"Your first lesson is how to control your powers," Lao Lao instructed from one side of a large dojo.
"I have control over my powers. I saved my father from the Overlord's possession. And I haven't hurt anyone on accident in a long time," Daniella retorted.
"Oh, my child, you have merely scratched the surface," the older woman tutted.
"Where have I heard that before?" Daniella muttered to herself, looking at the mats of the dojo. Lotus looked up at Daniella but said nothing.
"When you finish your training, you will have the tools to control each element individually. Each element has its own challenges that you will have to face," she continued.
"So, you aren't going to teach me how to fight?" Daniella asked, tightening her grip slightly on the staff.
"You already know how to fight. You know Spinjitzu, do you not?" Lao Lao asked with a smirk.
"Of course I do. Uncle Wu made sure that I learned everything that my brother did, and then some," the blond answered.
"Then I see no need to teach you how to fight. My job is to prepare you for what you will experience as the new Purple Ninja. You will have to use your powers a lot more than you did as a ninja in Ninjago. Your powers will protect you from demons and curses. You must also know the best way to defeat your enemy without causing a big scene."
"Right, work in the shadows. Like a ninja," Daniella sassed.
"This is no laughing matter. If others knew of your true potential and what you do, they would find a way to the Great Library and try to harness the dark powers that are locked away in these walls. Or worse, they would hunt you down and kill you," Lao Lao lectured.
"Kill me? But why?"
"The people are scared of what they do not understand. They believe that your death will keep them safe. I do not wish for you to join me so quickly." Daniella looked down in fear. Just what had fate gotten her into.
"But do not worry, I will teach you everything that I know. You will be safe with the knowledge that I bestow upon you. Now chin up, do you know what the first four elements are?"
"Fire, Ice, Lightning," Daniella paused, taking a shaky breath, "and.... Earth."
"Why do you hesitate? The powers of the Earth are strong. It is the ground beneath your feet, keeping you steady, like an anchor."
"It's not the Earth element that makes me hesitate; it is the one who masters the Earth."
"I do not understand. I thought you were close with the Master of Earth."
Lao Lao floated to her granddaughter and knelt before her to study her face. Daniella wouldn't meet her eye, telling the older woman that there was something amiss with their relationship.
"You were eager to begin this journey because you thought it would distract you from what you are feeling in here," the older woman pointed to Daniella's chest," aren't you?" The blond nodded in defeat. Her shoulders sagged as she took a ragged breath. Lotus gently crawled into Daniella's lap and nuzzled her chin.
"I thought that maybe if I left, I could forget. But I can't. Now you are saying that I will have to master the Earth. How can I do that without thinking about him?"
"I do not know. But I know that you must reign in your emotions or it will destroy you. Your powers are a raging beast, one who cannot be tamed when your emotions are tearing you apart. I know it is hard to deal with rejection, but you must find a way to get a hold of your emotions."
"Yes, Lao Lao," Daniella nodded, swallowing. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, pushing her emotions into a bottle and tossing it into the Eternal Divide. When she opened her eyes, she stared defiantly into her grandmother's eyes.
"My emotions won't be a problem."
"Good. Now," she said, standing, "these four elements are the ones that your grandfather used to create Ninjago. It is these four elements that you must master first. Stand up."
Daniella stood obediently. She held her staff down by her side but was ready to spring into action at any given second. Her grandmother smiled in praise. Her granddaughter would be ready for what was to come.
"Close your eyes and dive into your mind," she instructed. Daniella closed her eyes and tried to focus on what her mind would look like. Her brows furrowed as she struggled to see.
"I don't think it's working," Lotus observed.
"I don't even know what I am looking for. Dive into my mind? That's impossible, I've never done that before," Daniella huffed, opening her eyes.
"Of course, you have. Think back to when you first realized that your father could be saved."
