Harumi's POV

     Steepest Wisdom had closed for the day. The windows were closed, and the only light came from the artificial bulbs in the ceiling. The Ninja were sprawled around the back of the store, bickering about who knows what. I was exhausted from several long days of work. I trudged to my room, ignoring Kai's moans from upstairs.

     Ever since Kai had been started on his beetroot treatment, he had drifted in and out of quiet slumbers. It had been four days since Nya and Skylor brought him into the shop, thrashing and shivering. He was calm now. If you watched, he would toss and turn in his bed, but there was no violence to his actions anymore. The purple lines in his skin had started to fade, and Skylor insisted he would be better any day now. She spent her days by his side, helping him warm up when he was cold, or feeding him beetroot stew when we brought it up. As much as I hated the girl for her bright hair and annoying stubbornness, I must admit how much care she showed for Kai was almost touching. Almost.

     I went into my room, closing the door with more force than necessary. All I could hear every night was moan after moan after moan. I couldn't sleep with Kai's constant noise. Skylor told us she kept his door open to make sure she could call for help when necessary, but I didn't see how that would help. That girl could probably scream loud enough to wake one of the Ninja who boarded in the room right next to Kai's.

     I tore off my apron, flung it across a chair, and undid my bun. White hair fell across my shoulders. It had gotten considerably longer; now the tips reached the top of my legs. That was probably due to me not having it cut since before I died.

     The bells rung, signaling it was eleven. I listened to the clock's twinkling chimes and decided it was too late to shower. If I wanted to get any decent amount of sleep in before the next day's work, I had to go to bed now. Sometimes Kai's sickly noise would cease long enough for me to actually fall asleep. I had to utilize as much of the night as necessary.

     I caught sight of myself in the room's mirror as I made my way over to the light switch. The sight stopped me. Several days of hard labor and nights without much sleep had taken their toll. My hair was greasy and flat against my head. My skin looked faded and worn. My face now supported quite a few bumps of acne, and I had what seemed like a permanent crease of worry in between my eyebrows. Even my eyes weren't their usual sparkling Caribbean Blue. They looked greyer now.

     I took in my altered appearance. Combined with my dirty brown uniform, I reminded myself of the poor people I pretended to feed.

     I used to rule the city. Now, I was nothing more than an insignificant peasant.

     Seething, I felt my fingers curl into fists. If the mirror shattered, I wouldn't have to see this reality anymore. I didn't want to be the Ninja's dirty servant. I didn't want to be part of a stupid prophecy with stupid unknown and vague messages. I didn't want to have to show everyone what I looked like without my mask of power.

     Maybe seeing my reflection hurt because it was the truth. I was small compared to the destiny of the world, I was unclean in the eyes of others, and I was an unkept mess waiting to explode with locked up feelings.

     The only thing I had left was my dignity, but even that was slowly chipping away. I didn't have power, respect, or another set of clothes. I was at my weakest, and there was nothing I could do to change that.

     A knock snapped me out of a daze. I went over to the door, expecting to have a new set of chores. Instead, it was Skylor.

     "Kai's asking for you."

     My blood went cold.

     I was too tired to argue, so I followed her up the stairs. They creaked under my feet, reminding me of Nya's little errand the other day. We hadn't talked much, she just guided me to the aisle with beetroot and asked me if it looked right. The only talking was from Lloyd and Jay, who caught up to us as we were buying the vegetables. Nya had forgotten to bring money, and Jay saved her from having a breakdown when he produced cash. Lloyd was caught between trying to make sure I didn't try anything funny and chewing Nya out for taking me along.

     He still refused to meet my eyes, but I noticed he wasn't as intent to kill me anymore.

     Perhaps my little nice deed there was starting to change his mind about me. I shook my head, pushing those thoughts aside. Lloyd didn't want to think highly of me. I didn't want his acquaintanceship. It was his team's fault my parents died. They had to get on their knees and apologize before I would even think of them that way.

     Skylor walked through the symmetrical hall, gesturing to a door at the end. It was cracked open, with a yellow light streaming through.

     I pushed open the door and walked into the room. It was small and lit up by a minute fan on the ceiling. There was one bed, a dresser, a nightstand, and what looked like a very little closet. The room looked docile and unassuming. I realized this must be another guest room. It was too tiny to be anything else.

     Kai was sprawled on the bed. Though bandages covered the right side of his face, color was staring to return to his deathly pale skin. His head was propped up on a pile of pillows, his one open eye scanning his surroundings with a quickness that suggested he was functional enough for a conversation.

     "Rumi." The word left his mouth barely more than a murmur when he glanced my way.

     Behind me, Skylor looked anxious. I felt just as confused as she was. Why did Kai want me? I sat down on the chair beside the bed, putting myself in full view.

