ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: 30 Seconds to Mars - This is War

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To the right to the left

We will fight to the death

To the edge of the earth,

It's a brave new world from the last to the first

---

A boy gasped as he watches the village run in fear before his mother pulled him inside.

''Haha! Run! Haha! Run away! Oh, watch your step. I feel sorry for them, Zugu. They rely so heavily on the Ninja. They don't know what to do when they're not here. Doesn't anyone here want to fight?'' Chen asked, looking around.

A girl threw an apple at Chen, making his snake skull shift on his head. ''Hey!'' Zugu then picked up a boulder and threw it at her, and she ran away.

''Haha! Onward, my slithering soldiers, until there is no village left unturned.'' The Slithering Noodle Dude told his army.

---

Nya tried to communicate with the others but failed to do so.

''They're attacking Jamanakai Village. You have to stop them. All communication is cut.'' The Samurai Girl told the others, concerned.

''If our fighters don't know where to go, who's gonna stop my father?'' Noodle Daughter questioned.

Chen appeared on the screen. ''Hello. As you can see, I've taken control of the airwaves, just as I'll take over Ninjago.''

''You'll pay for this, Chen,'' Garmacondrai told him.

''Brother, enough. What do you want?'' Wu asked.

''A truce.'' The Slithering Noodle Dude answered.

''Ha! Like the one the real Anacondrai wanted during the last war? The truce that you destroyed by deceiving both sides?'' Garmacondrai questioned.

''I will honour my word and no one will get hurt if you and everyone you know leave Ninjago and never comes back,'' Chen answered.

''We're not leaving our home,'' Garmadon replied, crossing his arms and turning away.

''Wait. Let us think about it.'' Wu said.

''How can you even entertain him?'' Garmacondrai asked.

''Our Ninja are gone. We need more time.'' His brother answered.

''You should listen to your brother, Garmadon. He's always had a way with words. Hehe. It convinced Misako, didn't it? What's wrong? You look a little purple. Oh, that's right. Once a snake, always a snake.'' Chen replied slyly.

''Haven't you hurt enough people, Father?'' Noodle Daughter asked her father.

''What is he talking about?'' Misako questioned, putting her hand on Garm's back.

''Oh, he hasn't told you? The letter he wrote that made you fall in love with him...it was written by Wu.'' The Noodle Man Snake answered, making her gasp.

''I...I was trying to tell you.'' Garmadon said, trying to explain.

''How could you, brother?'' Wu asked, and his brother looked at the floor in shame.

''Oh, and about that truce? Deal's off. I actually only wanted to drop that delicious little bombshell. Toodaloo!'' Chen said, ending the recording.

''Of all the things...'' Wu started, facing Garmadon.

''Brother, don't let anger cloud your judgement.'' His brother told him, trying to calm him.

''Don't tell me what to do. You're no Sensei, and you've never been one!'' Wu shouted.

''Don't you see what he's doing? He's divided the Ninja, now he's dividing you.'' Skylor told them.

---

Neuro sent a mind message to the other Elemental Masters, to meet at the Samurai X cave.

''Thank goodness you got my message.'' The Master of Mind told the others.

''Look at you,'' Kai said to Skylor.

''The spell is wearing off, but my father's antics sadly have not.'' The Noodle Daughter replied.

''Tea?'' Wu asked, and Garmadon went to take it from him, only for his brother to give it to Misako instead.

''He knows about the letter?'' His son asked. (Y/n) poured him a cup of tea and gave it to him, and he took it, nodding with a small smile on his face.

''The message was delivered.'' His father replied, taking a sip of the tea and shaking his head.

''So why were we asked here?'' Griffin asked. ''We should be fighting snakes.''

''Because anyone can fight. Only one side can declare victory.'' Wu replied.

''In the time it took you to get here, Chen has taken over the entire Eastern seaboard and is moving inland. With each village destroyed, they grow stronger.'' Nya informed them.

''That's a lot of red. Karlof not like red.'' Karloff replied. (Y/n) looked over at him and frowned.

''How are we supposed to stop them?'' Gravis asked. ''Most of us have lost control of our Dragons, not to mention we're outnumbered ten to one.''

''Actually, 62.4 to one.'' The Titanium Ninja corrected.

''Look, I'm scared like the rest of you. It may look like we've lost, but it's not over. When we thought we lost Zane, it nearly tore us apart. But we didn't quit. We let it fuel it. We grew stronger.'' The Green Ninja told them.

