~Lloyd, Nya, and Jay~

Lloyd, Nya, and Jay were following a group of Munces through the tunnel they had run into. In their hands, they held torches made of a glowing green rock that illuminated their surroundings in sickly green lighting.

"I wonder what happened to the others," Lloyd murmured

"Yeah, I hope they're safe," Nya agreed

"I guess, for now, we'll have to follow these guys wherever they're going." Lloyd sighed

"The others will be okay. Don't worry." Jay reassured the two with a smile.

"I hope so," Lloyd muttered he wouldn't say it out loud but he was hoping Misty ended up with anyone but Cole with the team being possibly split as it was.

"Um... hmm," Murt muttered he and the other Munces had stopped in their path.

"Everything okay? Why'd we stop?" Lloyd asked

"Murt not remember the way," Murt mumbled

"What? I thought you knew these tunnels like the back of your hand!" Jay cried

Murt looked at his hand, confused, and said, "Uh..."

Jay sigh in exasperation and let out a groan, "Ugh."

"Is one of these. Either this way, or this way, or this way." Murt said and pointed between the two tunnels ahead of them.

"Yeah, um, we figured it was one of them, Murt, but we kinda need to know which one," Lloyd said

"How about this way?" Murt said and he pointed behind the group.

"That's the way we just came," Lloyd said

"Oh, great! Now we're gonna get lost down here, we're never gonna see the sun again, we're all gonna -" Jay said but was cut off by Nya.

"It's this way, guys!" Nya cried

"How do you know?" Jay asked

"I can see footprints in the dirt," Nya said as she held the torch close to the ground.

"Oh. Nice work, Nya. See, I told you it would be fine!" Jay said.

Nya and Lloyd exchanged doubtful looks with one another behind Jay's back.

Nya, Jay, and Lloyd gasped as they arrived at the Munce Home-Cave. "Wow." It appeared to be an underground cavern home with large green crystal spikes that illuminated the underground village, as they approach the gates a Munce Sentry called out, "Halt! Who goes there?"

"Where?" Murt asked

"There!"

"He means you, Murt." Lloyd hissed as he placed his hand on Murt's shoulder.

"Oh. Murt goes there." Murt said

"Murt? Son of Murt?" One of the sentries asked

"You escape from the Skull Sorcerer? How?" the other sentry asked, Jay, waved nervously.

"My Queen! We have visitors." The sentry announced

a female Murt seated on a large throne gasped and shouted, "Murt!"

Murt approached the throne with Lloyd, Jay, and Nya, he kneeled, and said, "My Queen. Murt escape. With help of these "moutsiders."

"How? No one has ever returned from the caverns held by the Skull Sorcerer." Murtessa marveled

"If you wish to hear story, Murt will tell," Murt said

Jay then whispered to Nya, "This should be interesting."

"Shh!" Nya hissed back

"Tell!" Murtessa ordered

Murt then gestured wildly throughout his narration. "We were like so many days. Always thunk, thunk, thunk." and he pretended to mine. "And then, they came. And the Skull Sorcerer was like so" he then waved his arms wildly, "And the ninja went like this" he punched the air "and this" and then kicked. "And then, caught like so, thunk, thunk, thunk" he then pretended to mine "But then, this! And then, they fought," followed by punches and kicks "and like so, poof" he punched his chest and pretended to fall "And like this. And the Skull Sorcerer was like this." he then pretended to roar in agony, "Arrrgh." and then hit the ground and pretended to cry "Boo-hoo-hoo." followed by pretending to die.

"Murt, you okay?" Nya asked as the Munce lay on the ground.

Murt got back to his feet grinning and said, "And so it was. We are free, thanks to them."

Murtessa then leaped from her throne to approach the ninja and said, "This is true? You are ninja from the surface? And you freed my subjects?"

"Uh..." Lloyd hesitated unsure exactly what Murt had just told them through the charades.

"Yes, it is, your Majesty." Jay jumped in.

"I am most grateful. How can I repay this?" Murtessa asked

"Oh, no, it was nothing. Forget it." Jay said

"You are also modest, I see."

