"On a good note, the highest mountain is the easiest to spot," Bluebell chattered as we made our way through the thick foliage of the Dark Island. He used his katana to slice away another vine, clearing a path in front of us. "If we keep going at this rate, it shouldn't take more than... I'd say a day and a half... before we're in sight of the Temple."

     Neither Singsong nor I responded. Frankly, I didn't care two cents about what came out of Bluebell's mouth, and Singsong never talked unless it was necessary. Sometimes I wanted to poke her until she went off at me just to see if she would.

    I still couldn't believe I had to be stuck with this clown. Bluebell was nice and all, but ever since Aureole not-so-discreetly announced that he had a crush on me, things had gotten a little awkward. But hey, it was either deal with the coward who was too afraid to face his feelings, or deal with Mr. I-Don't-Love-You. I didn't even want to consider going with that traitorous, jealous Aureole. I was still half convinced that Shade had said what he did because of her. He was probably just trying not to hurt her feelings, so he turned me down.

     Shade.

     I missed him so much. No matter how many times I chanted the words "forget him", he could never leave my mind. He was hurting right now; anyone could see that. I wanted to put my arms around him until his silent worries faded. I wanted to be his comfort, his consolation.

     Shade wouldn't even look at me anymore.

     Singsong tripped over yet another root, not even making so much as a grumble in response. I frowned.

    "I also can't hear the dragons that much anymore, so that's a good thing. I mean, it either means that fighting has stopped (which is good) or that we're too far in mainland to hear it (which is also good)." Bluebell held back a massive branch to let us pass before letting it snap back into position. His cheeks flushed slightly when I passed, but I pretended not to notice.

     How in Ninjago could someone like him be interested in someone like me?

     No offense to Bluebell, but he wasn't exactly the prettiest thing to walk the realm. He was often quiet and self-degrading, talking only when other engaged him. While his skill with a katana was impressive, he often got defensive when it came to elemental powers. In fact, his entire world revolved around his elemental powers. He could care less about anything else. Even when I was suffering from a concussion, all he could think about was how his powers weren't working. Seriously, at least I focused on Shade more than on my own inability to contribute.

     I paused.

     Bluebell was right; the sounds of dragon roars were becoming quieter. But that was because another sound was taking their place.

     "Get down," I hissed, dropping to my knees and yanking Singsong's arm.

     We crouched in the bushes, the thick branches poking our arms and faces. Then, a low hissing noise sounded from above us along with the clank of armor. Through the gaps in the leaves, I could see the red-orange tinge of the Vermillion as two passed by our hiding place. They were carrying finely crafted spears, whose sharp points glinted with sunlight.

     We waited until they had passed before standing up again.

     "That was close," Bluebell whispered. "Good eye, Carmen."

     I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at him. Singsong's eyes were unfocused as she stared at the trees. I considered asking her what she was so deep in thought about, but she probably wouldn't tell me anyways.

     "They were patrolling this area," Singsong said, looking back at us.

     I bit my lip to keep from yelling out something sarcastic. Obviously, they were on patrol. The whole freaking island was teeming with them. It was almost like the Overlord wanted to find us so he could kill Shade. How strange, why didn't I have such brilliant epiphanies literally any time ago?

     "Patrolling..." Bluebell rubbed his chin, which had poked out from beneath his blue mask. "Do you think we're close to their camp?"

     I stopped moving, an unexpected thought coming to mind. The camp was where they had set up their base. It was more than likely that was where the Overlord was. And the Overlord had my key. If we could make it through their camp, then we could get my key back.

     Singsong nodded and Bluebell mused to himself. "I guess we'll just have to lay low while we make our way around the cam—"

     "Or we break in," I said.

     They both stared at me.

     "Uh, that's not a good idea..." Bluebell started.

     "Lookie, lookie, Bluebell." I crossed my arms. "I'm a master thief. I'll quickly sneak in, take back my key, and we'll be out of there in a jiffy. No harm; no foul."