''There's hope. The Corridor of Elders.'' Wu replied.

''Corridor of Elders?'' Shade questioned.

''I know we don't stand much of a chance taking on his entire army at once, but after he's controlled the East, he'll move West tomorrow and have to pass through Echo Canyons.'' The brother of Garmacondrai informed.

''Our best tactical position is to make our stand where it bottlenecks: here, at the Corridor of Elders, the monuments honouring our ancestors. It's the narrowest channel, but our greatest chance.'' Wu finished.

''If we can't stop them here, the rest of Ninjago will fall like dominos,'' Garmacondrai added.

''Karlof not like to lose. Karlof fueled!'' The Master of Metal replied, raising his fists.

''Then we have one day to save tomorrow,'' Wu said, making the Elemental Masters cheer.

---

(Y/n) and Remo had decided to try and convince the serpentine to help them fight.

A wheeled cart trailed behind them, something delicious and tasty the serpentine would enjoy under the checkered blanket.

The little snake looked back at it, his eyes dreaming of what was beneath.

The two came to the entrance and invited themselves inside.

Almost immediately, the serpentine turned their heads in the direction of the lovely smell that wafted from the wheeled cart, their gazes filled with curiosity with what lay beneath.

A certain Fangpyre ran up to her, a smile on his snakey face. ''What's under the blanket?'' He asked, looking over her shoulder.

(Y/n) smirked. ''A little secret, can you go get Skales?'' She asked.

The Fangpyre nodded and ran to fetch him.

While she waited, the serpentine conversed to wonder what was under the blanket, with Remo stopping any who tried to steal any of what lay beneath.

''Wren, could you please stop annoying me?'' Skales questioned. Her Fangpyre friend came back with Skales and Selma, the king snake looked slightly annoyed, before catching a whiff of the delicious smell.

''What is that beautiful smell?'' The King Snake asked.

(Y/n) bowed to the king, before turning to the wheeled cart and whipping off the covers.

To reveal, a Ham Sandwich bounty.

The Master of Illusion watched as Skales signalled the other Serpentine to stop themselves from eating the sandwiches from heaven before them. ''What do you need?''

''I only require your help in these times of need, Chen has turned his followers into Anacondrai and are going to storm Ninjago and by that point, they can't be stopped.'' (Y/n) replied with a concerned look on her face.

Skales looked at Selma, then at the Master of Illusion. He then nodded. ''Only once.''

(Y/n) nodded in reply. The snake king then turned to the other serpentine. ''Dig in!''

---

While the Ninja, Elemental Masters and the citizens kept the fake Anacondrai at bay, (Y/n) stood on the lowered platform of the venomari-transformed helicopter.

''Ships aren't supposed to fly, sink it!'' Chen yelled in the distance.

''We can't hold them all!'' Cole shouted as the Corridor of Elders came into view.

(Y/n) glanced at Wren, who watched the war as it unfolded.

''Now!'' The Master of Illusion shouted, jumping from the platform, generating electricity in her fists and using it to punch two Anacondrai, who were knocked back by the force of the punch.

The rest of the serpentine followed, yelling their battle cry: ''For Ham Sandwiches!''

''(Y/n)!'' The boys shouted, seeing the girl. She gave them a warm smile, stopping to look at them before turning to the fight before them.

Chen's followers looked at the sky, with Kapau'rai and Chope'rai watching the sky raining with a rainbow of different coloured snakes. ''So pretty,'' Kapau'rai commented, stopping to watch the event unfold.

Chope'rai nodded in agreement. ''Shame they're our enemy.''

Pythor on Rodrigo the rat rushed past them, carrying the Book of Spells on his back, the two distracted by the rain of snakes to see the bleached Anacondrai slip past.

''I have something your father needs to see. Oh, come on. You can trust me because if anyone is going to take over this world, I'd rather it be me. Take me to your father, and he can end this once and for all.'' Pythor told him, seeing the Green Ninja's doubtful look.

''Let's go,'' Lloyd replied, grabbing the tiny snake and the book, getting on the Bounty's anchor, with (Y/n) following the Green Ninja.

''Be free Rodrigo, you've earned it,'' Pythor told his loyal pet, who scurried away from the fight.

