~Meanwhile~

Master Wu and the ninja except for Cole and Misty were touring the Kingdom of Shintaro, observing the beautiful scenery.

"This truly is a city of wonders. Look at these gardens. Have you ever seen anything so magnificent?" Wu asked

"It sure is pretty," Lloyd said as he looked around he couldn't help but noticed Misty was missing and he then said, "Hey has anyone seen Misty?"

Jay frowned and said "No but now that you've mentioned it Cole's missing as well where are they their missing all of this"

Lloyd's eyes narrowed upon hearing this and Zane said, "Perhaps they are together somewhere... recently Cole has been keeping Misty quite close..."

Just then Vania popped up from a bush she had smudges of dirt on her face and cobwebs stuck to her clothes, "Master Wu. Master Wu!" She cried and then tripped yelping, "Oh, ouch, fiddlesticks. Wait!"

"Princess?" Wu asked in disbelief and concern he gently caught her hand as she ran to him, and Vania let out a sigh of relief crying, "Oh, thank the mountain."

"What happened?" Nya shouted

"I went into the dungeons with Cole and Misty, and we found something terrible!" Vania cried

"Dungeons?" Wu asked

"There's an underground mine full of these little creatures. And they're all chained up, and they're being forced to dig by these evil skeletons with whips, and Cole and Misty stayed to rescue them, and he told me to come back to get help!" Vania cried in a rush her voice growing higher in pitch as she continued.

"W-What?" Lloyd stammered out

"We have to tell my father to send his guards. Come on!" Vania shouted and they all ran to the palace.

"I'm very disappointed, Vania. It is forbidden to enter the mountain! The rule of law is there for a reason. It is unsafe below. Not only did you endanger yourself, but you have also endangered our guests." Vangelis chastised.

"I-I'm sorry, Father," Vania whispered and lowered her head in shame.

"I humbly beg your forgiveness, Master Wu. I will send three brigades of my ablest guards at once. They will find your friend. Have no fear." Vangelis said turning to Master Wu.

"We'll go too," Kai said quickly

"I cannot allow that. The dungeons are treacherous. We have lived here for centuries, and even we do not enter them lightly. There are things that dwell below that... should not be disturbed." Vangelis solemnly.

"So the creature Cole saw was real?" Nya said in disbelief.

"You told me I imagined it!" Vania cried to her father

"I said what I had to protect you, child. One day, when you are older, you'll understand. Now, time is of the essence. I must dispatch my men. I ask you all to remain calm and stay here." Vangelis said.

"We can't just stay here. Cole and Misty are our friends!" Kai shouted

"Yeah, we have to help!" Jay added

"It is out of the question. I will not put anyone else in danger. My men will bring your friends back. Trust in them." Vangelis shouted

"Yeah-" Kai started and he lurched forward to shout but was stopped by Wu who placed a hand on his chest and pushed him back and said, "Of course, King Vangelis. We will do as you ask." he bowed.

"Thank you. Now please, I have much to attend. As do you, Vania." Vangelis said and the ninja left the room.

"You don't really think we're gonna sit this one out, do you?" Lloyd shouted as he chased after Wu.

"No, of course not. But angering the King will solve nothing." Wu said and then he turned to Vania and said, "Princess, I don't want to get you into any more trouble, but do you think you could perhaps show us -"

Vania pulled out two torches and said with a grin and a wink, "The way into the dungeons? You bet. Follow me!" she handed Wu a torch and ran off.

"Okay," Lloyd said slightly hesitantly and the ninja followed.

~Cole and Misty~

Cole and Misty were still locked in a cage made of bone, and Misty was nestled in Cole's arms her head on his chest, as he held her close to him to keep her safe. The door to the cage opened the skeletons entered the cage and started poking Cole with their staffs. He did his best to shield misty from most of the pokes and shouted, "Okay, okay! We get the point!" They were both dragged out of the cage and attached a ball and chain to each of them going around their waist, and were ordered to work. Misty looked at the pickaxe in her hand and raised it to throw at the skeleton that just walked off. Cole caught her arm and shook his head no, he then turned to a green-skinned creature that look like an ogre, "Hey. Psst. I'm Cole this is Misty,"

"Murt." the creature grunted

"How long have you been down here, Murt?" Cole asked

"Long time. Like you." Murt growled

"What? N-no, We just got here." Cole said quickly.