     Bluebell furrowed his brows, anxiously checking our surroundings before whispering, "I know you care about your key, but there's no way this is going to work. You saw how many Vermillion were ambushing us on the Bounty. There's probably a thousand more in that camp. That's way too many for us to take on alone."

     "They have my key!" I hissed, my fingers grazing the spot where it used to hang.

     It was so easy for him. All he had to do was meet up with his friends, have Shade finish the fight, then he could go home to a loving family. I, on the other hand, was all alone. My parents were dead, my grandparents wanted nothing to do with me, and the love of my life had rejected me. The only thing I had left—other than the stupid title of the Midnight Menace—was my key. It had been my only consolation over the years, my constant companion even when the world seemed against me.

    I had to get it back.

    How could I convince them to go along with my sudden, half-improvised plan?

    A key, a sacrifice, and a voice that sings.

    I took a deep breath, steadying my voice. "Look, Parker said—"

    "Peak."

     "—Peak said that the Overlord was using the key to power a mighty weapon. Since he has my key, he's probably turned it on. If we take the key back, then we potentially stop a greater threat from making our chances in the final fight harder."

     Bluebell opened his mouth to retort, paused, and considered my words. "How long have you been thieving?"

    "A little over four years," I responded, smirking when he looked in my direction. His cheeks flushed again, though that was only his outward appearance. Inside, you could almost see the wheels in his head turning. Singsong watched carefully, her unmoving expression remaining stoic.

     "Taking back the key would give us an advantage in the final battle," Bluebell pondered. "But do our combined abilities give us a shot at surviving our way in and out?"

     Singsong paled considerably upon hearing these words.

     I heard the familiar hissing, and quickly called for us to hide again. After the next patrol passed, I looked over to Bluebell.

    "What's it going to be?"

    He pulled the hood over his chin and unsheathed his katana. "Let's do this."

You continue to surprise me, Shade.

     I gritted my teeth, refusing to acknowledge his presence. The Songdragon my family was riding on soared high into the sky, its white underbelly blending in with the thinning clouds. It was hissing as it flapped, drawing our attention to the arrow shafts poking out of its wing bones. Despite its various wounds, it continued to push forward, until the sounds of the battle drifted away.

     Mother held onto my back, her grip loosening with each passing second. I knew I was becoming as cold as ice, mostly because the air was becoming sharper. It was getting harder and harder to maintain control. I spent my entire life perfecting this mask, but now it seemed to be all falling apart.

      However, you forget I'm always a step ahead. You may have found a voice that sings, yet I shattered your group with my armies. Doesn't the prophecy say the losing side will 'divide'? How long do you think it will take before my scouts root you out and kill you all? I'm sure it's not easy for two elementals to take on hundreds of snakes.

     A blaring headache cut off the rest of his rant. I couldn't stand it. Each day the Overlord's voice became louder, as if he were gaining strength inside my mind. Each day I had to fight with everything I could to cut him off, to push him out. Each day I wanted to tear out my hair in agony; I wanted to do anything to make it stop. His voice was nasally, scratchy, like a deep resounding echo in my mind. It leaked into my very being, sapping what was left of my mental strength.

      It took all my willpower to remain steady as I felt the dragon drop from the sky. Morro screamed—he had always loathed the rollercoaster-esque parts of our simulation training—while Mother braced herself for the cold and held on tighter.

     Shade, you know as well as I do that however prepared your friends are, they aren't going to be enough to stop me.

     Father yelled that we might be crashing as the dragon swooped lower towards a plateau.

     No matter how many people promise to stand by your side, they always fall away one by one, until all that's left is the final two. Me and the son.

     I buried my face into the dragon's neck, allowing myself one deep, guttural cry before it slammed straight into the side of the plateau, having not been able to fly high enough to make it onto the mountainside.

     Time's Overlord and the son of Oni and Light.

     Light and Dark.

     Good and Evil.

     But how can you be sure that you're fighting for the right side?

     We all tumbled forward with the crash, our limbs getting tangled up with the Songdragon's as we started to slide down the mountain. Father cried out to the dragon, but the dragon had gone silent. Its wounds were becoming too much for it to handle.

