer.
Noticing his best friend making his way over to him, Justin opened his smoke-irritated eyes wider and tried to sit up, but failed. He already knew the answer from Griffin's sad expression and slumped posture.
"They're not comin', are they?" rasped Justin, clearly struggling to breath, much less hold a conversation.
"No," answered Griffin softly, leaning in closer so Justin wouldn't have to struggle as much to be heard over all the ruckus.
Justin's face fell and pain, not just from his injuries, shone in his eyes. "Thanks for trying."
"I'm sorry I couldn't do more," apologized Griffin dismally. "If I could've gotten to you faster, we wouldn't even be in this mess."
Justin, knowing his strength was fading fast, mustered up all the energy he could to wheeze to Griffin, "No... it's not your fault. You've done plenty... I'm glad that I... can go knowing... that I died as a hero... thanks for... always being there... for me..."
He looked as though he wanted to say more, but was cut off by a strangled cough coming from his throat. His body gave one single convulsion before going still. His glassy eyes gazing unseeing at the dark sky.
Sobs wracked through Griffin's body as he sank to the ground in grief, pulling his knees to his chest. He felt someone gently place a hand on his shoulder and was surprised to look up and find Skylor kneeling beside him.
"S-Skylor, what are you doing here?" sniffled Griffin. He wiped his tears away as best he could, trying to put up a somewhat strong front but ultimately failing.
Skylor hesitated for a moment. She didn't know if it was best to try and ask Griffin to join the Resistance right then because he was obviously in much emotional distress. Also, it was the first time she had seen Griffin without his signature red shades and she was amazed to discover that he had one electric blue eye and one light brown eye.
She eventually replied with, "I came to warn you that Garmadon's hunting down the Elemental Masters. Considering how well-known you are, I'm sure there are plenty of his henchmen already on their way to capture you."
"They're not fast enough. I'd like to see them try," scoffed Griffin with tears still dripping down his face.
Skylor gave a small smile, pleased to see that Griffin still retained some of his confidence, but it soon turned into a frown when Griffin continued, "But if they do, I don't care. There's no point in trying to survive if all you're going to do is spend the rest of your life living in darkness."
"You're right, that's no way to live," agreed Skylor, a look of determination settling in her eyes. "So don't."
Griffin looked so sad and confused. "What're you talking about? Garmadon's won. Didn't you see? He killed the Ninja. No one's left to save Ninjago."
A brief flash of hurt shot through Skylor at the mention of the Ninja's deaths. "Yes, but have you been keeping up with the latest news? Lloyd and Nya are still alive, and they're forming a militia to stand up against Garmadon, The Resistance. We need you to join us and help us set things right in Ninjago."
"I—I don't know. It seems like too much to take on," hesitated Griffin. "Garmadon killed the original Ninja and their Sensei, who've defeated so many other strong villains in the past. It's obvious that he's the greatest villain in all of Ninjago. I really do wanna help, but Garmadon's probably gonna destroy us all, one way or another."
Griffin gazed despairingly at the smoldering ruins of the great Ninjago University, obviously recalling the deadly blaze that had claimed many lives, including his best friend's.
For some reason, Skylor got the urge to slap the Master of Speed. This was not the Griffin she knew.
"Look, Griffin, I know you must be hurting right now but so are so many other people. You're not the only one who's lost someone important to you. I know you, Griffin. You are not the type of person to just give up when faced with a challenge. Even if Garmadon does destroy us in the end, isn't it better to at least die as a hero who stands in the light than die as a coward who hides in the dark?"
"Skylor, I really, really do wanna join the Resistance, but I'm just so... scared," admitted Griffin softly. "I don't want to die." He sent a pained glance up at the stretcher next to him before quickly looking back towards the ground again.
Skylor pursed her lips, remaining silent as Griffin quietly sobbed beside her. She wasn't sure how to answer him. It was the first time she had seen someone have a genuinely fearful reaction to Garmadon's destruction and admit to their fear.