"Me too. Long time." Murt said

Misty and Cole exchanged looks and Cole turned one of the purple-skinned creatures and whispered

"Hey. Hey, buddy. Anyway out of here?"

"No." The creature replied and one of the Warriors snapped his whip and roared at both Cole and Misty.

"Okay, okay." Cole and he returned to mining.

"Never thought I'd say it but I miss my powers!" Misty muttered under her breath.

"What do you mean?" Cole asked raising an eyebrow.

"If I could explode these rocks do you know how much faster this could be," Misty muttered

"If you could explode these rocks you would probably cause a cave-in," Cole added

"Good point, I guess I'll have to shelve that idea," Misty muttered.

~Meanwhile~

Vania took the ninja to the opening in the palace gardens. "Here it is" she sighed and said, "I wish I could go with you. I feel like this is all my fault."

"No, we don't want you to get into any more trouble. We'll handle it from here." Nya assured her and took the torch from Vania.

Lloyd seemed still suspicious of Vania said, "Yeah. You've done enough. Come on, guys." and he hurried inside.

"Master?" Zane asked

"Go on without me, Zane. I would only slow you down." Wu said

"Master Wu, that is not so," Zane said

"It is, no matter how I wish it weren't. Now go, quickly, before someone sees you." Wu said, Zane took the torch and ran off after the others.

~Cole and Misty~

"Hey. Uh, um, Murt, right?" Cole asked

"Friend of Geckle!" Murt grunted and turned away refusing to speak to Cole.

"Just ignore him. He's a low-down, thieving Munce." Gliff snapped back

"Sticky-tricky-Geckle." Murt growled and they got in each other's faces.

"Blade stealer!"

"Me? You blade stealer!" Murt shouted

"Guys, guys! We're all in this together, okay? Why do you hate each other so much?" Cole asked shoving in between the two. The Ooher Geckles and Munce advanced on each other menacingly. leaving Cole and Misty in the middle, "Hey, come on! Knock it off!" Cole shouted.

"Chill out guys!" Misty added a Warrior banged a gong

"Glop time." a Geckle groaned

"What's "glop time?" Cole asked sounding slightly concerned, he and Misty exchanged worried looks. A few seconds later a Warrior dropped a glop of food into Cole's bowl and then Misty's. Misty immediately tried not to throw up and followed Cole to where he went to sit beside Murt. "Hey, um, Murt? Are there any other Munce who are a little, um, how do we put this ... smarter than you?" He asked

"Murt smartest. Also Manko, and Mudd, and Mood, and Meeha, and Mid-

"Uh, do all Munce names start with M?" Cole asked

"Mm. Like you, "Mole." and Misty" Murt said with a grin.

Misty shrugged and said, "He got mine right,"

"No, no. My name's Cole, not Mole." Cole said

"What I said, Mole," Murt said

"No no no. With a "C," like, uh, "cold". Say "cold"." Cole corrected

"Cold?" Murt grunted

"Yes, exactly. My name is like that. Cole." Cole said

"Mole," Murt grunted.

Misty smirked at Cole and nudged him with her elbow and said, "Nice to meet you, Mole,"

"Wish I could say the pleasure was mine," Cole muttered back.

~Ninja~

The ninja arrived at the mines.

"Quick! Let's hide." Lloyd said the ninja darted behind a boulder.

"Wow. Vania was right. There sure are a lot of them." Nya said

"But I detect only simple weapons and crude fortifications," Zane informed the others.

"Look, there's Cole and Misty!" Jay said and he pointed to their friends being led back to a cage made of bones. Both were carrying blows of what looked like green sludge.

"What do you think? Take 'em by surprise?" Kai said narrowing his eyes.

"I don't know. This feels like a moment when Master Wu would say we need more of a plan." Lloyd said he was watching Misty closely.

"I like simple. I say we bust up that bag of bones, get that key, and save Cole and Misty. Best. Rescue. Ever. Unless someone else has a better idea?" Kai said the ninja looked at each other and hurried off to execute the "plan"

~Cole and Misty~

A Mino smelled Cole's food, and he gave the bowl to it. It swallows the bowl as well. Misty willingly handed her blow over as well and it was slurped up too, "That's quite the appetite. Ugh, I bet the bowl tastes better than the glop." Cole muttered, the ninjas land in front of the cage. "Boy, are we glad to see you guys," Cole said grinning

"Yeah, and not a minute too soon," Misty added smiling.

