Weeks had passed since Clouse appeared, and Skylor still found herself looking over her shoulder. She was terrified that any day now he would come after her friends, or that her father's army would come crashing through the monastery doors. She tried to tell herself that they could handle anything her father threw at them. After all, Garmadon had already fought and defeated him once before.

But what scared her the most was what would happen when the others found out about her father. What would they think of her then? Would they still be able to trust her? She wasn't even sure that Garmadon completely trusted her.

Skylor mulled over these thoughts during yet another sleepless night. She didn't want to go back home. She liked living at the monastery, and protecting Ninjago was better than trying to rule it. A part of her liked that she had a noble purpose, and she didn't want to give that up to go back to bossing around mindless goons and running errands for her father's personal vendetta.

Skylor was roused from her thoughts by a muted crash. She sat bolt upright, scanning the room for any sign of danger. There didn't appear to be anything in the girls' bedroom, and no one else seemed to have heard the noise. They were all still sound asleep.

She didn't even consider waking them. Not yet. If this was one of Clouse's tricks, she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of bringing everyone straight to him. So Skylor quietly seized a dagger from her nightstand and crept out of the door, careful not to make too much sound as she slowly slid it shut. Only then did she remember that she was still in her PJs, but it would have to do.

Skylor snuck down the hallway, ears straining to hear. More noise was coming from outside. She came to the front door and wedged it open just a sliver. The training equipment was down, so she had a clear view of the courtyard. When she peeked out, she could see figures crowded around something. She immediately recognized them as her dad's minions. Their snake-themed tattoos and clothing were unmistakable. They were trying to be quiet, but utterly failing. One of them made a racket when he dropped something and their leader, Eyezor, smacked him on the head for it.

"Is it Wu?"

Skylor jumped and almost stabbed Lloyd.

"Lloyd!" she hissed. "What are you doing?"

He didn't even seem fazed. "I thought I heard something, so I came to check it out."

Skylor glanced back at the figures, to make sure they hadn't heard them. "Get out of here! I'm taking care of it."

"Whatever it is, I bet we can handle it together!"

Skylor shook her head. "Your parents would kill me." She turned back to the situation outside and realized that they were leaving.

She could let them get away without a word. Or she could make sure they never returned.

"Stay back," she told Lloyd. Hoping she wouldn't regret her decision, Skylor shoved the door aside and yelled, "Hey!"

When Eyezor and his men saw her, they made a break for the door.

"I've got a message for my dad!" She flung the knife and the blade embedded itself in the door just as it slammed shut behind them. Skylor jogged out into the courtyard to retrieve the knife and make sure they were really gone.

"Nice shot!" Lloyd said, running out after her. "You almost got 'em!"

"I wasn't trying to hit anyone," she assured him as she tugged the knife free. She grimaced at the mark it left in the wood. "Think your dad will notice?"

"He might not, but mom will."

Skylor rubbed the damaged area as if that would make it go away.

"So what did those guys want?" Lloyd wondered aloud, turning back to the display they had left. It had been set up in front of the golden dragon statue in the center of the yard. They were probably supposed to have seen it when they woke up the next morning.

"Whatever it is, it can't be good," Skylor said. She approached it cautiously, still wary of Clouse and his magic. She didn't really know the extent of what he was capable of. She used to be fascinated by the power of his tricks and illusions. But now, as much as she hated to admit it, it scared her a little.

Light spilled out from the monastery's open door, illuminating the table. It was covered with a red silk cloth and held a couple of censers with incense that had already begun to fill the courtyard with lavender scent. And nestled between the censers was a plate of fortune cookies.

Of course.

"What's this for?" Lloyd was already reaching for one of the cookies.

Skylor slapped his hand away. "Didn't your parents ever teach you not to accept gifts from strangers?" She threw another glance at the display. "I'm going to get Sensei Garmadon. You stay here. And don't touch anything." Anxiety bubbled inside her chest as she ran back inside and to the sensei's room. She rapped her knuckles on the door. "Garmadon? It's Skylor. I need to talk to you."    

"Come in," said a groggy voice.

Skylor shoved the door open. Garmadon was sitting up on the side of his bed, rubbing his tired eyes. Misako was just beginning to stir.

"It's my dad," she said brusquely. "Some of his men left us something – you need to see it."

She could see that, at the mention of her father, Garmadon was more awake now. Misako, too, had propped herself up to listen. The old sensei retrieved his staff from the bedside, saying, "Show me." Skylor led him back out to the courtyard.

Lloyd had vanished, and Skylor dearly hoped that he hadn't gone to wake the others. "My dad's idea of an invitation," she said, gesturing to the display. "It looks like he's finally ready to put his plan into action, though I can't imagine why he invited us." Really, Skylor would have hoped that he wouldn't invite her and her friends. She didn't think that he would want the threat of such opposition. But then again, it was his turf, and he had been planning this for such a long time. He probably thought that there was nothing to worry about.

Garmadon examined the plate of cookies. There were five. He picked one up and cracked it open, then read the piece of paper inside.

"What does it say? What does it say?" Lloyd bouncing down the steps of the monastery, followed more slowly by Nya, Pixal, Seliel, and Misako. Skylor's heart skipped a beat, but she told herself not to panic. She didn't have to tell them anything. They didn't even have to play her dad's silly game. She just hoped that Garmadon would be willing to keep her secret for a little longer, too.