     "Hello, Kai. What do you need me for?" It felt weird trying to be polite to him. Flashbacks of times long past bored into my brain, reminding me to play the princess.

     Kai blinked. He swallowed and started with a wobbling voice. "Can y-you tell me about Malevolence again? W-what she looked like?"

     This is extremely odd.

     Kai had been our most avid adversary when it came to the truth of what happened to Morro and I. I fiddled with my sleeves. "Well, she was like an Oni, a dragon, and a human mixed together. She was as black as night—"

     "With tendrils of darkness that slithered off of her like snakes, right?"

     I peered at Kai. He had his eye closed, as if he was trying to picture her. Or remember her. It was no secret that the mysterious being Kai and Nya encountered was Malevolence, but some of the Ninja still refused to believe it. If Kai was asking about her, maybe he was changing his mind.

     "Yeah," I finally said. "She let off a weird chill whenever you got close, as if she was—"

     "A creature of darkness itself." Kai finished. His voice had lost its trembling. He was gaining strength. Skylor knelt down beside the bed and laid a hand on top of his. Kai opened his eye and smiled at her. I felt sick watching the display of affection. It wasn't a revolting feeling; it was more of a jealous feeling. It was as if deep down I wished that—no, it would never happen, and I needed to quit thinking about it.

     "And her voice?" Kai rasped.

     I thought about that for a second. "It was melodic and soothing, but it also made you want to tear out your ears."

     "Horrid and lulling, like all the features of darkness itself." Kai met my eyes.

     I stopped fiddling with my sleeves. "Do you believe me now?"

     He swallowed, hesitating. Skylor watched him, curious to see his answer.

     "I used to think you were lying. But now... I'm not so sure."

     I'm not so sure.

     He wasn't sure. Everything we had been saying to him he had just seen, and he still wasn't sure if we were lying or not. How in Ninjago could he even have a reason to doubt us now? Did he want to watch the world burn while his little team took forever to come to their senses? Did they always purposefully delay things just to make more victims like me?

     It was then I realized my knuckles had turned white with my grip on the chair. Skylor looked uneasy at my expression, and Kai's gaze had gone from curious to skeptical.

     "It's late." I said curtly, getting to my feet. "I need to get to bed."

     I didn't wait for their reply. That little room was just another distraction, trying to get me to feel something. These ninjas didn't deserve my pity. They didn't deserve my forgiveness.

     Some voice deep inside of me whispered that I would give it to them if they asked.

     It was just as much their fault that my life was ruined as it was mine. If only they would admit that, maybe things between us could be different. I understood that some of them wanted to give Morro and I a chance, but they weren't trying in the right way. It was their failures that created so many victims of the villains. They needed to apologize.

     He needed to say it to my face. Then I might be willing to repent for how much I broke him.

     "Do you have a minute?"

     I paused, realizing how close I had come to slamming my door again. Morro stood behind me, his face light but his tone laced with worry.

     Yes, I need your time. I need someone to know what I'm going through. Why are all my emotions out of control? Why can't I understand myself anymore?

     I wanted to sit down and talk to him. It would be like the times in the Cloud Kingdom; the simple days where we could enjoy each other's company. But Ninjago was not the Cloud Kingdom. There was no veil of happiness here.

     "Sorry, I really need to rest. By the looks of it, you need to too." My tone was flat, just like my fake-smiling face. He knew I was making excuses. 

     Hurt flickered over his features, but his own false half-smile covered it up. "You're right. I guess we can talk tomorrow."

     Why couldn't I be honest with him anymore?

     My heart was conflicted, but I pushed those emotions aside with an ease that suggested I had practice. This realm was causing me nothing but pain and suffering. Once again I found myself cursing the thief that brought us here, wishing with every inch of my body that our story could have ended in the imbalanced realm of good. But that was not the reality I was forced to endure. Somehow, I would have to learn to be okay with that.

>(<>)<

Morro's POV

     Now that the word was out that Kai was seriously injured, no amount of polite declining could keep the press away. It got so bad today that Sensei ordered that Steepest Wisdom be closed until further notice. That didn't stop the gossips who haunted the closed doors, trying to catch tidbits of information. The Vermillion attacks were scaring everyone, and people wanted to be assured that the Ninja had everything under control.

     However, the truth was that they didn't. No matter how much the Ninja looked for the Vermillion's base, they couldn't find it. They'd spend hours going around the island, searching every nook and cranny they could, but even that was pointless because another surprise attack would draw their attention away. The best they could do against the attacks was spread out, so they'd be ready when one happened. However, split up ninja decreased productivity. All in all, it had been five days and barely anything had gotten done.

