ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: The Family Crest - Beneath the Brine

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And she burns like the sun

And it all falls away

Take your time and I'll take mine here today

But it cuts like a knife

And we're bound here as the night, it breaks away

And it all goes down

---

Last time on Dreams:

(Y/n) fished an Uno Reverse card out of her pocket, as well as the Toxic Kiss lipstick.

''Ahem, no u.'' The Master of Illusion told him with a smirk.

Morro backed away, his hand hovering over his lips, with a look of utter betrayal on his face.

''How could you?'' The Master of Wind asked disbelief and heartbreak evident in his voice. His expression hardened, gritting his teeth, he used his powers to make a gust of wind to push (Y/n) away from him, and she phased through the wall, crashing into Cole.

She looked up as the beast that had entered the portal appeared, ripping apart the house to make an unwelcomed guest appearance.

''Are you okay?'' (Y/n) and Cole asked each other at the same time. They then nodded simultaneously.

''Lloyd couldn't destroy the Realm Crystal. The Preeminent has arrived.'' Wu told Misako.

''But where's my son?'' The Old Woman asked.

''We need to evacuate everyone out of this town. Like now!'' Ronin shouted.

Ghoultar laughed sinisterly as he turned to face the ninja.

''Whoa!'' Jay said as he looked at the ugly hulking beast with tentacles.

''What is that thing?'' Kai asked the others.

''She's the Preeminent. The physical manifestation of the entire Cursed Realm.'' Zane answered.

''I know one thing, she ain't pretty.'' Cake Ninja replied.

''Ew, gross! I'm about to lose my lunch.'' Jaybird said, disgusted as it spat out more ghosts.

''If we can't stop that, we might lose Ninjago!'' Nya exclaimed, spraying water onto the huge beast. But nothing happened...

The Preeminent's tentacles chased the ninja, with them shouting out their elements as they fired at them, but once again, proved ineffective.

''She didn't notice that.'' Frosty the Ice Ninja told the others.

''Oh, I hate unbeatable creatures,'' Buzzmouth replied, still being chased by one of the Preeminent's tentacles.

''Hurry, onboard!'' Ronin told the citizens of Stiix.

''This way.'' Wu said.

''Look, it's Lloyd!'' Misako exclaimed, pointing to a person.

''That's not Lloyd.'' The Thief told her.

''It's Morro.'' Old Tea-Obsessed Man replied.

Morro appeared, on one of the Preeminent's tentacles, laughing. ''You were wrong about me, Sensei. You said destiny didn't want me to be the Green Ninja. Well, I make my own destiny. And now yours is coming to an end.'' He told his former sensei.

''You've released this scourge and it won't stop until it has cursed all Sixteen Realms. I trained you to be a Ninja who protects, not one who destroys.'' Wu replied to his former student.

''You made me believe I was to become the Green Ninja. Now I am!'' Morro shouted. One of the Preeminent's tentacles grabbed Misako, taking her away from Wu.

''Wu!'' The Old Woman called out as she struggled.

''Misako!'' Wu shouted after her.

''The more souls the Preeminent takes, the bigger she gets. Say goodbye to your loved ones, and say goodbye to Ninjago!'' The Master of Wind told his former teacher as the Preeminent's tentacles began to draw away from him.

''Warm up that paddle. We're leaving when they get back.'' Ronin said.

The Ice Ninja then saved someone from the ugly hulking beast's tentacles, preventing their soul from being devoured.

''Thank you.'' The woman said as she ran away.

''Get to the ship, hurry!'' Nya told her.

''I don't know how to stop this thing! It just keeps coming!'' Zane told the others as he got rid of a tentacle.

(Y/n) used her orange lightning to keep one away from her, with another chasing after her. She then used her Aeroblade to slice it, soon there were two more tentacles growing from the stump. ''More hydra-like things? What the heck!?''

Kai used his Aeroblade to slice off a tentacle. ''Ah, you stop one, two more grow in its place.'' The Preeminent then picked up Jay's vehicle and tossed it. ''If there ever was a time to unlock your True Potential, sis, it's now.''

''Let me just flip the switch. Oh yeah, I'm not a Nindroid. I don't have a switch!'' Nya shouted the last part.

''Don't put so much pressure on her, prophecies come true, and the outcomes are unavoidable.'' (Y/n) told the Fire Ninja.

''If Ghosts can't withstand Deepstone, perhaps the same goes for the Preeminent. But we'll need a larger dose.'' Zane informed the others.

''My bike's made of Deepstone. How about I jam it down her gullet?'' Cole asked the others. ''Cover me!''

The Spectral Earth Ninja made his way over to a place where he could see the Preeminent, its ugly tentacles waving about in the air.