     Your mother is a villain. Your father is a liar. Your parents' friends have done nothing but shelter you from your realest fight. They've left you scattered and underprepared for an event the entire realm depends on. If that is the definition of good, then it's hard to determine what evil is.

     Mother was the first who was able to break free. She scrambled at her belt to find some sort of hook. When she did finally unhook her grappling device, she shot it at a nearby jutting rock. The hook clicked onto its target with a hiss of steel.

     I, on the other hand, have been working to restore the balance. I've overprepared your sister for every fight that comes her way. She's become strong enough to transform. And here you stand, too weak to stand up to the villains who have dominated your entire life.

     Morro was able to catch a hold of Mother's foot at the last second, and Father grabbed onto Morro's. I reached out with the remainder of my strength, completing the chain of humans dangling from a mountainside as the injured dragon plummeted into the depths below.

     You could stop it; you could become stronger than anyone who's held you back.

     Father used our dangling momentum to grab onto another ledge, helping all of us onto a narrow strip of rock that jutted out from the jagged slope. Mother clutched him like he was the only thing keeping her standing, while Morro shakingly turned away when the limp dragon crashed into the trees below. Even I could feel the tears dripping down my face, though I wasn't sure who I was crying for. The world was just so cold.

     Yet you refuse to join us.

     I couldn't see its pure white form below. The dragon had risked everything to get us onto the island, and this was how we repaid it. Surely if we had stayed on it we would have died, but could there have been a way to save its life? I could hear the hisses of the Vermillion below; I could see the red-orange tinge of their scales through the leaves as they swarmed their defenseless prey.

     The last sound the Songdragon uttered was a single, pure note.

     A cry of pain.

     A cry of suffering.

     A cry of sacrifice.

     When the realm falls due to your errors, mark my words, then I will laugh. I will laugh like no one has ever laughed. I will laugh because I gave you a chance to save it, and all you did was fail, over and over again.

     Then the world fell silent, like the closing of a lid over a coffin. Slowly, Father looked up at the steep climb, his gaze focusing on the gold architecture peeking out from over the cliffside. Beside him, Mother and Morro hardened their visages. They knew what needed to be done. As did I.

     I knew I couldn't do it.

     I knew I didn't have the strength to kill the Overlord, nor did I have the will to fight my most beloved sister. I would watch on in a shattered defeat as my brother took the glory I had always prepared to handle. I would step back in a brokenhearted defeat as Morro took every ounce of worth I had left.

     He didn't hear the voice.

     He didn't wear the mask.

     He wasn't torn apart by everything and everyone dearest to him.

     He denied his abilities, but when the time came, Morro would conquer. The Overlord would die, and the realm would be saved. Morro could have the love, the respect, the power that everyone admired. He deserved to be blessed.

     And I would fade into the background, eternally groaning to myself because I, like my sister, was slowly losing my mind forever. People would always know me as the second born, the game of masks, Lloyd's son. I was nothing in the presence of my brother, nothing more than an incessant reminder of what could have been.

     I was worthless, despicable, insane.

     Then, you will be nothing more than a shadow of your father.

"This is why I had to come along." Bluebell held up Vermillion helmet, wincing slightly as some of the loose snakes slithered over his feet.

     I sneered, and then pulled dark fabric over my nose as I rummaged around the chests.

     We had been able to locate the camp, and I had made a run for the first tent I saw. There was no one inside of it, only a bunch of baskets and spare scraps of metal. The minute I had a burst of inspiration on how I was going to sneak further into the camp, a Vermillion warrior waltzed into the tent, its eyes glowing bright the second it saw me.

      Bluebell shattered it before it could send a telepathic message to warn its friends.

      Now Bluebell refused to get rid of the armor even though the tiny snakes obviously wanted it back. Singsong was backing away from the slithering masses, her head hunched so far into her shoulders she looked malformed. I shook my head at both of them, tearing a strip of rusty orange husk off of the basket. I used my sash to tie that right above my eyes, then carefully wove the fabric to hold some of the metal pieces. The result was a malformed 'helmet' that was hopefully sloppy enough that no one would notice I was human.