     I spent my time watching the locked front doors, making sure none of the press could break through. At first, I wondered why we hadn't moved to the Bounty (it would be more private) but then I realized the Ninja were staying here to watch over us.

     Harumi was standing beside me, examining different knives she had collected from the back.

     "How in the world—you know what I don't even want to know."

     She grinned, running one of her forefingers down the blade of her current knife. "I've been without one for too long. The last one I had was stolen, then you lost it."

     "I did no such thing."

     "Then why didn't Mistake return it to me?"

     I could feel my face heating up at her teasing tone, so I turned away.

     "What was thing you wanted to talk about?" Harumi set down the knife, deeming it unworthy for her personal use.

     She was referring to why I bothered her last night. Honestly, I wasn't sure why I had felt the need to talk then, but maybe my tired self was less cautious about keeping secrets. Whatever the reason was, I was glad I could speak to her now with a proper brain in my head. There were things Harumi didn't need to know.

     "Seliel gave me an idea. While the Ninja work to figure out their interpretation of Erasmus' message, I say we work together to figure out ours. The message was meant for us after all."

     She nodded, tucking the next dagger into her robes. "I have a few minutes before they'll notice that all of their bigger knives are missing."

     "Okay," I shook my head at her behavior, smiling to myself. Memories of our first meeting flashed through my head, somehow seeming more nostalgic than grieving. It was only after I met her that I started losing so many friends. Yet, deep down, I would have still chosen to meet her again and again.

     I retrieved an empty receipt and a pen, reciting the prophecy aloud. "The tides have turned from bad to worse. But, upon this land there is no curse."

     "I've been thinking about those lines," Harumi said. "I don't think it's about a curse at all. This is a message from Erasmus. He wrote plainly what he found out, then the magic of the Ethereal Divide changed his words. What if these first lines are not about tides at all? What if he's just trying to tell us that he found more information on our destinies?"

     "It makes sense," I mused. "The first lines did seem pretty useless."

     "They would only be useless if we didn't understand what they meant." Harumi neatly gathered her stolen knives into a pile. I wrote down this revelation on the paper, then went onto the next lines.

     "'Only fate can tell and destiny can decide, which side will prevail and which side will divide.' Seliel believes this means that there will be a big battle that will be determined by 'Oni and Light's son.' The result will be a division."

     "Wu thinks the son is Lloyd." Harumi added. "That would make sense if the message said, 'Oni and Dragon's son.' But it says Oni and Light. That has to mean something."

     "Seliel said she believes Wu holds the role as the son. That's a bit more believable, but we would still run into the problem you mentioned. It says light instead of dragon." I made another note. "Maybe it's talking about the Master of Light."

     "This message has something to do with us," Harumi fiddled with her stack. "It was our scrolls that were altered. The thief had something planned for us. Why would the Master of Light be involved in this?"

     "Noted," I said. "A great evil shall come to conquer the land. Oni and Light's son shall rise forth to take a stand. And Time's Overlord will fall to his end."

     "I fear it's talking about Malevolence." Harumi murmured, not quite meeting my eyes. "We have to fight her. Why else would the thief need me to return to Ninjago?"

     "I think it's something bigger than her." I replied, a bad feeling rising in my chest. "Malevolence needed to get to Ninjago to release the Overlord from her amulet. Coincidentally, the message has the exact words 'Time's Overlord.'" I rubbed my face, letting out a sigh. "We already know she's working with the Time Twins. She's probably going to use the stolen blades to do something black magic-y for the Overlord."

     "He'll come back with time on his side," Harumi finished.

     "I think the key to all of this lies with Oni and Light's son. We don't know who that is."

     "Why don't you read what you've been writing? I think we figured out most of it, and we can continue to put thought into the identity of the son."

     I sighed. Time was running out. We didn't have time to sit around and think about Oni and Light's son. Malevolence would release the Overlord any day now and we'd be powerless to stop him. Harumi fingers grazed my arm, snapping me out of my daze.

     "Hey. We've got the all-powerful Overlord defeating Ninja on standby. Don't worry."

     "They're not going to help us."

     "But they will go after revenge for Kai. They might decimate half the city, but they sure will take out Malevolence." Bitterness seeped into her voice, quickly being swept away by a way too-false looking smile.

     It was almost strange, after all this time, Harumi was the one comforting me.

     "I put, 'Erasmus is telling us more on our destinies. There will be a big battle in the future, and the result will be division on one side. The Overlord will be brought back and will work with the Time Twins. The one who determines the outcome of the battle will be Oni and Light's son.'"

     "Sounds about ri—"

     An arrow hit the wall behind me, only inches away from striking me in the head. From outside the building, screams echoed wildly, ricocheting into the empty space before us.