''Like cake? How's this for your pie hole? Ninja, go!'' Cole exclaimed, landing his bike in the pie hole of the Preeminent.

''Thanks, Cole. You only made her madder.'' Jaybird thanked the Spooky Earth Ninja sarcastically as the monstrosity roared.

''And there goes a perfectly good bike,'' Cole replied.

More tentacles came for them, with most of them going after (Y/n). ''If Lloyd's inside that thing, we have to get closer!'' Kai told the others.

''Yeah, easier said than done!'' Jay replied.

---

The ninja were still trying to constrain the Preeminent.

Kai blasted fire at a tentacle that had come too close, while (Y/n) had to dodge two tentacles that went for her.

''I thought you were gonna get closer?'' Nya asked her brother.

''You don't think I'm trying?'' Kai asked his sister.

''It's too late. We have to get to the ship and protect the people.'' The Old Man told his students.

''But what about Lloyd?'' Jay questioned.

''Ugh. This is what Lloyd would've wanted.'' Misako replied.

''To the ship, but we're not leaving anyone else behind!'' Fireboy told the others.

''Whoa!'' Frosty the Ice Ninja said as the Preeminent grabbed his mech, making him fall out of it.

''Follow me!'' Wu told the two citizens that remained. ''That's all of them. We need to get this ship to sea to put as much water between us as possible.''

''No problem.'' Ronin replied as he cut the rope with the Sword of Sanctuary. ''Maybe one problem.'' He said, seeing Morro land in front of him.

''It's Morro!'' Cole shouted seeing the spooky ghost warrior.

''Look out, Ronin!'' Jaybird warned the thief.

''I'll get him,'' Kai said, summoning fire, but Morro used his wind to blow him back, extinguishing his flames.

''Go, get out of here! I got this!'' Ronin told them, glancing at (Y/n). He then looked at the sword and leaned back as the Master of Wind used his powers. The two fought, tearing down the bridge in the process.

''Is this as fast as it goes?'' Splash-and-ghost-goes-poof-girl asked.

''It's a paddle steamer, not a rocket ship.'' The Captain replied nonchalantly, sipping from a cup.

The Master of Wind laughed as he got the sword out of Ronin's grasp. Lloyd in his father's robes then appeared.

''What? You again?'' Morro asked, annoyed.

''Yeah, I'm back. I believe you have something of mine.'' Lloyd replied, taking the Sword of Sanctuary. The Master of Wind glanced at the Realm Crystal, and the two fought. ''Try this!'' he said, using his Energy to knock Morro through a window.

''Yeah, all right, Lloyd!'' Jay and the ninja cheered.

''Look! He got his father's robe.'' Old-Tea Obsessed Man pointed out.

''Ronin, get to the ship and protect the people. Ninja, take out the stilts. We need to drop the Preeminent into the sea.'' Green Bean told the others.

''Ugh, why didn't we think of that earlier?'' The Lightning Ninja questioned the others.

''That's why he's the leader,'' Cole answered.

''Ninja, go!'' The ninja exclaimed, using Airjitzu to get back to the village on stilts.

''Let me handle the blowhard,'' Lloyd said, looking at Morro who had reappeared.

''You think you're better than me? No one is better than me!'' Morro declared, and the two started fighting.

(Y/n) looked over at the two. ''Great, it didn't work... but why?'' she asked herself.

''Let's give that slimeball a bath,'' Kai told the others, and they threw their Aeroblades, breaking the supports under the bridge.

''No, they're taking out the supports!'' Windy Ghost shouted.

''Ninja, go!'' The ninja exclaimed as they used Airjitzu.

''Noooo!'' Morro screamed, before using the Realm Crystal to teleport behind Lloyd a few times, laughing evilly. ''Protect the Preeminent! Protect the Realm!'' He ordered the ghosts.

''Protect the Preeminent!'' Soul Archer repeated to the other ghosts.

Morro used the Realm Crystal to the Underworld, with Lloyd following him. Lloyd then fought off a horde of Spykor. Meanwhile, the Ghosts placed buildings on the Preeminent as amour.

''Just when you thought you've seen it all,'' Jay said, slightly scared now that the ugly tentacled monstrosity seemingly doubled in size.

The Preeminent groaned and began to head over to the boat.

''Let's hope it can't swim,'' Wu said.

''We need more speed.'' Ronin replied, running over the Captain.

''I've gotta help the Ninja,'' Nya spoke, making her way over to the giant ugly tentacled beast.

''Let me.'' The Thief told the Captain, pushing him aside and making him spill the contents of his cup. He then maxed out the speed of the boat.

''We have to destroy that thing before it reaches the ship.'' Kai told the others.

''Lift!'' Wrayth ordered.

''Throw!'' Ghoultar shouted.