"You okay?" Nya asked a concerned look on her face.

"Yeah. Get us out of here." Cole said

Kai ran forward and unlocked the door with the key in his hand.

"Someone's coming!" Jay warned Zane severed a chain with a shuriken and blocked a Warrior's path.

"Shh! Keep it down! There's a creepy evil guy with wings in that temple, and trust me, you do not want to meet him." Cole hissed

"Yeah, let's not bring the whole place down on our heads," Nya added and she ruffled Misty's hair with her hand. The Geckles in Cole's cage exit as well.

"Come on, guys! It's a rescue!" Kai said to the Munce in the cage and he let them out.

"We're getting you out of here. But you have to be quiet!" Nya added

"Murt is quiet," Murt whispered

"We're free!" Geckle cheered but she accidentally bumped into Murt.

"You rescue Geckles?" Murt grunted

"Thieving Munce!" Geckle shouted

"Thieving Geckles!" Murt growled

"Hey! Keep it together, guys. Just for a few more seconds." Cole hissed but his plea fell on deaf ears.

"Blade stealers!" Gliff shouted

"Filthy takers!" Munce snarled

"Traitors!" Geckle shouted the Geckles and Munce attacked each other.

"Hey, Knock it off!" Kai shouted

"We may have a problem!" Zane warned

"You think?" Cole snapped

Two Awakened Warriors from their watchtower threw their spears at the ninjas.

"New plan! Jay, Nya, take out that tower! Everyone else, run!" Lloyd shouted Nya and Jay used their Spinjitzu to knock down the tower as the others ran. They stopped though and saw the two creatures were still fighting and arguing.

"Blade stealer!"

"Geckle thief!"

"I don't believe this!" Lloyd shouted in disbelief.

"Guys, move it! Run!" Cole shouted

"This is painful! Cole, can't you get them to move?" Lloyd shouted

"I'm open to suggestions!" Cole snapped back.

"What about you Misty?" Lloyd said

"I hardly think I'm the fittest to be diplomatic here!" Misty said and she turned away from Lloyd.

Lloyd let out a frustrated groan and turned back to Cole who shouted, "Murt? Murt! Hey, Murt! Run!"

"Murt run."

"Every Geckle for themselves!" and they started running around.

"Let's get out of here. We'll come back!" Kai assured them. Only for their path to be blocked by more warriors.

Cole picked up a ball and chain and swung it around throwing it shattering the warriors, "Strike!" He cheered.

"These guys go down so easily!" Kai said as he took several more out. But more took their place and Zane tried to freeze the Warriors, but his powers wouldn't work. "Ugh. My Elemental Powers appear ineffective!"

"There's something down here messing with our powers. But Spinjitzu still works! Ninja, go!" Cole shouted and they used Spinjitzu to knock down the Warriors.

"Who dares disturb the Skull Sorcerer?" The Skull Sorcerer roared as he appeared

"Yeah, that's him. That's who I was telling you about." Cole said and they ran, but the Skull Sorcerer blocked their path.

"There's six of us and one of you, pal." Kai gloated

"Rise, my children!" Skull Sorcerer shouted

"Rise!" the skull in his hand croaked out and right before their eyes the Awakened Warriors reassembled themselves.

"They also get up easily!" Jay said nervously.

"You will never again see the sun." The Skull Sorcerer sneered, and the Warriors tackled the ninja. They were defeated and ordered to mine.

"Worst. Rescue. Ever." Jay scowled glaring at Kai.

"What? I asked if someone else had a better idea." Kai asked defensively.

"Oh, so it was your idea... That makes a lot more sense," Misty muttered as she began mining again.

Kai shot her a scathing look but said nothing in reply.

Lloyd shuffled until he was standing beside Misty and said, "So you and Cole uh?"

Misty stiffened and shot Lloyd a withering glare and said, "It's not what you're assuming,"

"Then what is it?" Lloyd asked

"None of your business Lloyd that's what it is! Now if you excuse me I have somewhere to be now," Misty replied with a scowl.

"Where do you have to be Misty? We're trapped here! Where in Ninjago could you need to be?" Lloyd replied raising an eyebrow.

"Not with you that's for sure!" Misty snapped back her eyes flashing briefly. She moved away until she was standing farther away from Lloyd.