At first, Nya hesitated at the idea of going with Garmadon and becoming a ninja. Not because she didn't want to – it actually sounded pretty exciting – but because she couldn't bear to leave behind her family's home. But, as Garmadon was able to convince her, she really had nothing left there. Her empty house was only full of disappointments and loneliness. Garmadon and his family could take care of her, and she would have a chance at a new life. Eventually, Nya agreed. She would follow him, she would train, and she would become the next Ninja of Water.

. . .

Nya hauled herself up the side of the mountain, pulling herself, finally, onto the flat surface at its peak. She approached the gates, breathless and exhausted. Despite the fact that she hadn't seen him since she started her climb, Garmadon was already there, sipping a cup of tea.

"How did you get here so fast?" she asked in awe.

He nodded behind her. "I took the stairs."

Nya whipped around, shocked to find that there was indeed a set of stairs carved into the mountain which led to where she now stood. "What?! Why didn't you tell me there were stairs?"

Garmadon smiled mischievously. "You didn't bother to ask, so I didn't bother to tell you." He approached the gate. "But more importantly, you are in training right now. And the easiest path is not always the best." He pushed open the gate and led her inside.

"A monastery?" Nya observed as she gazed around at the open courtyard. The sun shone from a cloudless sky over the cobbled ground, and though the air was colder up here, Nya felt closer to it now than she had ever been before. The architecture was simple and yet beautiful and inviting. The wall encircled the space so that, at this height, it almost seemed as if the monastery was in a world of its own. "But aren't these places supposed to be, you know, peaceful? Why would you want me to fight here?"

But Garmadon shook his head. "You're going to train here. But first, you must be able to see what others do not."

"Okay . . ." Nya took another look around the courtyard. "I give up. What am I supposed to be seeing?"

By expertly spinning his staff, Garmadon knocked aside a golden dragon statue resting on a short pillar. A button popped out, which he gently tapped. This set the whole courtyard into motion as training equipment rose from the cobblestone. There were dummies and punching bags and poles and just about everything she could imagine they might need.

"Wow," Nya breathed. She marveled at the engineering that had kept it so well hidden seconds ago.

"He's back!" A young boy came running towards them out of the monastery, darting around the obstacles. Garmadon smiled and hoisted the boy up onto his shoulders. "This is my son, Lloyd. Lloyd, this is Nya. She's going to be training with you from now on. And this," he gestured to an approaching woman, "is my wife, Misako."

Misako's hair was gray like her husband's, braided and out of the way, which Nya could appreciate as being very practical for a fighter. She wore a pair of glasses and a warm smile. "Welcome, Nya."

"They'll be training you," Garmadon said.

"But, I thought you were going to train me?"

Garmadon set his son down as he shook his head. "I can't stay for long. There are others I must find."

"Others?"

"Yes, three. You didn't think you were going to fight my brother and his entire army alone, did you?"

"Just how long is this training going to take? Don't we have to hurry, since they already got the map to the weapons?"

"Have patience, Nya," Garmadon told her. "You will be ready when you are ready, and not a minute sooner."

Nya sighed. "Okay . . . okay. So when do we get started."

Garmadon nodded. "I appreciate your enthusiasm. Your training will begin soon."

Nya cracked a hopeful smile and looked to Misako. "Is now a good time?"

. . . 

Kai, Jay, Zane, and Cole stood back-to-back, breathless, surrounded by the fallen figures of various Skulkin. It seemed they had won the fight, but they knew better than to celebrate too early. They waited, their heavy breathing the only sound in the dim cavern.

It was rare that the skeletons were a challenge for them anymore, but Wu was pushing them today. He'd had them face more Skulkin than they'd ever fought before, and even Spinjitzu had hardly made a difference. The Skulkin, thick as they were, had a certain resilience, and they could easily put themselves together and come back for more. In the end, however, the boys had pulled through. 

A few moments passed before Master Wu finally stood from his throne. The boys turned to him and bowed. His red eyes burned from beneath the brim of his straw hat as they bore into the gazes of his students.

"I must admit, I am impressed," Wu praised them, something he did less and less these days. "When I remember how you first came here, ignorant and uncertain, I can see clearly just how much stronger you have become." 

"Thank you, Master Wu," Cole said, head still bowed as he spoke for the rest of the group. "It's all thanks to your training."

"I won't lie to you," Wu continued. "Today's match was a test. And just as I expected, your performance today has shown me you are ready to go on your first mission." He relished the shock in their eyes. 

"A . . . a mission?" Cole stammered. Master Wu had often told them that they would someday be able to put their skills to good use. But they'd awaited this day for so long now, it had become like a distant dream. "What kind of mission?"

Master Wu held his hand up for silence before more questions followed. He slowly lowered his hand, the boys holding their breath in anticipation. "I once told you four the story of my rivalry against my brother." His words were measured, careful that they would not miss anything. "I told you that someday you would hear the rest of that story. And, as you can guess, that day has finally come." 

The defeated Skulkin had already begun to heave themselves to their feet again and put themselves back together now that the fight was over. Master Wu waved them out. The cavern echoed as the door swung shut, and Wu carried on.

"Long ago, my father shaped Ninjago using the power of the four Weapons of Spinjitzu. Those weapons were entrusted to my brother and I for safe keeping, but since my banishment, my brother is free to wield them as he wishes. He does not deserve this kind of power, which is why I set out to take them from him in the first place. Their combined strength is too destructive for anyone to claim, and I can only imagine what he plans to do with them. 

"Together, the weapons are dangerous and uncontrollable. But separate, their power can be contained," Master Wu said as stepped down from the platform. His students leaned forward, soaking in every word. "The masters of the elements may wield the weapons individually, allowing one to manipulate the very nature of Ninjago itself. You four were chosen especially for this reason. Each of you have the potential to possess one of these weapons. 

"The Scythe of Quakes," he said, looking directly at Cole, "The Sword of Fire, the Nunchucks of Lightning, and the Shurikens of Ice." His gaze passed over each of the boys as he named the weapons. "My brother has hidden them all across Ninjago in an effort to keep them from me. Your mission is to take them back and bring them here." The old man's mouth quirked as the awe-stricken faces before him. "Surely it is not too large a task for you to handle?"

"Of course not!" Cole answered. "We're just a little surprised is all. We never imagined that you had so much in store for us."

"But I know you can succeed. You deserve it. The power already belongs to you, and you've worked so hard. Just imagine what we could achieve by possessing these weapons." Wu bowed his head. "The world, as it is, is broken. There's too much suffering, and no one to do anything about it. You four know this all too well, but you now have the opportunity to make a difference. With this power, no one will ever look down on you again. No one would doubt your strength or skill. That's what you always wanted, isn't it?" 

They nodded solemnly, each of them remembering what it was that had brought them there.

"With the power of the weapons, Garmadon would create more suffering and more pain. But with the weapons in your possession, where they belong, we can create a new and better world."

Master Wu waited as Cole turned back to his team. Kai, Zane, and Jay each nodded in turn. "We're honored, Sensei," Cole said. "And we accept this mission."  

"Good," Wu nodded. "You will leave soon. But first I must fill you in more. It will not be easy to steal the weapons back."

The boys exchanged looks again as excitement overtook their expressions. Wu felt a tinge of delight himself as his students bowed their heads again. "Yes, Master Wu."