     We barely had time to process when a large figure dropped through the ceiling onto the counter and swung a large sword at our heads. We would have been decapitated if my instincts didn't kick in. At the last second, I thrust out my hands, feeling a painful twist in my gut.

     A large gust of wind knocked the figure off the counter and into the lobby.

     Silence followed the blast, leaving my eyes to widen in amazement.

     I looked down at my trembling hands, my head feeling light.

     "You just..." Harumi stammered, getting to her feet. I realized we had both been knocked backwards by the blast. The fact was of little concern to me. I had just used the wind; I had just used my elemental power. I thought it was gone forever.

     "Morro!" Harumi barked, pulling out the knife she had 'borrowed'. Several more arrows started to fly at her head.

     There wasn't time to hesitate. The figure had already pulled himself to his feet and several more burst through the doors, windows, and dropped in through vents in the ceiling. I yanked Harumi down behind the counter before she could get injured.

     There was a lot of crashing and screaming behind us. As the attackers broke in, the braver citizens tried to make a run for the Ninja. The attackers payed little notice to them. A large mace smashed against the counter, making the structure rock. The arrows had stopped flying, but there were still hissing sounds. From around the corner, one of the figures stepped into view, wielding the mace.

     My eyes widened. It was tall, heavily armored, and hissing like mad. That's when I realized these weren't human attackers at all.

     "Vermillion!" Harumi yelped as we scrambled out of swinging range. The Vermillion's eyes glowed purple. A long tongue flicked in and out of its mouth.

     "Save the citizens!" Another voice chimed from behind the Vermillion. Sensei and PIXAL burst out the back of the store, each ready to fight. They started to make their way into the lobby and fought the warriors in there. Meanwhile, the warrior in front of us raised his mace to strike.

     I thrust out my hand, praying that more wind would blast out of my fingertips, but I was out of practice. All I got from the effort was blurred vision and nausea.

     Harumi pulled me out of the way before the iron ball could smash me into the ground.

     "Come on; come on!" I tried to remember how I had gained control over the wind before, shaking my hands. Harumi's kitchen knife would do nothing against our opponent. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, another Vermillion smashed its way through the counter to get behind us.

     We were cornered.

     As both warriors raised their weapons to strike, adrenaline kicked in.

     My gut twisted and the wind stirred once more.

     "Duck down." I warned Harumi, closing my eyes and letting my brain build on the faint breezes around me. I let them multiply in my mind, simmering and bubbling, until I felt like I had a tornado at my fingertips. Then, I let the power pour out of me in the shape of a gusting storm.

     The world exploded in a tornado. The Vermillion were knocked back with such force they exploded against the walls into hundreds of tiny snakes.

     Now I really felt like I was going to pass out. I hadn't drawn on this much power since I fought the Ninja so long ago. Hands on my knees, I looked down for Harumi.

     She wasn't there.

     Oh no—

     The Vermillion started to reform in their armor.

     I desperately surveyed the area, trying to find Harumi. My windstorm had done a lot of damage. The roof looked torn, the walls were cracking, and the floor was torn up. Planks of wood and tile stuck up in dangerous angles, and the windows had been shattered. I couldn't see Harumi anywhere, or Sensei for that matter. I skittered out from behind the bashed counter to look for him, only to see there were loads more of the Vermillion outside. I saw a flash of white in the crowd, then the Vermillion broke back down into the tiny snakes. Cole's voice echoed instructions to the Ninja. Help had arrived but, the experienced fighters were outside, dealing with many more threats. We were on our own in here.

     I felt the swoosh of air almost a second too late. The mace went flying past my head, causing instinct to kick in yet again and help me get out of the way just in time. A hand shot out of seemingly nowhere and pinned me against the wall. I spit foam while struggling to claw the hand off of me. The large Vermillion from earlier snarled at my face, crushing his fist tighter.

     "W-w-why m-me...?" I sputtered, gasping for air.

     "My Queen wants you dead." It hissed. "You and the little white-haired princess."

     I garbled uselessly and flailed my legs, trying to make contact. The Vermillion lifted me higher in response. I had no other choice. It did not matter what it would do to me; I had to use my power, or I would die. I tried to summon air, but the breezes wouldn't come. My vision became spotted.

     A flash of red.

     Choking heat.

     Air... sweet, sweet air.

     I felt the iron grip slacken completely. I slumped against the floor, my vision slowly returning. Red-orange snakes slithered across my legs as they tried to find their way back together.

     "We need to go."

     I looked up to see Kai. His face was still pale, and his bandages had fallen off to reveal a still healing face. He looked scraggly, weak, and was still in his pajamas. He looked like he had just woken up and raced downstairs.

     "Finally," Skylor moaned to him, getting me to my feet a bit rougher than necessary. "I've been trying to evacuate you for the past fifteen minutes. I should have known you'd resist even when you're literally recovering from almost dying."