"Well, heh, modesty prevents me from agreeing, but... yes," Jay said grinning

"And who is this? Your servant?" Murtessa said as she peered at Nya closely.

"Servant?" Nya asked

"Oh, oh, no no no. This is Nya, my "yang." Jay said quickly smiling

"Yang?: Murtessa asked

Nya pulled Jay close to her side and said with a smile, "It means we belong together!"

"Hmm. Make our guests comfortable. Give them whatever they wish. Our best quarters, food, drink. Even for the Yang-Servant." Murtessa announced

Jay let out a squeak as Nya tightened her hold on him, as her temper rose, after hearing Murtessa title for her.

They were now in the quarters the Munces had given them Lloyd was sitting on one of the beds and Jay was reclining on the other meanwhile Nya was fuming.

"Yang-Servant? Can you believe that?" She shouted

"Actually, I think it went pretty well," Lloyd said

"And you didn't say anything!" Nya shouted turning on Jay.

"What? No, I totally did!" Jay protested

"Will you guys relax? This is good. They might be willing to help us. And we can use all the help we can get right now. Finding the others, dealing with that Skull Sorcerer guy, and" He trailed off as he spotted something - "hey, look." He pointed at a carving on the wall and they walked over to it. It was a picture of a figure holding two swords fighting what appeared to be a dragon.

"Huh," Jay asked

"That must be this "Milly" guy." Lloyd reasoned

"Ahem. Queen Murtessa asks if you would dine with her." Munce announced

"Of course. We would be honored." Lloyd said

"No. Not you. Just him." The Sentry said and he pointed to Jay.

"That's it! You tell the Queen we're a team! Where he goes, we all go!" Nya shouted and she shouted, "Right, Jay?" she then grabbed Jay before he could leave the room and said, "Right?!"

"Ow! Yes! Haha, right!" Jay said

Lloyd and Nya were brought with Jay and when Murtessa saw the other two she grew annoyed but ordered a Munce servant to bring another two bowls for Nya and Lloyd.

"What is this?" Jay asked as he observed the "food" in the bowls. A fly had flowed to the top of the food only for it to close shut on the fly.

Nya sniffed the food. and said, "Ugh. I have no idea" then shuddered.

"Oh! Think it's trying to eat me." Jay cried out and he tried not to throw up.

"Is it true you know Spinjitzu?" Murtessa asked waving her hand at the ninja.

"Uh, yes," Jay said he was sitting in a throne-like chair while Nya and Lloyd were seated on stools on either side of him. They had different dishes than he did that seemed to be green sludge with a bone sticking out of it.

"And you have Elemental Powers?" Murtessa asked again.

"I-I do." Jay stammered

"We all do, actually-" Nya started to say but was cut off by Murtessa who talked over her leaving the water ninja looking very displeased.

"I hope you will show me, Ninja-Jay. I would love to see a demonstration."

"Oh, uh, okay. Um, how about this?" Jay said and he used Lightning on the rocks above them and they started glowing. They lit up the cave walls covering them in shards of rainbow light, "Oh, gee, um. Hehe, that doesn't usually happen, heh." Jay said as they gazed around the room.

"It is beautiful! I have never seen such beauty. Truly, you are gifted. Brave, modest, and powerful! Tell me. Are you ... betrothed?" Murtessa asked as she walked over to Jay.

"Yes! He is! To me!" Nya shouted and she and Murtessa scowled at each other.

"So, um, what is this wonderful food? Heh." Lloyd said he reached for his bowl in a desperate attempt to dissolve the tension. but before he could even reach for the bowl Murtessa kicked his plate off the table as she leaped onto the table to face off against Nya. Relieved Lloyd muttered under his breath. "Oh, thank goodness."

"I demand the Munce rite of ritual combat to fight for the honor of Ninja-Jay, for you are unworthy!" Murtessa shouted

"Are you nuts? I'm not gonna fight for Jay!" Nya shouted

"Why not? You're afraid? You hide behind others, like a child?" Murtessa gloated

"Nya, come on, don't. It's - it's not worth it." Lloyd said in an attempt to calm Nya down.

"Like frightened child?" Murtessa paused as Nya and her contiued their stare down she then shouted, "Child!"