      The key to thieving from crowds was simple. You had to act like you belonged. Everyone would be wary of a strange looking individual, but no one would think twice about a normal young adult going about their day. I just had to fake confidence. If people thought I was a teen hurrying to my next destination, then they'd brush off the pat on their purse as 'she accidentally bumped into me.'

     I just had to put together a flimsy disguise, and the key was as good as mine.

     Bluebell put the helmet over his head as I moved to exit the tent.

     "You're not coming with me," I whisper-hissed when he tried to follow me. Thieving was best done alone. The less people there were, the easier it was to get away.

     "Yes, I am. I'm the only ninja in this group, so by all technicalities, I'm the leader. I say we're going together." Bluebell crossed his arms, trying to find my eyes in the layers of metal and fabric.

      "You're really going to risk putting her through a Vermillion camp?" I gestured to the shivering blonde girl behind him. "That girl probably doesn't even remember the basic skills Morro taught her, much less how to fight a real opponent. She'd be killed in less than two seconds if we're caught. At least I have experience of getting out of sticky situations."

      Bluebell faltered. I could see the hesitation flash across his uneven face, highlighting the features that had made him so exotic in the first place. He hadn't won the genetic lottery (far from it), yet sometimes I wondered if he weren't so unattractive if he would have sparked my curiosity in the first place. I delighted in finding exotic things, and Bluebell led me to the Ninja. I supposed that was a good thing. This mission so far had been both the worst and the best thing I'd ever experienced.

     Sure, Bluebell was more experienced than me in many areas and probably deserved the role as leader in our little group. But I had to do this alone. If I got back the key by myself, then Shade would recognize my talent and he might... he might reconsider his previous answer to my proposal. If Bluebell and Co. tagged along, then Shade would only see this as Bluebell's accomplishment, not mine.

     Singsong let out a small gasp as the snakes gave up on trying to wrestle the helmet off of Bluebell's hands.

     "What?" I snapped at the girl, my patience growing thin.

     "The biggest one, he's the head. He's the one who's going to alert them all to our presen—"

     Bluebell dropped to his knees, diving onto the dusty ground to catch the biggest red snake. It hissed and thrashed in his hands, but with moves as swift as lightning, Bluebell snapped its neck in half. The snake fell limp in his hands.

     "How did you know?" he said quietly after a second.

     Singsong hesitated. "I could... I could understand him."

    Bluebell looked up at her, a small grin growing on his freckled face. "You can understand the Vermillion?"

     I knew where he was going with this, and it wasn't going to be good for my plan. "Even if she can understand them it isn't like that's going to he—"

    Singsong nodded once at Bluebell, then raised a finger to her lips. Outside of the tent, a Vermillion patrol passed by, hissing loudly in their language.

     "They said the Overlord is preparing to 'fire the cannon' again," Singsong murmured once the snakes were out of range. We all paused, while not knowing what the 'cannon' was, we felt the dread that came with the words. Whatever Time's Overlord was up to, it couldn't be good.

    "Wait... cannon. He needs the key to activate a machine. What if the 'machine' is the cannon?" I thought aloud, turning back towards the exit of the tent. "Which means if we find the cannon, then we find my key."

     "We'll also find the Overlord, which is why we're coming with you," Bluebell asserted.

     "But—"

     "No buts." Bluebell stepped forward, attempting to size up to me. Though he was a fraction smaller than I was, I suddenly feared for what this boy could possibly do. The Ninja had been nothing but nice to me since I joined them. However, what if they could do just as much damage as Ver did to her enemies? I mean, it barely took any effort for Bluebell to trace my invisible steps back in Kunci, where I had lived for years on end.

     Bluebell looked me up and down, his hardened expression softening when he met my eyes. He still did love me. He knew I knew he loved me. He knew that I knew that he knew. Despite this, he was willing to put his feelings behind him for the second. This matter was about my key, about the future of the prophecy. We couldn't let something as trivial as infatuation cause trouble between us now.