     "Funny how I always outmatch you when it comes to who is more stubborn."

     "I'll show you stubborn—"

     "We are literally being ambushed by Vermillion and all you want to do is argue!" I exclaimed, trying to shake the spots from my eyes. I should have known calling on the wind was a bad idea, but once I started, it was hard to stop. "Thank you, Kai, for saving my life even though you're sick. Can we please find Harumi now?"

     They both stared at me, blinking almost in unison.

     "No." Skylor said. Her hand was still gripping my arm. "They're targeting you. We need to get you out of here."

     She started tugging me through the debris towards the stairs. Tiny fires flickered out around me as smoke drifted through the air. Kai must have used his power to break the Vermillion holding me.

     I tried to get her to stop as the tiny snakes began to reform. In my peripheral vision, I saw more Vermillion enter the shop. A scream broke out only seconds later.

     "We have to go back; they're after her too!" I yelled, fear driving my wind. An unexpected gust of it exploded from me again, knocking Skylor backward. I didn't have time to feel guilty. I pushed Kai's horrified look out of my mind and ran towards the source.

     It was hard to spot her among the shattered tables and the splintered floor. I saw four large Vermillion cornering something. All of them had drawn weapons. One of them stabbed forward, causing another yelp to break out. I saw Harumi flit out of the way of incoming attacks, holding the ridiculously small kitchen knife. It was too small to do any real damage, and she hadn't trained to fight in forever.

     The Vermillion stalked closer, matching Harumi's sloppy pace with their own. She held off their attacks the best she could, but I could tell the lack of sleep was diluting her dexterity. Several cuts had scraped her face and arms, and her left wrist dripped with blood.

     I hurriedly looked around for weapons but found none. The temptation was too much, and I forced myself to grasp onto the wind. It took me longer than it should have to finally grapple enough to defend her, but then my posed arm was yanked backwards.

     The wind flitted away all too easily.

     "You can't help her now." Skylor hissed.

     My eyes misted as my chest twisted in pain. "I must."

     "If you go back now, both of you will die."

     One of the Vermillion's clubs made contact with Harumi's head, knocking her backwards. Another one grabbed her gashed arm and lifted her into the air. It lifted its sword, ready to deal the final blow. I screamed.

     "Harumi!"

     Just as the sword swung down, an unbearably green light flashed. The force of the blast caused the wreckage to fly towards us. Skylor dragged me behind a wall just in time. Bits and pieces of carnage flew across the floor, a lot of them with sharp ends. The creator of the green light wasted no time. The debris hadn't even hit the floor before a fit of hissing and yells broke out among the Vermillion. More energy knocked back snakes. I pulled free from Skylor's grip and rushed out from behind the corner. Lloyd landed a perfect roundhouse kick in a Vermillion's stomach, making it burst into a hundred little snakes. Lloyd immediately grabbed the armor and started to throw it out a shattered window. I hurried over to find Harumi.

     Once Lloyd was finished with the attackers, he looked at Kai and Skylor.

     "We've got the citizens out of the way, but the Vermillion don't seem to be concerned with them this time."

     "They have a target now." Kai said.

     I assume either Kai or Skylor pointed to me and Harumi, because Lloyd nodded like he understood. He pushed a broken table in the way of the door and replied, "Get them to the Bounty. You can pick the rest of us up at the top of Borg's tower in about an hour."

     I found Harumi slumped against the wall. Her head was already beginning to bruise from the blow. Her eyelids fluttered open, taking a second to focus. I crouched down and gingerly tapped her arm, but she didn't look at me.

     "You saved my life." She rasped. I followed her gaze up to Lloyd. The blonde ninja didn't meet her eyes.

     He didn't deny it.

     A familiar hissing sound met my ears. The Vermillion would be back any minute now. Harumi pulled herself to her feet with a wince. She grabbed her wrist and hissed slowly. I hooked an arm though hers.

     "Come on." I said, guiding her through the wreckage.

     "You owe me a new knife when this is all over." Harumi wheezed, sadly leaving her new 'borrowed' utensil behind.

     Lloyd readied more energy. "I'll hold them off."

     "This way," Skylor ordered, gesturing us to come to her. Kai led us into the back room, then up the stairs to the second floor. A large crash echoed from the lobby. A worried look crossed the redhead's face. She continued down the hallway with speed.

     "I don't see any more stairs," Harumi's voice was both pained and anxious.

     Skylor muttered something inaudible. When we reached the end of the hall, she started to knock on the wall. I heard the sound of battle downstairs. It came closer and closer. I didn't know how long Lloyd could hold back the Vermillion. Skylor was now running her fingernails along the top of the baseboards. The marching reverberated off the stairs. As soon as the first snake-filled head poked its head into the upstairs, Skylor had removed a hidden panel in the wall.