The Preeminent picked up a house, throwing it at the boat, making a huge wave.

''It's okay. The Ninja will stop it.'' Misako reassured a child.

''Pixal has detected over five hundred Ghosts aboard this walking fortress, and the number is climbing.'' Frosty the Ice Ninja informed the others.

''If we have to destroy this thing one ghost at a time, so be it,'' Cole replied.

''Aargh! Then I want a front-row ticket.'' Kai said, climbing onto the Preeminent. ''Ninja, go!'' he shouted, and the others followed him.

''Hey, guys. Need a hand?'' Nya asked, before making a few ghosts go poof with her water.

''Thanks, Nya.'' Cake Ninja thanked the Water Ninja.

Wrayth then grabbed Zane with his chain. ''Got ya.'' He said, laughing.

''Lightning!'' Jay shouted, and he and (Y/n) used their lightning to destroy Wrayth before he could turn Frosty the Ice Ninja into Frosty the Ghost Ninja.

''Knock, knock!'' Nya said, knocking on the door.

''Come on in. Let's rock this house.'' Hair-Gelled Ninja replied, opening the door to let them in.

''Doctor, it appears our patient needs to have his knee put on ice,'' Ginja told the Ice Ninja.

''I'm happy to help.'' Doctor Zane replied.

''Don't worry, the Preeminent is in good hands.'' (Y/n) said, waiting for someone to get the joke. ''Okay, forget I even said that.''

Zane used his Ice, but the Preeminent easily broke free and the Ninja screamed. The giant ugly beast tried to walk on the water but groaned in pain.

''Yes! She's unable to follow us to sea!'' Wu exclaimed, but the Preeminent tried again and succeeded.

''I thought Ghosts can't stand water. How come it's still after us?'' Misako asked.

''Have enough Ghosts at your disposal, I guess you can pretty much do anything. Throw anything we don't need off the ship. We need to go faster! Much faster!'' Old Tea Obsessed Man ordered.

The passengers threw away crates, with one being full of tea. Meanwhile, Lloyd was still fighting the Spykor in the Underworld.

''You and I could go on fighting forever...or I could just take the Realm Crystal and leave you behind forever!'' Morro shouted, opening another portal.

''You're not getting away!'' Lloyd replied, following him as he jumped into the portal, arriving at the Realm of Madness, where it was a mad dash to retrieve the Crystal. Then, Lloyd used the Realm Crystal to open a portal to the Cloud Kingdom.

''No, we must not dabble in their affairs anymore. This is for them to resolve.'' A monk told Nobu.

A brown-haired girl used binoculars to watch the two. ''Oh, there's Morro.''

Then, they appeared in Chima, where they wrestled for the Crystal.

''Hey, where do you guys come from?'' Smol lion called Laval asked the two.

Morro opened a portal before they could answer, leaving his question unanswered.

''Can we go any faster?'' Wu asked the thief.

''It's on full power.'' Ronin answered.

''Head for that fog bank for cover!'' Misako told him.

Splash-and-ghosts-go-poof-girl used her water to make a ghost disappear. Soul Archer then fired an arrow at them, narrowly missing them.

Nya grunted. ''Kai, watch out!'' she told her brother.

The Fire Ninja lost his grip, falling off the house. ''Aah!''

''I got you!'' Cole told him, and Kai passed through him. ''Huh? I guess not.''

''Ugh, no.'' The Hair-Gelled Ninja said as he grabbed onto a plank. ''I can't swim!''

''I can't get wet!'' The Spectral Earth Ninja replied.

The plank he held onto broke, and Kai spotted Soul Archer. He then dived under the water, waiting for the Bow-skilled ghost to go away.

''You have to come up for air at some time, Fire Ninja.'' Soul Archer taunted, laughing. The Fire Ninja then came up for air.

''Kai! Shoot fire now!'' Zane shouted.

The two fired their elements at the same time, creating water which dissolved Soul Archer.

''Yeah! Fire and Ice make water, nice! And one more Ghost is toast.'' Jay told the Fire Ninja.

''As iron sharpens iron...'' Frosty the Ice Ninja started.

''Brother sharpens brother.'' Kai finished.

''Don't forget, sister sharpens sister.'' (Y/n) added.

The Preeminent continued to spawn more ghosts.

''Aw, are you kidding me?'' Kai asked. ''Even our coolest moves aren't helping anything.''

''We obviously aren't doing any good here. We need to protect the ship.'' Nya replied.

''Ladies first,'' Jay told the girls.

''Ninja, go!'' They exclaimed, with Nya using her water powers to retreat to the ship with (Y/n) and the others following with Airjitzu.

''If we're gonna destroy the Preeminent, we're gonna have to do more,'' Wu informed the ninja.