The main emotions she had seen among the Resistance members were anger, bitterness, doubt, and sadness. She was certain that everyone was fearful, but no one had really openly displayed a huge amount of terror. The real possibility of death hung in the backs of everyone's minds, but no one dared speak of the bleak outcome.
Most of those in the Resistance had the resolve to fight to the death, whether it be for goodness and peace or vengeance for lost loved ones. The only people who Skylor questioned the motives of were Ronin and Mystaké. Perhaps Ronin was only fighting for the good of his business or some other controversial reason? Whatever the case be, at least he was with them and not against. As far as Mystaké went, Skylor had no idea who that lady was.
Skylor knew that Garmadon wanted the people to end up like Griffin, too scared to raise a rebellion, but she refused to allow it. Out of all the Elemental Masters, it was unanimously agreed upon that, despite being annoying, Griffin was everyone's favorite "little brother."
Griffin was the type of person who you just wanted to hug and slap at the same time. He was stupidly confident almost all of the time as well as extremely optimistic, so to see him actually admit to his fears and be so depressed showed just how badly Justin's death had affected him. The Elemental Masters had enough people aboard the angst train, they didn't need Griffin to hop aboard it as well.
"It's natural to be scared of death. I'm sure the whole Resistance is scared in one way or another, but don't let your fear get the best of you. Remember when you all summoned your Elemental Dragons? In order to do that, you had to set aside your fears and doubts. You summoned your dragon so easily. I remember seeing you fight against my father and his army. You showed no fear even though an Anacondrai blade could cut you in half any moment."
"We're facing impossible odds again, but I know if we squash our fears and stand as one like we did with Chen, we can resist Garmadon's rule. We can help save more lives. I know you've just lost someone close to you, but use that to fuel your fighting spirit. Do it for him. Fight for Ninjago."
Once Skylor had finished, she saw that an amused grin had formed on Griffin's face. "What?" she asked, happy to see that she had at least gotten a smile out of him.
"You just sounded a lot like Lloyd," chuckled Griffin.
"I guess that means I've become a master in the art of pep talks if I sounded that much like Lloyd," joked Skylor. She stood up and dusted her gi off. "But seriously, will you join the Resistance? We really need your help, Griffin."
"I'll do it," accepted Griffin as he stood to follow Skylor to the Resistance's base. He was still scared, but deep down, he knew that he couldn't just sit around and wait for someone else to take care of Garmadon.
As they walked away, Skylor saw Griffin take one last grief-strickened glance at his friend's lifeless body. Seeing fear beginning to grip him again, she tried to reassure him, "Hey, don't worry. In the Resistance, almost everyone has lost someone close to them. You're not alone in your grief. We all feel broken inside, but we are all going to get through this together and alive."
Skylor was caught off guard when Griffin suddenly hugged her. "Thanks. I needed that. Sorry I'm being such a wuss."
Skylor quickly returned his hug. "No, it's fine. You've suffered a hard loss. You can grieve, but I just don't want it to consume you and make you so scared that you can't stand up to Garmadon," explained Skylor as she and Griffin released from the tight hug.
"How do you manage to keep yourself together so good?" questioned Griffin.
Skylor shook her head. "You should've seen me earlier when I first heard of Kai's death. I was a mess and my heart still feels broken." She paused to think for a moment. "I guess I just have faith that if I do my part, then things will get better."
"Hey!" exclaimed Griffin. "That sounds like the picture I have er, uhh... had in my dorm. It had this quote on it that I really like. It said something like, 'Keep the faith, hold on. Things will get better. It might be stormy now, but it can't rain forever.'"
"Really? Wow, that's cool!" beamed Skylor.
In his head, ever since he had been trying to rescue people from the fire, Griffin had been telling himself to just hold on; but seeing that burning beam fall on his best friend, trying to deal with Justins's uncaring parents, and him dying shortly after had absolutely torn him up. He was incredibly grateful that Skylor had shown up randomly and helped comfort him because if she hadn't, he probably would have ran off and not given a single care as to what happened to anyone, including himself.