     A set of stairs lay in the dark corridor. "When you get to the Bounty, press the left, middle, and second right buttons on the blue panel. Pull the level backwards." Kai coughed, readying a weak flame. He was still recovering.

     Skylor tapped her fiancé's arm and snapped her fingers to create a golden flame of her own. I hesitated, they needed to escape just as much as we did. It felt wrong to leave them.

     "Get to the Bounty." Skylor barked, shooting a burst of flame at the incoming Vermillion.

     "What about you?" Surprisingly, the words came from Harumi.

     "Don't worry about us." Kai gritted his teeth. His knees wobbled. "Just get out of here."

     It still felt wrong to leave. But Harumi pulled me into the darkness; we needed each other's strength to make it to the top. The stairs creaked under our feet as we ascended. The corridor was dark, with a few streams of light peeking through cracks on the walls. We hurried up the circular steps, with adrenaline and fear pumping rapidly through us. Below, the hissing got louder and more violent as the Vermillion attacked the couple.

     The stairs ended with a thin wooden wall. I could see the streams of sunlight peaking through and glimpse the red of the Bounty sitting on the rooftop. Harumi felt around for a doorknob but found none. After muttering something about the room feeling cramped, she let out a screech and slammed herself against the wall.

     A door fell open, and both of us stumbled into the sunlight. In front of us stood a large flat rooftop. The Bounty, in all of its splendor, sat peacefully on the roof, even though its last use had only been a few minutes ago. I saw drops of blood hit the floor. Harumi clutched her gashed arm with a white-knuckled grip and hastened towards the ship. I followed her wobbly step, concerned.

     We climbed into the Bounty and raced for the piloting deck. Harumi and I frantically searched for the blue panel.

     "Found it!" I called seeing a small blue panel under the large map screen. "What buttons do I press again?"

     "The left, middle, and second right buttons." Harumi raced over to me.

     "There's twenty different buttons." I said.

     Harumi pursed her lips. "Maybe the middle row?"

     "There's four rows."

     "Wait—what if he meant each instruction for a row? The top row is the button farthest on the left, the second row's button is in the middle, and the third row is the button second farthest on the right."

     I pressed them down. "Worth a shot." I pulled the lever next to it backwards. The whole ship rocked.

     With a steady bumping rhythm, the Bounty began to prepare for flight. I smiled at her. "Good call."

     She looked so pleased with herself that I couldn't help but see us back in the Cloud Kingdom, posed over a chessboard. By the look in her eyes, I could tell she was imagining it too.

     We barely heard the large crash behind us.

     "Use the steering wheel!" Kai's voice echoed from over the loud engines. "Get this thing away from here!"

     I looked back to see hundreds of snakes slithering out of the stairway. Several Vermillion warriors started to put themselves together. Skylor and Kai were fleeing from the mass.

     "Go!"

     Harumi found the thruster control and pushed it forward. The Bounty shot into the air, nearly knocking us off of our feet. A gust of wind knocked my fedora off. It flew back into the sky, then fell into the heat of the battle below. I would never find it again; the time for hiding was over. Smoke drifted up from Steepest Wisdom.

     "Look!" Harumi pointed at two figures climbing onto the deck. I made my way down to them, ignoring the pounding pain in my chest. Kai was sprawled out on the deck, panting heavily. Skylor was hunched over beside him, trying to catch her breath as well. I helped them both to their feet the best I could. Kai was still too weak to be fighting off a Vermillion unit, and Skylor was not as experienced as the rest of the Ninja in doing these things.

     Harumi steered the Bounty away from the skyscrapers and into the country beyond Ninjago City. I watched the smoke clouds billow up and the sound of screaming grow fainter and fainter. If it weren't for the Ninja around, I might just think I was back in the Departed Realm.

     "We had to destroy it." Kai's raspy voice sounded from beside me. The red ninja watched as the Bounty flew farther away, leaning against the mast for support. "Steepest Wisdom may not have held many secrets, but we can't let Malevolence discover anything."

     I was surprised to hear him use Malevolence's name, but the bigger question blocked out all other thoughts. "Where am Harumi and I going to go now?"

     Kai stared at me for so long I began to realize that his bandaged nose was indeed crooked. He sighed after a minute and turned back to the view. "I don't speak for all of us... but I think you should stay here. On the Bounty. If the villains are after you, you must know something."

     "The tides really have turned from bad to worse." I joked, feeling the pain in my abdomen begin to lessen. It wasn't as bad as when I was in the Departed Realm. Perhaps my powers really were returning.

     "Yeah," Kai replied halfheartedly. "Sadly, I feel like it's just going to go downhill from here."