~
A young Daniella stood in front of a Koi pond, lined with cherry trees. The little girl spun around in terror and confusion. How had she gotten her? Where was her Uncle? Where was Cole? Bushes rustled behind her, causing her to scream.
"Who is there? Where am I?" asked the man from the bushes. He emerged from the bushes and looked around at his surroundings. Daniella stood in shock. This man sounded like her father but didn't look like the pictures that her Uncle had shown her.
"Dad?" she asked.
"Daniella?" Garmadon answered, slowly walking towards her. Daniella sniffed and ran towards her father. He knelt and opened his arms as she jumped into his embrace.
"Daddy! I never thought I would see you!" she exclaimed through tears. Her father tightened his grip and nuzzled into her hair.
"Oh, my little Lotus Blossom, I never thought I would ever see you again! Look at how big you've gotten!"
Daniella giggled as her father held her out at arm's reach and twirled her around in a circle. After one turn, Garmadon smiled and gently set his daughter down on the grass. She grabbed his hand and led him to a stone bench that had appeared under a cherry tree.
"Daddy?"
"Yes, my dear," Garmadon answered, helping Daniella up onto the bench.
"Where are we?" she asked. Garmadon looked around, trying to find a landmark that he knew.
"Why we are at a pond. See? It's right there," Garmadon stalled, pointing at the water's edge.
"But there aren't any birds chirping. And I don't see any ducks. I really like ducks," Daniella said, staring at the water. Out of thin air, a row of ducks appeared in the pond with lavender puff of dust. Daniella's face lit up at the unusual sight, clapping her hands. Garmadon raised an eyebrow at the strange appearance of ducks. He took another glance at their surroundings. He had never seen a place like this before and he didn't remember being human either.
"Daniella, how did you know that I was your father?" Garmadon asked.
"Uncle Wu showed me pictures before you changed. Why did you change?" Daniella asked, looking up at him.
"It was because of the venom of the Great Devourer. But I haven't been human in a very long time."
"What do you mean? You look like Uncle Wu right now," Daniella asked in confusion.
"I don't think that we are really here. That means," Garmadon furrowed his brow as he trailed off.
"It means what, Daddy?" Daniella asked, looking up from the ducks.
"It means that you may be the key to saving everyone."
~
"You're telling me that the pond that I met my father at when I was a kid is my mind?" Daniella asked in shock. Her grandmother nodded with a smile.
"Think of that place again. It called the astral plane, and it is where you will connect the most with your powers."
Daniella closed her eyes and thought of the koi pond again. The cherry trees swaying gently in the breeze, petals falling into the pond. And of course, the line of ducks slowly swimming across. Daniella felt the breeze before she opened her eyes. She smiled in triumph, knowing that she had overcome the small hurtle. Her grandmother had taken a seat on the stone bench by the water's edge.
"It is beautiful here," she said, folding her hands in her lap.
"Thank you. So how will I train here? We aren't in reality," she asked, sitting next to her grandmother.
"My dear, learning in a mind scape is the safest way to learn how to wield your powers. They can be volatile and uncontrollable when you first try to use them." Lao Lao answered.
"I don't want to hurt anyone," Daniella said quietly.
Daniella stood quickly as a large dragon landed on the other side of the pond and roared a loud greeting. Lao Lao grinned before she stood to stand by Daniella. She gently placed a hand on Daniella's arm to calm her.
"This is an Earth Dragon. Can you tell me how I know?" she questioned.
"The dragon is the color of the soil. The dragon is a little bulker than most dragons and the wings are a little smaller," Daniella answered, calming a little bit. The Earth dragon made a purring noise as if it approved.
"The dragon almost looks like Rocky," Daniella thought aloud as the dragon made its way around the pond to the two women.
"Who is Rocky?" Lao Lao asked.