''Speaking of more, we need more fuel. If we turn back now, we'll have just enough to get us to shore. Otherwise, if we reach Hollow's Trench, we'll be sitting ducks out there.'' Ronin told the others.

''Hollow's Trench. Do you think it's deep enough to drown that giant thing?'' Kai asked.

''One way to find out. Full steamer ahead!'' The Old Sensei replied.

The passengers screamed as the Preeminent took out the paddles.

''Oh, no!'' Cole said.

Morro laughed, checking the portal. ''I did it. I finally got rid of you!'' He said, relieved to find Lloyd gone.

The citizens screamed as they panicked. ''Until you embrace what holds you back, you'll never discover your True Potential. Your weakness is you give up too easily. You only like what comes easy. Don't be afraid to fail, Nya.'' Wu spoke in Nya's mind, and she remembered the scroll.

''Morro?'' Jaybird asked the others.

''Not Morro, Nya!'' Cole answered.

They watched as the Water Ninja became surrounded in a column of water.

''She's unlocked her True Potential!'' Kai told the others.

''I could tell.'' (Y/n) replied.

A massive wave swelled up, knocking over the giant ugly tentacled beast known as the Preeminent over.

''Nooooo!'' Morro screamed. ''Nooo!'' He shouted, jumping off the Preeminent as it fell into the water, using his wind to keep himself above the liquid deadly to him.

Everyone cheered as the Preeminent had been defeated, disappearing beneath the water's surface. Wu summoned his Dragon and saw one the Preeminent's tentacles wrap around Morro's waist and try to pull him down in her last endeavour.

''Take my hand!'' Wu offered, holding it out to the Windy Weather Ghost.

''Why? So you can take the Realm Crystal and use it to find your own prized pupil? Or betray me?'' Morro asked.

''You are all my prized pupils, but none of us can do this alone. You're strong, Morro, but it takes others to make us stronger. Even me. Take my hand, so we can be stronger together. Please, Morro!'' The Old Sensei told his former student.

Morro grabbed Wu's outstretched hand. He then glanced at the water, knowing it was no use.

''Tell (Y/n) that I forgive her, and that I love her.'' He then smiled weakly. ''You can only save those who want to be saved. Goodbye, Sensei.'' Morro placed the Realm Crystal in Wu's grasp before letting go.

His powers stopped working, and as he was pulled into the water, his form melted away, leaving a memory of a reformed ghost.

''Morro!'' Wu screamed in despair, watching his student disappear.

(Y/n) watched the scene before her, before throwing the cursed lipstick into the water.

---

The Realm Crystal shone in the sunlight before summoning Lloyd, and his mother ran forward to hug him.

''Haha, all right!'' Kai exclaimed.

''Whoo, haha!'' Jay cheered.

''Lloyd, you made it!'' Misako told her son.

''And so did you.'' Green Bean replied with a smile.

''Good to have you back. You just missed—'' Zane spoke.

''Oh, I know what I missed. I caught a glimpse of what would happen next,'' Lloyd interrupted, grabbing the Sword of Sanctuary. ''-and knew Morro had to return alone. Just 'cause I'm the Green Ninja, doesn't mean I have to save the day. Especially when I have friends to rely on.''

''And that's why destiny chose you.'' His mother replied.

''It appears your father's robe has imparted wisdom, but you still have a lot to master to earn the Sensei title.'' Wu replied.

''If that's the path I'm on, I'll take it one step at a time. The Cursed Realm is gone...and so is my father...but I know we're all in a better place.'' He told the others.

''Some of us may look a little different, but like our team, some things never change,'' Cole added.

''And if they do... that's okay. Sometimes, we just need to go with the flow.'' Nya said with a smile.

'''Cause even if the path isn't always straight, we go forward, with confidence, because we trust where we're headed.'' Kai added.

''Yeah, and speaking of where we're headed, I've been dying to know. What are the other Realms like, Lloyd? C'mon, spill it. We hafta know what we're saving, right?'' Jay asked the Green Protector.

''Let's just say, the future looks bright. For us, and for Ninjago.'' Lloyd replied.

'Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you-' A familiar voice sang in (Y/n)'s head.

'So you're back?' The Master of Illusion asked.

'Look, I'm sorry. And apologies aren't enough to cover up what I did. I just came to say goodbye, to show I care and to let you know, I love you.'

'By the way, you're a good singer.'

'Well, I do excel in wind- What does this have to do with anything?'

(Y/n) suddenly felt her feet begin to lift off the ground. The others turned and ran towards the girl as there was a blinding flash of orange light, and when it disappeared, the ninja were gone, as well as (Y/n).

Well well well

You've heard of MiCole Jackson, now get ready for...

Mick Astley.

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See ya Bookworms.

WriterAgreste, over & out!