'C'mon, Griffin. You got this. Hold it together and do this for Justin.' thought Griffin to himself.
His train of thought was interrupted when he suddenly tripped over an askew manhole cover.
"Are you okay?" questioned Skylor when she noticed him stumble.
"Um, yeah," answered Griffin. He stared at the cover, an idea beginning to form in his mind. "Hey, Skylor. Since Garmadon's got an army, why don't we get one too?"
Skylor tilted her head, confusion written all over her face. "Uh, what? Lloyd's already trying to build an army. That's why I came to get you."
"No, I mean, what about the Serpentine? They helped fight Chen so why not Garmadon too?" explained Griffin.
"Ohhh!" exclaimed Skylor, now understanding what Griffin meant. "That's a really, really great idea! Yeah, let's go!"
Skylor's hope skyrocketed as she and Griffin navigated the filthy sewers. If they had the Serpentine's help, that would easily boost their numbers to match the Sons of Garmadon!
When they finally reached the Serpentine's underground village and brought before Skales, her hopes were soon crushed by Skales' definite, "No."
"But please!" begged Griffin. "With your help, we can easily fight back against Garmadon and probably even win."
"No, we have no need to meddle in the ssssurface dweller'sss affairsss," refused Skales.
"It's not just our problem. Ninjago is our home just as much as it is yours," pointed out Skylor.
Skales motioned towards his small kingdom. "Look at ussss. We live forgotten but at leassst we have peaceful livesss down here, cut off from the world above and itssss dessstruction. Garmadon hasss not bothered usss and we have no wish to gain hisss attention. We will not engage in battlesss that are not oursss to fight."
When both Skylor and Griffin began speaking again, trying convince Skales to change his mind, he silenced them with an angry glare. He hissed, "Guardsss, I do believe that our visssitorssss have overssstayed their welcome."
With that, Skylor and Griffin were escorted out into the open surface.
"Well tonight was a complete bust," huffed Griffin ruefully as he kicked a stray can.
"Not entirely," disagreed Skylor. She looked around, getting her bearings, before deciding on a way back to the hideout.
"Hmmm?" questioned Griffin, yawning as fatigue washed over him.
"We have you in the Resistance now," smiled Skylor.
"But without the Serpentine, how'll—," began Griffin anxiously.
"We don't need the Serpentine. We're Phoenixes, and we'll find a way to defeat Garmadon on our own," assured Skylor firmly. "The Resistance never quits."
Griffin nodded in agreement, too tired to think of anything else to say or ask Skylor what she meant when she spoke of the Phoenix. It amazed him how Skylor kept so much faith in the young, barely able-to-scrape-by Resistance. Her faith helped revive his nearly dead hope. Perhaps if they did come together and persevere, they would be able to defeat Garmadon, but then again... maybe not. Time would tell.
Without any rush of adrenaline sustaining him, Griffin finally began to feel the effects of the strenuous day catching up to him. His legs felt as heavy as lead and his vision was becoming blurry as he trudged behind Skylor. They were almost at the hideout.
Considering the day's events, from rescuing people from a fire for almost the whole day to experiencing a traumatizing loss, it should have come as no surprise to Skylor when his strength eventually gave out. He slumped wearily against a wall, slid down it slowly, and was dead asleep before his behind touched the ground.
Skylor laughed quietly to herself as she carried Griffin bridal style the rest of the short way. She hoped that he could rest peacefully and avoid any cruel nightmares. Shade shot her a bemused look as he arrived at the hideout at the exact same time she had.
As she set Griffin down in a somewhat comfortable area and looked briefly at his soot-covered face sans his sporty red shades, the realization at how young most of the Resistance was suddenly hit her. How many adults went through this kind of suffering in their entire lifetime?
No one deserved this heartache, especially not Lloyd, Nya, and Pixal. They were essentially the youngest of them all, and yet they were the ones who stood at the forefront of the Resistance.