Nya picked up another fortune cookie and this time read the paper aloud. "'Master Chen has personally invited you to participate in his Tournament of Elements. Secrecy is of the utmost importance. Tell no one or suffer the consequences. Meet on the Ninjago City pier at midnight and leave your weapons behind.'"

"Look, there are five!" Lloyd pointed out. "That one must be for me!"

Skylor frowned. Garmadon had explained some time ago that Lloyd possessed the elemental power of energy, but why would her dad invite a kid? He didn't really expect him to show up, did he?

Garmadon yelped in surprise when his paper exploded in his hand. Nya dropped hers just as it popped. "What the --?"

Seliel hummed. "A Tournament of Elements? Could be fun, if we weren't already busy. Just how many Elemental Masters are out there?"

"And who's this . . . Master Chen guy?" Nya asked. "Haven't heard of him before."

While they discussed, Skylor looked to Garmadon, afraid of what he would say. But he only met her gaze with a questioning look.

Misako came and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's your choice, Skylor. You can tell them yourself, or you can wait. We won't say anything. But know that the truth will come out eventually, whether you're ready for it or not."

Skylor didn't think she would ever be ready to let her past and present come together. But how much worse would it be if she waited?

Skylor sucked in a deep breath. "He's my dad."

The others went quiet, turning to look at her. Skylor could already feel regret creeping up inside. "Chen is my dad," she continued. "And this tournament is part of his plot for revenge."

Seliel furrowed her brow. "Revenge for what?"

Skylor looked to Garmadon for support and he began to explain for her: "During the Serpentine Wars, Chen allied himself with the Serpentine against humans. But when the Serpentine lost, Chen was banished from Ninjago."

"Serpentine?" Nya said.

"Serpentine," Pixal repeated. "An ancient race of reptilian humanoids who were once the dominant species of Ninjago. Most records indicate that the five tribes were locked away in separate tombs to prevent them from unifying."

Nya frowned. "My parents told me stories about the Serpentine when I was a kid, but . . . I thought they were just a myth."

"They're real, alright," Seliel said. "My grandfather fought in the Serpentine Wars."

Garmadon nodded. "As did both your parents, Nya. Though they wished to leave their elemental days in the past, for your sake."

"A lot of people are starting to think they didn't really exist," Seliel said. "I had some pretty stubborn friends who didn't want to believe in them, just because they had never seen one. But my dad always insisted they were real."

Garmadon huffed. "The obstinance of youth. Seeing is not always believing, you know."

"Okay . . ." Nya said. "So snake people exist, and Skylor's father teamed up with them against his own kind?"

"My brother was briefly allied with them as well," Garmadon said. "He studied under Chen in response to the darkness growing in his heart. But soon after the war started, he came to fight alongside me and the other Elemental Masters. When the Serpentine lost and were locked away, Chen was likewise banished from Ninjago."

Skylor heaved a sigh, her eyes fixed on the stone floor. "I've told you before that I grew up on an island," she started. "We were never allowed to return to Ninjago because of my father. But all this time, he's been making a plan to get revenge on the people who put him there, and to conquer Ninjago once and for all. He came up with this tournament to get the elemental powers of masters all around Ninjago and – well, it's complicated. But . . . when Garmadon came for me and offered me a second chance, I wasn't sure at first about all the world-saving stuff. Then I got to know you guys, and I realized that I wouldn't want all of this to be destroyed." Tears were beginning to form in her eyes but she fought them back.

Skylor hadn't realized until now just how much this team meant to her. It wasn't until Clouse had threatened to take it all away that Skylor found that she couldn't bear the thought of having to give it all up.

And yet, here she was, about to lose everything because of her father. Part of her wanted so badly to ignore the invitation and go back to living their lives like normal. But she knew that if she didn't face him now, he would still come for her sooner or later, and then it would be too late. He would stop at nothing to rule Ninjago, and pretending he didn't exist wouldn't do any good.

Skylor met her friends' gazes, but she couldn't read what they were thinking. "My dad's done a lot of terrible things," she said. "But he's going to do a lot worse if we don't stop him. It's true that he's taught me almost everything I know, but I've learned a lot from Garmadon, as well, and from all of you. The fact of the matter is, I know what my father's plan is, and I know how to stop him. You're just going to have to trust me if we're going to defeat him."

Nya's gaze softened from confusion to sympathy and she said softly, "Of course we trust you, Sky." To Skylor's surprise, Nya stepped forward to hug her.

Seliel came next and put an arm around her shoulders. "We know you're alright, Skylor. No worries."

Pixal stiffly tried to join in on the hug. "It would be foolish of us to change our opinions of you so suddenly. We already know that you are good."

Finally, Lloyd came and hugged her around the waste. "Don't worry, if you were evil, we would have noticed by now. But you're actually really nice and cool."

Now Skylor felt even more like crying. A single tear escaped and she hastily pulled away so she could wipe it off. "Thanks, you guys," she said, and she was grateful that her voice was didn't shake. "I'm really lucky to have friends like you." She took a deep, steadying breath before turning back to Garmadon. "We need a plan."

"Let's go back inside, first. We will need to discuss this in-depth."

"Come on, Lloyd, it's time that you got back to sleep," Misako guided her son back toward the monastery.

"No way! I want to help!"

"Let the girls take care of it. This is their fight, not yours."

As the others filed back inside behind them, Skylor through one last glance at the invitations left behind by her father's men. She'd been listening to him rave about his master plan for years. Her entire life, actually. Could it really be about to unfold?