"That's it! Bring it!" Nya shouted soon she, Lloyd, and Jay entered a room with weapons. Nya had some additional armor added to her Gi.

"Nya, you can't do this," Lloyd said desperately.

"Yeah, Nya, there's gotta be a better way," Jay added

"Well if you figure it out, let me know. Jay, has it occurred to you what would happen if I didn't fight? You'd have to stay here, forever! She wants you to be her king, or whatever the Munce call it." Nya said raising an eyebrow as she picked up a metal shield.

"King? M-me? I would have to stay down here? Forever? Eating that disgusting Munce food?" Jay said

"Yes, Jay," Nya said

"You have to win this, Nya! This is serious!" Jay shouted

"Oh, I intend to," Nya said and she grabbed a spear, and she headed to an arena in her Hero suit.

"Ninja-Jay! I challenge this "moutsider" creature to combat, for you! I wish you to be my king, for even though you have tiny arms and ugly human face, you have a stout heart and are a mighty warrior! We should be together." Murtessa said

"Not if I can help it," Nya shouted and flipped up the metal visor acting as her hood.

"Let the combat begin!" Murtessa shouted she was armed with two spiked clubs.

"You asked for it, lady," Nya screamed

"For what?" Murtessa a

"For this! Hiya!" Nya screamed and she leaped at Murtessa, only to be knocked over. Murtessa dropped her weapons and begins to act weirdly doing a strange dance, "Huh? What the-" Nya muttered Murtessa curled into a ball and knocks Nya off her feet. Repeatedly "Hey! Aah!"

"Nya!" Jay cried

"Quit that! That's not how you -" Nya shouted but she was repeatedly hit by Murtessa.

"Lloyd, I'm scared," Jay admitted

"Relax. Nya's got this. I hope." Lloyd muttered

"Okay, lady. Let's see how you like it when I spin! Ninja go!" Nya screamed she used Spinjitzu and kicked Murtessa into a wall. Murtessa collapsed.

"See?" Lloyd said

There were murmurs heard throughout the audience

"The Queen. She-she-"

"She has lost." Other Munce started to murmur among themselves.

"The Queen has lost! Long live the Queen!" a Munce said

"Queen Mya." the Munce cheered

"Queen Mya!"

The Munce audience began to chant Queen Mya! Queen Mya! Queen Mya! Queen Mya! Queen Mya!"

"Oh, boy," Lloyd muttered

"I did not see that coming," Jay added

~Cole and Misty~

Cole was still running through the carven with Misty in his arms determined to put more distance between them and the Skull Sorcerer.

"Cole you can put me down if you're getting tired," Misty said

"Nonsense, I'm not tried you weigh barely anything...in fact, that's a little concerning on your part...nevermind," Cole muttered and added, "It's easier for me to carry you that way we don't get separated in the dark,"

"Do you think the others are okay?" Misty asked

"I'm sure the others are fine, I'm more concerned about us right now, this tunnel just keeps getting darker and darker," Cole said and he tightened his hold on Misty.

"I'm guessing we can't exactly go back," Misty said softly.

"Not unless you want to face off against flaming skull man again," Cole chuckled

Cole slowed down to a walk and then gently placed Misty on her feet and said, "Let's stop here for now,"

Both of them leaned against the wall of the cave and sat down beside each other. Misty took out the small piece of Vengestone and rolled it over in her hands. Cole spotted it and said, "That's Vengestone, why do you have that?"

"I-I was going to use it when we got back to Ninjago, I was going to ask Zane to make me a piece of jewelry or something that I can wear to bed so I don't have to worry about..." her voice trailed off and she looked away unable to meet Cole's eyes.

"Misty you don't need that," Cole said softly and reached for the piece of ore.

Misty yanked it out of his reach and said, "No, I do... this stupid rock might be my only chance to be happy and to be considered safe to be around in the future..."

Cole then retracted his hand after hearing this and said softly, "Misty..."

Misty sighed and shook her head and said, "Let's face it, Cole... I'm the next bad thing waiting to happen to Ninjago... Vengestone may be my only hope..."

Cole gently wrapped an arm around Misty's shoulder and pulled her close and said, "No matter what I'm here Misty I always will be,"