Lloyd, a child forced to grow up too soon and too fast, was now the leader of them all and had to fight against his own father for a second time.
Nya, a young lady who just lost many of the most beloved people in her life, now had to remain strong in order to support the only brother she had left.
Pixal, a formerly emotionless android just newly rebuilt and reunited with her love, was now alone again and in fight for her life alongside the only friends she had.
Fate was just downright cruel.
Oh well, there wasn't much Skylor could do but vow to do whatever was within her power to ease the burden that her friends carried.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The more Lloyd thought about it, the more he began to wonder why in Ninjago had he volunteered himself to go visit Chamille. The closer he got to the address Tox had given to him, the more nervous he got. Though he hated to admit it, Chamille legitimately scared him. For some reason, weeks after the Tournament of Elements, he had had nightmares of Chamille shoving him down one of Chen's trapdoors.
In hindsight, he realized that he probably should have volunteered Mr. Pale. In his rush to keep Nya and Tox from going out, he had completely forgotten that Mr. Pale could disappear. That was a skill that would make it so much simpler for Mr. Pale to travel through the city than for Lloyd coupled with the fact that it wasn't his father who had taken over Ninjago. Plus, Mr. Pale had probably even visited Chamille at least once or twice in the past considering his close connection with Tox and Tox's close connection with Chamille.
All of a sudden, a horrifying thought struck Lloyd. If he, Pixal, or Skylor weren't around, what was to prevent Nya and Tox from simply moseying on out of the power plant and heading straight for Garmadon Tower?!!
"Oh First Spinjitzu Master! PLEASE, PLEAAAASE, keep my friends from doing anything stupid while I'm gone!" prayed Lloyd in desperation as he stealthily jumped over another roof, nearly missing due to his anxious thoughts.
Eventually he reached Chamille's balcony on the fourth floor of a nice apartment complex. He wasn't certain what he should do next. He knew that he couldn't just walk through the front door of the apartment complex because he saw a few Sons of Garmadon members on the premises.
Hesitantly, he tapped on the lightly glass door. It came as no surprise to him when he got no response considering it was nearly midnight. With no other option seemingly available, he guiltily broke into the apartment.
Just as he shut the door quietly behind him, he nearly had a heart attack when a cat pounced on him without warning. It began hissing and yowling as it tried to claw Lloyd's face off. Fortunately, his ninja mask protected him from the worst of the scratches. As he tried to defend himself from the onslaught of claws, Lloyd accidentally bumped into a cat tree which then fell and shattered a glass coffee table in the middle of the room. The noise startled the angry cat and it darted away.
The sound of a blade being unsheathed drew his attention as he looked up to see the silhouette of a man standing across from him in the unlit room. A man. The first thought that flashed through Lloyd's mind was, 'Oh no! I've broke into this random guy's apartment!'
"Look, I'm sorry that—," Lloyd was cut off when he was temporarily blinded by the lights being turned on. When his vision cleared, he found that a katana was being held at his throat.
"Ash!" exclaimed Lloyd, instantly recognizing the Master of Smoke.
Unfortunately for Lloyd, Ash did not seem to recognize him and did not withdraw his blade from his throat.
Lloyd quickly tore off his mask. "Hey wait! It's me, Lloyd!"
Still no reaction or flash of recognition from Ash, just a low growl.
"Ash, wha's goin' on?" slurred a tired voice from the hallway.
Ash's expression looked slightly panicked as he glanced from Lloyd to the figure emerging from the hall.
Slowly Chamille came out into the living room, squinting against the bright lights and looking as though she was ready to fall asleep on her feet. Wearily processing the chaotic scene and watching Ash's frantic motions to her in sign language, her eyes eventually settled on Lloyd.
Her eyes went wide and she suddenly didn't look so tired. "What in the name of Ninjago! Lloyd?! Is that you?!"
Ash hastily signed something to her to which she responded with rolling her eyes and telling him, "Yes, I'm positive it's him. I know he doesn't look the same, but hey, everyone's entitled to a change every once in a while."