>(<>)<

Krux's POV

    A fierce white-blue light surrounded me. I thought it would give me the chills, like last time I time traveled with the Iron Doom. However, I felt normal, as if the scenes around me weren't really happening. I was floating in a tornado of experience; each little band of light held a scene from the past, present, or future. I kept an iron grip on the drill that held the Time Blades. It was the only thing keeping me from falling into the wrong time period.

     I watched the bands of light as I passed them. As I studied them, I noticed the scenes started to match. I would see a random woman celebrating her child's fourteenth birthday, then a few more light strands away she would be celebrating the same child's fifth birthday. The more I viewed each scene, the more I realized that I was indeed traveling back in time. The drill must really be working.

     It was hard to focus on the light for a long period. The scenes were fleeting, unimportant to my cause. I clutched the rock-filled cloak tighter.

     Jump to the point in time where the Overlord's soul is split from his body.

     Grab the body and drop the cloak in its place.

     Leap away before anyone sees me.

     My mind started to wander. What would the Overlord's true form look like? When he had taken over Ninjago City, he had been a dragon. But when he had conquered it a second time, he looked completely different. I had seen vague drawings of him during his fight with the First Spinjitzu Master. Everyone had a different interpretation of what he actually looked like.

     Would the Overlord really defeat the Ninja? I hoped so. He had already been beat twice before, and the Ninja had only gotten stronger since that point. Malevolence had weakened them with the attacks, but was that enough to beat them? They always seemed to find some unknown power right before they lost.

     I questioned if Malevolence knew what she was doing. She was some unknown entity from another realm. I sensed she was powerful and did as she commanded. She brought me hope. With her new ideas, skill set, and careful manipulating, she was orchestrating the Ninja's defeat. I was fascinated by her plans. I did't understand why Acronix was so wary of her. She needed us. Without our army and powers, she wouldn't be able to do anything. If she turned on us, it would be a pointless maneuver. We would have her surrender in minutes.

     A face snapped me back into attention. It looked a lot like Acronix's, but it wasn't him. This face showed more age, with kinder eyes and a bowed head. Copper light flashed, then the scene disappeared. I focused in on the moments in time. A person who resembled Wu held up his hands over a crowd of people, that same person fought dark creatures alone, that person stood on a cliff before a half-built monastery... I realized who I was seeing. The First Spinjitzu Master resembled his sons, but he had an air to him that showed he was so much more powerful.

     Suddenly, a scene showed a very familiar figure. Malevolence stole away through a portal, holding an amulet close. My grip loosened on the drill in my surprise, which made the streaming events slow. I must be close.

     I studied the beams of light carefully.

     There is a small window where no one is paying attention to the sinking body. You will leap into that point of time, grab the body, and throw the cloak into the water in its place.

     I realized the less pressure I put on the drill's button, the slower the timestream would move. To make the light clearer, I barely pressed the button. Sure enough, everything slowed down until it felt like I was watching a show on those newfangled TVs.

     The scene in front of me was playing in reverse. There was some sort of division going on. Malevolence fled backwards towards an ocean, while the First Spinjitzu Master sheathed weapons. Before my eyes, the Overlord appeared, as soul and body slowly recombined. My eyes widened. This was where I was supposed to be. I reached out to touch the beam of light, hoping that would transport me into the scene.

     The brightness around me became too unbearable as a horrible dissolving feeling came over me. When the discomfort receded, I opened my eyes to the Overlord's body hitting the water. Around me, the world ticked, as if I were in a giant clock.

     Bong.

     Bong.

     Bong.

     Suddenly, everything became real. I was splashed by a huge wave of water as a cold gust of wind hit me. I nearly dropped the drill in surprise. Too late, I saw the Overlord's body sinking. I scrambled to grab it, only to hear a large gasp. I weakly looked up to see both the First Spinjitzu Master and Malevolence staring at me. Instinct took over, and my hand squeezed the drill as hard as I could. Reality faded away around me as I was catapulted back into the timestream.

     Jump backward in time, not forward.

     I watched the light around me play history like a movie and angled my body so I was facing the opposite direction. The events streamed backwards once again. I was still recovering from the shock of the first jump, which made me reckless. I reached out to touch a beam of light without looking to see where in time I was.

     Once again, the world looked hazy and ticked around me.

     Bong.

     Bong.

     Bong.

     Reality slammed into me. I appeared to be in a dark room. I dropped to my knees to catch my breath. The air was moist and musky. It had the feeling of a dark presence, but I couldn't tell who it might be. I draped the cloak over the arm that held the drill and crept forward. Right in front of me, a bright magenta light flashed, nearly as bright as the timestream. I stumbled backwards as the light concentrated into a small oval shape. Before me, a large figure stood. It had the outline of a dragon, yet it stood on two clawed legs. It grasped the magenta oval tightly, with a wicked grin curling over its face.