    "Help disguise Nori," Bluebell said quietly,

     I took a deep breath, sucking in air through my teeth to bite back the urge to make a run for it. I knew it wasn't a good idea; I knew Bluebell would have me on the ground begging for mercy before I was able to get far enough away. I had to put aside my pride and help them.

     It was for the good of the prophecy.

     Perhaps Shade would respect that.

>(<>)<

"Keep your head down," Singsong whispered as we wove our way through the sea of soldiers. "They are only speaking of tasks right now. They are not excited yet, but I have a suspicion they will become so very quickly."

     The Vermillion were like stocky, concrete buildings, and their bulky forms were hard to navigate through. The other problem was that there had to be several hundred of them cooped in the camp. I, though smaller and nimbler, constantly found myself bumping into them accidentally. Singsong was literally whimpering as Bluebell led her through the masses. It was pathetic. This is why I wanted to come alone.

     I squeezed under two Vermillion who were carrying a massive metal pole, moving as quickly as I could. Right then, a massive dark shape flew over our heads. No one else looked up in surprise, but to me it felt like the sun had temporarily blacked out. Speaking of the sun, the temperature had to be close to one hundred degrees. I felt like I was being baked alive in the wretched outside heat.

     Suddenly, all the Vermillion stopped.

    They let out a single breath in unison, all of them breaking up into groups and marching towards the center of camp.

    The Overlord is preparing to fire the cannon again.

     I adjusted my makeshift helmet and dived deeper into the crowd. A few smaller snakes hissed when I stepped on them, but they were too concerned with reforming into bodies to pay much attention to their trampler.

     In the middle of the camp, a massive dark form landed, towering high above the tents. His head reared and his wings flared, highlighting the strength in his form. I had known fear before, but upon seeing this beast, I immediately felt weak enough to fall to my knees and cry. If he spotted us, we'd be dead in an instant.

     The Overlord—that was who this beast was. I knew because he thrust out a talon towards the massive hunk of metal in the center of the camp and it started to glow.

     "Cannon of Dark, fire upon the remains of their little ship." His voice was powerful and commanding, yet ached with an age of a thousand years.

     Before any of us could figure out what was going on, the metal construction turned and blasted a large missile high into the air. It created a shockwave that had everyone around us stumbling back (save the Overlord), along with an atmosphere so dark I could feel a deep depression bubbling within me that I'd never felt before.

     Seconds after the blast a large crumbling noise echoed through the area, along with the unified screech of the Songdragons. The air became thick with humidity, despite the sun draining the world of its water. The humidity was a cloak of darkness, encompassing the island and feeding on its goodness.

     I shivered in my spot, biting back the growing urge to give up. I had to get back my key. This was the only chance I had left.

     The Vermillion began to disperse once the Overlord was done giving them their orders. Bluebell was able to steer both Singsong and I into an empty tent while this was happening.

     "Did you feel it?" Bluebell's voice cracked. He didn't say anything more, he just stared at the dirt as the Overlord's voice boomed outside.

     "Yeah," Singsong whispered. She rubbed her arms, fiddling with the pieces of metal I had woven into her outfit. I didn't offer anything to the conversation. I had to keep my mind focused on the key, or I might fall into the same depression as the other two.

     After several peeks through the tent's fabric covering, I eventually saw only about ten Vermillion gathered around the 'Cannon of Dark.' They had long spears out and paced around the construction in synchronous steps. I started to count the seconds between their patrols. The timing now was crucial. They'd definitely get suspicious if an odd character, albeit a confident one, walked straight up to their master's machine.

     One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four.

     Bluebell was rubbing the bridge of his crooked nose, seemingly oblivious to my actions. Singsong was in a similar state, though she was taking deep breaths. I had hoped that aching feeling inside of me would stop over time, but none of us had recovered from the blast. It had been several minutes. What exactly had this Cannon done, and why was it affecting us in this way? It was too strange that all of us would feel terrible at the same time—without explanation! –due to a coincidence.