Lloyd relaxed as Ash withdrew the katana.
Chamille looked Lloyd up and down but not in a flirtatious manner, raising her eyebrow. "Wow... puberty hit you with a truck and threw you off a cliff."
Lloyd, slightly offended, blurted before he could stop himself, "Yeah? Well, you're pregnant."
He cringed immediately afterwards, realizing how weird and rude he sounded for randomly pointing that out.
Ash glared at him, tightening his grip on his katana.
Chamille just rolled her eyes and responded sarcastically, "No, I just decided to swallow a basketball for fun."
"Sorry, that was weird," apologized Lloyd quickly, his face going red from embarrassment.
"Yes, yes it was," agreed Chamille, not doing much to ease Lloyd's embarrassment. "So, whatcha doin' around here? Does the great green bean have nothing left to do with his life but break into pregnant ladies' homes in the middle of the night?"
"Uh, no!" denied Lloyd vehemently. "I just wanted to see if you could join the Resistance and help us fight my father, but you're obviously uh... preoccupied with other things so I'll just go."
He turned to leave but Chamille stopped him. "Aren't you at least going to clean up the mess you made or do I have to?"
Lloyd felt guilty as he stared down at the shattered pieces of glass strewn about the floor. "Oh, yeah. Of course. Sorry about that."
"Eh, it's fine," dismissed Camille. "I know how crazy Tiger Lily can be when she meets new people, and that wasn't even ours so I don't care."
"Uh, do you have a broom or something I can use?" asked Lloyd, looking around dumbly for anything that would prevent him from cutting himself on the shards of glass.
"Right, almost forgot about that. Uh, Ash, can you grab the broom for Lloyd?" asked Chamille as she sat down heavily onto an armchair that was farthest from the mess. Exhaustion weighed heavy in her eyes.
When Ash came back with a broom in hand instead of his katana and handed it off to Lloyd, Lloyd noticed how fatigued he looked as well. Before he could begin sweeping up the glass, a harsh knock sounded at the door accompanied by a gruff voice ordering, "Open up!"
Lloyd froze, clutching the broom tightly. It was undoubtedly the Sons of Garmadon at the door.
"Ugh, c'mon! I just sat down," groaned Chamille.
With some effort and waving off Lloyd and Ash's attempts to assist her, Chamille stood. "Ash, hide Lloyd," she whispered.
Ash looked hesitant, but an urgent glare from Chamille sent him into action. He grabbed Lloyd's arm and used his Elemental Power to turn both of them into a cloud of vapor.
On her way to the door, Chamille grabbed Tiger Lily who had just jumped up onto the counter.
"Hurry up or we're gonna kick this door down!" shouted man.
"Alright, I'm coming! Just chill for a sec!" yelled Chamille.
She opened the door and was greeted by two Sons of Garmadon members brandishing guns.
"Your neighbors reported the sound of breaking glass. Is everything okay?" questioned the taller of the two men, peering past Chamille and into the apartment. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary besides the broken table.
"Yeah, I was just walking around and accidentally bumped into Tiger Lily's cat tree. No big deal," lied Chamille easily while stroking Tiger Lily's soft fur. It helped keep her blood pressure level steady, and also kept Tiger Lily from trying to attack the men.
"Oh, ok," believed the tall one.
His slightly shorter comrade didn't quite buy it. "If you don't mind me askin', why were you up and about so late at night?"
"What? Has Garmadon made a law that no one's allowed to be up past their bedtime?" jeered Chamille.
"That's Emperor Garmadon to you," corrected Shorty sharply. "Just answer me."
"Um, excuse you. Have you ever been pregnant?" snapped Chamille, motioning towards her bulging stomach. The men actually opened their mouths to reply, but she continued before they could speak.
"Yeah, no. I don't think so. Well, lemme tell you. It ain't no walk in the park, especially at this point. Like, I can feel every single movement she makes. I'd like to see you try sleeping when there is a whole other human inside of you trying to rearrange your guts at midnight. Literally right when I'm about to fall asleep, she decides that's the best time to start practicing her aerobics, gymnastics, and karate."