"Rocky is the name of the dragon that the present Master of Earth used to ride. He was really nice to me. He liked to be pet on his snout, right here," Daniella answered as she reached for the dragon's muzzle. The dragon happily nuzzled her hand with its snout. Daniella giggled quietly, like she did when she first met Rocky. The dragon purred louder at the sound of her giggles. A warm glow poured from Daniella's hand as she continued to pet the dragon.
"Lao Lao, what's going on?" Daniella strained, trying to stay calm.
"You are bonding with the Earth dragon. You will soon be able to begin your training with the Earth element. The other three dragons should be here soon."
Not long after, three more dragons roared in the distance. Daniella looked up to see the Fire, Lightning and Ice dragon gently landing behind the Earth Dragon. She stiffened slightly when the Fire Dragon came closer, smoke pouring from its mouth. In the corner of her eye, Daniella saw the other two dragons surround her, one at each point of the compass. Daniella looked frantically for her grandmother, who was nowhere to be seen.
"Calm down, my child. They will not hurt you. Trust in yourself," her grandmother's voice whispered in the breeze.
Daniella took a deep breath and looked at the other three dragons, each staring back at her. She could see the characteristics of each of the ninja in their eyes. The Earth dragon nuzzled her a little more, pushing her further into the group. Daniella smiled, as she slowly backed up to the others.
"Alright, alright, I'm going!" she giggled softly. The Lightning Dragon and the Ice Dragon both reached their muzzles out to touch Daniella. The Fire Dragon stood still, eyeing her carefully. Daniella gently reached with her free hand out to the Fire Dragon. The Fire Dragon looked at her hand quizzically.
"Oh, come on, I'm not going to hurt you," Daniella whispered. The Fire Dragon snorted a little plume of smoke before giving in and leaning forward. She gently placed her hand on its muzzle, calming the dragon. She smiled.
"See? It's not so bad," Daniella soothed as a warm glow came from under her hand. The Fire Dragon slowly closed its eyes.
"You are just like Kai. Hard to trust strangers, but loyal to the end," Daniella thought.
Daniella closed her eyes as the glow grew brighter. When she opened her eyes again, the dragons were gone, but there was a faint glow from where the dragons had been. She spun around once to see if she could find where the dragons could have gone but could not find them.
"You won't find them," Lao Lao said, appearing next to Daniella.
"Where did they go? Did I do something wrong?" Daniella asked frantically.
"No, my child," the older woman laughed, "They have passed their powers to you. When you need their power and strength, they will come back to you."
"I took their powers? But isn't that a big no no?" Daniella asked.
"It is not like that at all. Let me try to explain it a different way. Those dragons represent the elements that you can control. They are the manifestation of your elemental abilities. You have unlocked the true potential of four elements," she explained.
"Oh boy, Kai would be so mad if he found out," Daniella snickered, "Not that I would tell him!" she added quickly. Her grandmother chuckled.
"I believe you."
"But wait, you said four. Does that mean there are more elements that I have to unlock?" Daniella asked, looking at her grandmother.
"Yes, and some will not be this easy to achieve. But that is a lesson for another day. It is time for us to go back to the Library." Lao Lao instructed, fading away.
"But wait! How do I get there?" Daniella called out. Daniella spun in a circle, trying to find her grandmother, to no avail.
"Oh for my grandfather's sake, can't she just tell me how to do this? Like, just pass the knowledge to me in some weird Purple Ninja way," she muttered. She drew in a deep breath and thought about the Library. In the blink of an eye, she was brought back to the dojo of the Library.
"Well, that's how that works. I guess," Daniella said, looking around the dojo.
"Dani!" Lotus called before pouncing, knocking them both to the ground.
"Woah! Hello Lotus," Daniella giggled, scratching her behind the ear.
"I'm glad to see that you are happy to be reunited. Why don't you take the rest of the day to explore the Library while getting comfortable with your newfound control of your elements?" Lao Lao suggested with a smile.
"That sounds like a great idea! What do you think Dani?" Lotus asked, wagging her tail.
"I think that's a great idea," Daniella agreed with a grin.