     One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four.

     If I continued to hesitate, then I'd probably give up. It was now or never.

     One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four.

     Without alerting the others, I made a beeline towards the Cannon. It had a set of stairs in the back leading up to a small control unit; I nearly tripped over myself just to make it onto the stairs. At that point, three Vermillion soldiers paced around the front of the machine. I crouched on the stairs, awaiting recognizing hisses, but they remained silent. In fact, their eyes weren't on me at all.

     Someone had sneezed from within the tent.

     I didn't hesitate: I just desperately scrambled up the stairs into the tiny cockpit. There were only switches, no buttons, and they were all pulled down. Right in the middle of the cockpit sat a large, red tile, and right in the middle of that was a key.

     My key.

     I wrapped my fingers around it and pulled.

     It didn't budge.

     I bit back a string of frustrated words and yanked at the key again.

     It still wouldn't move.

     "CARMEN!" a male voice yelled from below, accompanied by the sound of hissing and the clanging of spears.

     Groaning, I slammed my fists against the tile and clutched the key as hard as I could. Then, I grappled at it with all of my strength, sobbing for no reason other than the amplified darkness in the area.

     "Come out for me!" I cried as my arms started to ache. "And if you hate me, please come out for Shade!"

     The sounds of a skirmish below were getting louder, accompanied by even more vociferous calls for assistance.

     "Forget the key, Carmen! We need to get out of here!"

    Somewhere in my desperate tugging, I turned the key sideways.

     It slid out easily upon being turned, causing me to stumble backwards, trip over my fake armor, and bounce down the stairs. I screamed on the way down, busting my tailbone and slamming against the dirt with a thunderous crack.

     My tears of stress leaked onto the dirt as I clutched my key tighter. The Vermillion could kill me right now, while I was all alone in my first failed foreign heist. Maybe Shade would cry for me. Maybe he'd regret rejecting me because Aureole would never go to such lengths for him. Maybe when he died a century from now, our spirits could finally get married in the Departed Realm.

     Except... it was quiet.

     I slowly raised my aching head, meeting eyes with several scattered snakes. I sneezed from the grit and dirt.

     "You."

    The voice was eerily calm. I might even go as far to say it was unsettled.

     I pushed myself to my knees, wincing from the pain.

     Right in front of me stood a very familiar face.

     Ver.

     Her hair had turned pitch black, and her bright blue eyes had dulled to a greyish sheen. The most surprising change, though, was the two massive horns that had sprouted from her head. She looked positively demonic.

     "You're alive," she said monotonously, her sharp stare becoming colder with each passing second.

     I spun to survey my situation, only to find I was completely surrounded by massive Vermillion warriors. It took four soldiers to hold Bluebell (who was thrashing like a wild animal) in place. Singsong looked as if she hadn't even resisted capture. Ver stood in front of me, gaping at me while also managing to sneer.

     This was the end, wasn't it?

     Maybe if I swallowed my key then I could avoid being tortured, as well as preventing the Overlord from having it again. If I couldn't win the battle for Shade, I could at least die knowing I helped his enemy lose.

     "I killed you." Ver's voice was blank.

     "Sure," I snorted, feeling my anxiety bubble into sarcasm. "Yeah, I'm just a ghost here to haunt your present."

     She flinched, which was a completely non-normal reaction. I had assumed she would attempt to kill me.

     "I slit your throat; I threw you into a rock," she hissed.

     "Well surprise, Sunshine, turns out I can survive long enough to foil your plans." With that I grasped my key, said a silent goodbye to the love of my life, then jammed the key down my thr—

     A blast of wind hit me so hard I felt my ribcage cry out in pain. I smashed against a wall of Vermillion, hitting the ground so hard that spots started to dance in my vision. Bluebell screamed, thrashing even harder against his captors' hold.

     "Well, Sunshine, if you refused to die the first time, then let me finish what I started, hmm? I'm going to need that key back."

     Ver had the gall to smile. It was a ghastly sight to see.