"Not to mention my back is killing me! You guys should consider yourselves lucky 'cause you don't have to deal with actually carrying the baby around for nine months and then giving birth to it. And can you at least holster your guns or point them at something else besides me? It's really not good to scare or stress a pregnant woman. It could send them into preterm labor."
At the end of Chamille's mini rant, the two Sons of Garmadon members surprisingly backed off and put their firearms away.
"Okay, I guess since nothin' strange is going on and there's no Ninja activity, we can leave," announced the taller one.
As soon as Chamille shut the door, Ash and Lloyd reappeared in the living room. She gave a sigh of relief, still holding Tiger Lily in her arms as she made her way back to her seat.
Lloyd felt dizzy after experiencing the feeling of being suddenly vaporized then becoming whole once again. How could Ash ever feel comfortable with doing that so often?
Once Chamille was comfortable seated, Ash began to quickly converse with her through sign language. Lloyd, not wanting to intrude, busied himself with sweeping up the glass. He was so focused not disturbing the couple's silent conversation that he almost missed Chamille's question addressed to him.
"Uh, did you ask me something?"
"I was just wondering if you knew sign language," restated Chamille.
"No, so you don't have to worry about me eavesdropping in on whatever you guys just talked about," replied Lloyd, worried that that was why Chamille had asked him.
"I was just curious. It doesn't matter if you knew what we were saying. It was mainly Ash just being an over anxious baby about my blood pressure and entire wellbeing," teased Chamille.
Ash gave an amused huff, a small smirk appearing as leaned over to press a gentle kiss to Chamille's lips. It was short as Chamille quickly pushed him back yelping, "Ash, really?! Lloyd's standing right there! I bet the lil' green bean hasn't even had the talk yet!"
Lloyd winced at her words. Oh yes, he had been given the talk, but not by his mother, though he dearly wished she had. All the Ninja had cornered him one day and made sure to fill him in on all of the details.
Ash looked unapologetic as he strode off into the kitchen, signing something as he went.
"That dork wants to know if you want some tea," interpreted Chamille, a light blush apparent on her face.
"Sure," accepted Lloyd, momentarily feeling sorry for the rest of the Resistance who probably weren't having the same pleasant experience he was.
"Yeah, babe. Lloyd wants some tea," called Chamille. She added in a more dramatic tone of voice, "And I want some too, but alas, I can't because you won't let me have a drop of caffeine even though the doctor said it was okay to have a little."
Ash poked his head out of the kitchen and signed, "I don't want the Ashleigh to be short like you."
"I'm not short," gasped Chamille indignantly.
Though he didn't know what Ash just signed to Chamille, for some reason, Lloyd felt a twinge of sadness along with a hint of envy as he witnessed the loving couple's playful exchange.
"So, what's been goin' on lately?" asked Chamille, not allowing awkward silence to settle between her and Lloyd. She was extremely eager to start up a conversation.
She loved Ash with all her heart, but considering he was mute and all, it often got too quiet around the apartment for her liking. Plus, it had been forever since Tox had last dropped by to hang out. In reality, it had only been about two weeks, but Chamille was an extreme extrovert so two weeks with hardly any human contact felt like forever.
"Oh, you know, just the usual trying to save Ninjago thing. Nothing new," shrugged Lloyd, slightly thrown off by how nice Chamille was being.
He wasn't the only one who had changed because Chamille seemed so different from the person who had pulled him out of that moving buggy in Chen's Tournament. She had definitely kept her sass, sarcasm, and crazy purple hair, but her rebellious attitude had kind of mellowed.
"Oh, c'mon. Give me some details," insisted Chamille.
When Lloyd remained silent, still sweeping up the last of the table shards, she huffed, "Fine, I'll tell you what's been going on in my life."