     Another dark shape appeared next to it. The temperature dropped twenty degrees.

     "Did it work?" The second figure asked with a voice that was all too familiar.

     Malevolence?

     "It seems to have." The dragon-like figure responded. It pressed the glowing oval in Malevolence's hand. "Keep this safe and we will never perish."

     I pulled myself to my feet. The drill scraped the floor, which let out an elongated noise. Both heads swiveled in my direction. They couldn't see me, but I didn't want to know what happened next.

     The scene faded away and the timestream reappeared as I pressed the drill's button. Its familiar whirling noise was a comfort. I welcomed the bright light of the timestream. It wasn't cold or dark there. My arm was getting tired from holding the drill. I loosened my grip so the streaming lights would slow. After a few minutes, I found the moment I was supposed to change once again. Nothing seemed to have changed, which means the scene I just saw probably took place before the soul-splitting incident.

     I reached for the moment only seconds before the split was complete. The drill's effects seemed to let me into the moment only a few seconds after I arrived. I saw a bright light flash and readied myself to grab the falling body.

     Bong.

     Bong.

     Bong.

     The body knocked me into the water. I only saw black. I gasped for breath as water clogged up my clothes, completely forgetting my mission. I struggled to get out from underneath the weight of the Overlord's corpse. The water pressure threatened to crush me. I shut my eyes and squeezed.

     The world twisted around me and the tightness in my chest faded. I sucked in the sweet air, feeling even more fatigued than before. I had to try again. I couldn't return to Malevolence empty handed. I reached backwards to find another quick scene I could jump into before I returned. Then, an idea hit me.

     What if I waited in the water next time? I would let go of the cloak when I arrived, then I could just grab the body and jump to the present. It would be a lot easier than trying to catch a large flying object. I touched the scene again, but this time I appeared in the blurry water before the light flashed.

     Jump backward in time, not forward.

     Malevolence never stated how far back I needed to go. The world ticked around me. Weirdly enough, I could still breathe. That was before the bonging was over. The minute I felt myself get wet, I let go of the rock-filled cloak. It sunk into the depths of the Endless Sea, destined to sink forever. Now, I couldn't fail, or I wouldn't be able to complete my mission.

     Seconds later, the light from above vanished and the Overlord's dragon-like form hit the water, forcing many bubbles to rise to the surface. I reached out blindly, grabbed what felt scaly, and pressed the drill's button.

     The weight in my hands became unbearable. The timestream started moving me towards the future. I was pressing down as hard as I could to make the events move faster. I looked down to see if I had indeed succeeded in my mission. The Overlord's body was ginormous, with dark scales and massive bat-like wings that seemed larger than the body itself. I grinned, despite the overwhelming sensation to drop it and spare my arm the pain of carrying it.

     I peered at the lights desperately, trying to find the present. I could see glimpses of my face in the scenes. I appeared to be quite angry... at Acronix?

     I loosened my grip on the drill to study the scenes; surprise and curiosity had a strange way of making you forget your pain. The lights flickered to the point where I almost couldn't see what was going on. I caught sight of a blonde girl among flames, two figures standing before a large darker one, and Vermillion fighting. My eyes widened in shock. I was seeing pieces of the future.

     I angled my body to move back. As much as I wanted to know why I was angry with Acronix (he was probably just doing something stupid anyway), I was too afraid of dropping the extremely heavy body to stay.

     The timestream was like an endless tunnel of different lights. One way was the past, the other way led to the future. I went backward, hoping to find the present. It was a slow process since the future didn't like me seeing it. The light was hard to peer into. After what seemed like an hour, I found the scene where I disappeared to find the Overlord's body. I waited for it to play out, then shoved the drill into the light.

     I was sucked back into the present. The Overlord's body hit the ground with a large thud as I dropped it. I bent over to catch my breath.

     Bong.

     Bong.

     Bong.

     Acronix was at my side, helping me to my feet. I leaned on him, thankful for his support. As many differences as we had, he was still my loyal brother.

     "Very well done," Malevolence praised, gently leaning down to inspect the Overlord's body. She didn't even glance at me. "I need the drill back."

     I handed her the drill. My arm was glad to not have to carry it anymore. Both of my limbs felt dislocated with soreness; I severely hoped I'd still be able to use them later.

     "We will have the ability to take over very soon," she assured me, finally studying my crumpled form. I felt the old stirrings of pride. I had succeeded. It wouldn't be long now.

     "Ninjago will be ours." I rasped, wondering how much it would affect my reputation if I took a nap. I was quite old after all.

     Malevolence smiled tenderly at the body as she rubbed the amulet around her neck. "Soon. Very soon indeed."