Lloyd panted as he climbed onto the Bounty, with (Y/n) landing on the deck. ''Pythor says he has something that can end this war.''

''They've crossed the line of no return. No amount of power can stop this now.'' Wu replied.

''But the might of a true Anacondrai can,'' Pythor told them.

''Do you see what's happening?'' Garmacondrai asked. ''This isn't about you. Making you big solves nothing.''

''But if the generals you banished to the Cursed Realm so long ago saw this mockery, they would stop this travesty at once.'' The bleached Anacondrai replied.

''No one comes back from the Cursed Realm,'' Misako told him.

'You never know what could happen..' Morro spoke mysteriously.

Garmadon picked up the book. ''Unless he that cursed them takes their place. I could unleash the spirits of the Anacondrai Generals.''

''If you banish yourself. Magic has its rules, you know.'' Pythor told him.

''We're not cursing you. We're not losing you to bring them back.'' Lloyd replied, taking the book from his father's hands.

''If we do nothing, we lose Ninjago.'' His father told him.

''We don't even know if they'll help.'' Misako added.

''We do know that the real Anacondrai wanted peace as much as us. It was Chen who started both wars. I never thought I'd say this, but Pythor is right.'' Garmadon replied.

''I cannot allow this, brother,'' Wu told him.

''Who are we fooling?'' Garmadon questioned. ''There's not enough time for me to make up for the pain I've caused in my life. But if I could save Ninjago...''

''You want my blessing to walk out on us again, fine. But don't expect me to stick around to watch you go. My real family needs me.'' Lloyd said, anger dripping into his tone like venom. He then jumped off the Bounty.

''Lloyd, wait!'' Garmadon called out for his son. An explosion was heard as something hit the Bounty, making them fall to the ground.

''If this is going to happen, I suggest we do it now.'' Pythor advised Garmadon.

The Green Ninja fell towards the ground, and let himself remember.

''Dad!'' Lloyd called as his father swung the half-melted cage to save him.

''Son.'' Lord Garmadon replied, hugging him.

The Green Ninja faced his feet towards the ground, landing on an Anacondrai Cultist's Rocket board, launching the cultist into the air before grabbing them by their neck. He then swung the cultist around, throwing them into the ground.

Lloyd soared over the Anacondrai Cultists on the Rocket Board.

His possessed by bacteria father and himself were locked in battle, trying to win the fight.

''Dad!'' Lloyd called out for his father.

''Lloyd!'' His father replied, the monstrous bacteria's eyes flickering to his father's crimson red ones.

The Green Ninja leapt into the air, jumping off a few Anacondrai cultists and using spinjitzu.

''Father,'' Lloyd said as he hugged his now ridden of evil father.

The cultists groaned as the Green Ninja took them out one by one, using his Energy sphere to defeat a few of them.

''What's gotten into Lloyd?'' Zane asked.

''I don't know, but it's too late. We can't stop them now.'' Kai answered.

Garmadon handed his brother the book. ''Read it, brother. You know as well as I the Ninja don't need two Sensei. Only one can remain.''

'' Very well.'' Wu softly replied, and began chanting the words. "Komodo, nicktu, demic tara." Garmadon rose into the air, surrounded by blue wisps.

A wind began to blow, reminding (Y/n) of the time when Clouse opened the portal.

''Misako, will you ever forgive me for the letter?'' Garmacondrai asked her.

''I already have,'' Misako answered.

''Tell Lloyd I'm sorry,'' Garmadon replied.

''You can tell me yourself,'' Lloyd spoke, climbing onto the Bounty. ''If anyone should be sending you off, it's me.'' His son told him, taking the book from Wu.

"Kenji, severus, toto-demada, cursono, neeboro" Everyone gasped when they see the portal. "actu, cursono, neeborro."

'It's time I make my exit from this cursed place!' Morro screeched in her head, making her cringe.

''I yearned to make the world in my image. I never realized I already had, in you.'' Garmadon told his son.

"Sono, hokido, bo-rock!" Garmadon screamed as he disappeared into the portal.

''Is he...?'' Misako asked.

''We shall see.'' Wu answered.

The Anacondrai Generals appeared, cursing the fake Anacondrai and sending them to the Cursed Realm.

''I will return, and you'll be safe with me.'' The wind whispered in her ear before all was silent.

"War does not determine who is right. Only who is left." - Bertrand Russel.

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