With that, she was off. She went on and on about various things in her life. At first, she mainly ranted about how incredibly bored she was being confined in her apartment. Though she complained about how difficult it was being pregnant —sometimes giving too many details for Lloyd's liking— it was clear that she truly loved her child. She also didn't forget to complain plenty about Ash's strict rules while she was pregnant such as no caffeine, no shapeshifting, and no doing anything strenuous.
Before she got too deep into her ramblings, Ash returned with a cup of tea for himself and Lloyd and seated himself on the white couch. He shot Lloyd a knowing grin as Lloyd sat down on the couch next to him, understanding just how much Chamille loved to talk.
Surprisingly, Lloyd found himself listening intently to all Chamille had to say. He learned some interesting things like Chamille and Ash's love story, their plans to move into a new house before the baby arrived, Ash was Nya and Kai's second cousin, and that Chamille loved acting. Even though he knew that he probably wouldn't get anything out of this visit, it felt... nice to just be able to sit down and interact with someone in a normal way that made it feel like nothing was wrong in Ninjago.
When Chamille eventually stopped talking and asked Lloyd what was going on with the Resistance, Lloyd felt more inclined to be open since she had been so open. Before long, he found himself spilling out nearly everything that had happened and his thoughts on the Resistance.
Lloyd was proud that he managed to express his thoughts without being overly emotional or slipping into the super personal stuff that really bothered him. Sure, he was still open, but he didn't know Chamille that well.
"Woah, that's rough," commented Chamille once he had finished. "On top of your crush betraying you and your dad nearly killing you, you lost your Element too?"
Lloyd made a face at Chamille's harsh wording. "I don't know. It–it's just not there. I kinda feel incompetent without it."
"No, you're seriously a crazy skilled leader with or without your Element, and I don't think it's actually like gone, gone. It's in your DNA or something like that so I don't think a fight would destroy it. Maybe it's like in a recovery or hibernation mode," speculated Chamille. "You should probably ask Skylor if her Elemental Power has returned or something."
"Ooh, and while you're at it, why not talk with Tox and Nya if you're really worried about them going out and trying exact their revenge on Garmadon and that little—?"
She began to refer to Harumi with many names unsuited for young ears. Lloyd had kind of broached the subject about his heartbreak over her and Chamille just figured out the rest. Girls like that made Chamille extremely mad because she honestly used to be just like that.
Lloyd did his best to ignore the coarse names directed at Harumi. "I'll try. Almost everyone in the Resistance is heartbroken, but they seem to be taking everything to a whole other extreme. At first, Nya seemed devastated, then the next day she just exploded at almost everyone in the room. Tox seems... off kilter now. She even brought in a gun and looked ready to go blow up the entire army herself."
"Ha, that sounds like her," chuckled Chamille.
"Well, I can't speak for Nya, but as far Tox goes, yeah, I gotta say that she honestly means what she says." That did not help to ease Lloyd's worry one bit. "Since there was literally nothing else but the news to watch, I saw what happened to the those kids that Tox absolutely loves. She's definitely gonna be out for blood," stated Chamille grimly.
"Oh, no," groaned Lloyd.
He really didn't want to have to deal with Tox's bitter emotions, considering he barely knew her. He was having enough trouble dealing with his own emotions as well as his friends'.
"Yep, but I don't know Nya, and she seems like a really smart person. I know you said the last time you talked didn't go so well, what with her screaming and all, but maybe she's past the anger stage of grief and is more sensible now," offered Chamille hopefully. "Oh, if Tox does try to be go out and be all suicidal, I'm pretty sure Shade and Mr. Pale won't let her."
In the back of her mind, she also thought, 'Or maybe they'll join her. Idk.' She didn't try to add that out loud of course because poor Lloyd was stressed out enough already with trying to defeat his father.
"I'm sorry that we can't help with the Resistance right now b—," began Chamille.
"Nononono! It's fine," assured Lloyd, thinking that she was going to do something dangerous to help him.
"Shut up! You didn't let me finish," snapped Chamille. She got up, motioning for Lloyd to follow her quietly.
Tiger Lily looked very displeased for being jostled from her comfortable position snuggled up next to Chamille. For a second, Lloyd could've sworn that the striped cat had glared at him.
As he stood up, he realized that Ash had fallen asleep next to him on the couch sometime in between his and Chamille's chattering.
"You know how I said Ash, Nya, and Kai were second cousins and all that?" asked Chamille, stopping in front of a door. "Apparently blacksmithing runs in the family. Since it's been really boring and kinda stressful around here, Ash has been making a ton of weapons."
She opened the door to reveal a room filled with an array of weapons. Most were katanas.
"I don't know if this is even allowed or how Ash even managed to make this many weapons without burning this place down but whatever. Feel free to take whatever you need, except the ones in the fancy glass cases. I think Ash likes those," offered Chamille.
"Uh, wait. Shouldn't we ask Ash?" questioned Lloyd, not wanting to steal.
"Nah, we were planning on getting rid of a lot of these once we moved to our new house. Besides, we Elemental Masters promised to help out if you ever needed us, and I'm not the best at keeping my word, but I'm making an effort right now so take it while you can," urged Chamille.
"Wow," breathed Lloyd, surprised by Chamille's generosity. "Thank you so much."
"No problem. If I was feeling extra generous, I would send Ash to help you at least carry some more weapons over to your hideout, but he needs sleeps. He's been so on edge with all this Garmadon drama going down. I'm pretty sure he's gotten even less sleep than I have," laughed Chamille.
Lloyd gathered about ten katanas and twenty small shurikens. He felt that was all he could take without being greedy or weighed down on his way back to the hideout. As he said goodbye and climbed onto the balcony, preparing to jump to the next building, Chamille suddenly grabbed his arm.
In a voice filled with emotion and sincerity, which was rare for her, she softly told him, "Wait, Lloyd. Before you leave, I just wanna tell you... thanks. For everything."
Somehow, Lloyd understood the deeper meaning behind Chamille's heartfelt gratitude even though she didn't express anything else out loud. He knew that she wasn't just thanking him for being someone she could talk to that night, she was thanking him for being a hero, for fighting so hard against impossible odds, for giving her and her family a chance to live, not just survive.
She was doing what very few people in Ninjago ever did, express genuine appreciation for his willingness to risk and sacrifice everything. It wasn't just the merited praise the city had to give him every time he successfully saved Ninjago. No. She was thanking him for trying his best before it was even guaranteed that the city would survive. It meant all the Sixteen Realms to him.
As he traveled back to the hideout, a surge of determination powered through him. He may have failed to save his own family, but Chamille and Ash's growing family proved that besides fighting for Ninjago itself, there were still other, good people in Ninjago who needed him. He was not going to fail them.
YAY, over 1k reads!!! Thank you so much! I'm sorry I'm such an awful writer. Hopefully the next chapter will turn out better. This was mainly to appease my own displeasure at the fact that there aren't many fanfictions out there that give the other Elemental Masters a time to shine. Once again, no telling when I'll be able update. I probably won't be able to for another few months. I'm so sorry, guys, but I promise I'll be doing my best! 😭😭😭
P. S. I have not forgotten about Pixal, she will be in the next chapter.
Summary: Nya is sad and angry but beginning to see that murder doesn't exactly equal justice. She reads the Walker's letter and lets herself grieve a little over the loss of Jay. Ray and Maya join the Resistance. Shade fails to recruit Bolobo and Gravis (both are captured by the Sons of Garmadon) into the Resistance. Skylor successfully recruits a worn out Griffin into the Resistance. Lloyd doesn't manage to get Chamille and Ash (soon-to-be-parents) to join the Resistance, but has a nice time talking with Chamille.
IMPORTANT QUESTION: Should Harumi be redeemed or not? If so, then there will probably end up being Llorumi. If not, then there will be ANGST. To whoever is still reading this: your choices and opinions matter! Choose wisely!
"A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need." - Proverbs 17:17 NLT