- Picture is what Kira would look like irl! -

The next day, the remaining Elemental Masters find themselves in the air instead of on the ground. Their blimp drifts through the clouds, giving them a birds-eye view of the sparkling ocean below. It might've been beautiful if the atmosphere wasn't wrought with tension.

"What are you glaring at?" Rain snaps, noticing Apollo's stare.

"The next one out of the Tournament," they respond. She growls at them. "Aw. What's the matter, Fido, got fleas?"

Rain snarls, and Lemon has to hold her back by the tail before she pounces at them. Melody elbows Apollo with a disapproving look. Their jaw remains clenched, but they stare at their feet, looking regretful.

"Tensions are high," Garmadon observes, stating the obvious.

"Yeah, but not as high as we are now," his son responds. "I can barely see the island from up here." He rubs his back, which is sore from having to sleep on a chow house table.

"Okay, where's Chen?" Razhai asks as she marches to the cockpit. She opens the door, only to do a double take. No one is piloting. The only thing in the room is a video screen, which Chen's face appears on.

"How do I know if this thing's on?" he mutters. "Oh, I see, the light. Oh, I'm on? Ahem...hello, final eight! I see you are all eager for today's event to commence, so one of you can win my Staff of Elements. Instead of fighting for a Jadeblade, today you will be fighting for something different."

The screen changes, displaying a girl running through the jungle that the Ninja know all too well. Kai draws a sharp breath, suddenly feeling sick to his stomach. Nya...

"We have an uninvited guest on the island," Chen hisses as his face appears onscreen again. "Find her, and you will automatically move on to the final round."

Jay's eyes are alight with panic. "He wants us all to hunt her down! She won't stand a chance!"

"Then we have to find her before anyone else does," says Lloyd.

"In ten seconds, the bottom will drop," Chen continues, earning a collective gasp from everyone on board. "But to show you I'm not a bad man, I've given you eight parachutes." Everyone immediately makes a mad dash for said parachutes—save for one person.

"Sensei Garmadon is there?" Chen's eyes widen in an expression of mock surprise. "Shoot, that makes nine. Oh, well, I was never good at math. Toodle-oo!"

Garmadon grits his teeth, but he's powerless to do anything but hold on as the blimp starts to rumble beneath their feet.

"That guy's love for trapdoors is seriously GETTING ON MY NERVES!" shouts Lloyd.

There's a groaning sound beneath their feet, and a moment later, the bottom opens. Lloyd yelps as he—along with the passengers and all the parachutes—are sucked out of the blimp and into the sky. Screams fill the air as they drop through the clouds like stones in water, free-falling toward the island.

Rain tucks her wings in and dives downward, eyes screwed up against the wind. Apollo summons portal after portal, teleporting further and further toward the ground with each one. The two race each other to the island while everyone else scrambles for a parachute. Melody catches one and yanks it open, Razhai following suit. Meanwhile, a scream rips through Lemon's throat as she tumbles through the air. Wind rushes into her face, making her eyes water and her ears pop, and her hair flies out wildly around her.

I'm gonna die, she frets as the island draws closer. I'mgonnadieI'mgonnadieI'mgonnadieI'm-

A parachute practically flies into her arms. She blinks and tugs it open.

Huh. Never mind.

"Lloyd, use your energy dragon!" Jay calls as the Ninja keep falling.

Lloyd attempts to, but fails. "I can't get it to work!"

"Your powers don't work because you aren't controlling your fear!" Garmadon calls to his son. "Focus. Don't let it control you. Center yourself!"

Jay whoops with glee as he catches a parachute of his own, while Kai perks up, spotting one a short distance away. He summons his fire, using it to propel him over to it. He breathes a sigh of relief as he grabs and opens it.

By this point, the other remaining parachutes have been lost in the sky, leaving one left.

Lloyd grabs it. He looks to his father, the only one besides him still falling. "We'll share."

"They're only built for one," Garmadon objects. "This is an easy decision."

"You're right." Quick as a wink, Lloyd opens the parachute and lets his fingers slip away, continuing his plummet toward the island.

"What have you done?" his father screams. "Lloyd!"

He was just reunited with his son. The thought of losing him again is more than he can bear.

Luckily for him, Lloyd gets it together. There's a blinding flash of green just as he hits the trees, followed by a rumbling sound. Then, an enormous dragon emerges from the trees, scales glowing and sizzling with bright green energy.

"Atta boy!" Garmadon cries. The other Elemental Masters look on with shock painted on their faces.

Six parachuters, a wolf-eagle, a teleporter, and a dragon approach the jungle. Hidden in the shadow of the trees, Nya's heart drops to her stomach as she sees them approaching.

"This...doesn't look good."

——————————

Back in the factory, the guards are on edge.

"Still no sign of Cole and that metal man?" one asks.

"They still haven't escaped the island. We'll find them," another responds. His voice raises, addressing the rest of the guards in the room. "Search the labyrinth and lock this place down!"

His orders are obeyed swiftly. The rest of Chen's staff leaves the factory, locking the doors behind them. The Masters wait until the room is completely empty.

"All clear," whispers Rose.

At their words, Cole and Zane emerge from their hiding space inside two trash cans. Cole hops on top of the nearest conveyor belt, and the others crowd around him.

"Okay, seriously, I can't get over how cool your robot friend is," Taylor gushes.

"Thank you," Zane responds, looking pleased. "I was rather cool, before Chen took my ice powers."

"Okay, back to our plan to all of us getting out of here," says the former earth ninja. "As you know, our original idea to take the sewers has been shot, so we'll need to come up with something else."

"No thanks to him," Katlain grumbles with a pointed look at Dareth. The brown ninja shrugs.

How he got there in the first place is an interesting story. He and Nya had both been caught while on recon; Nya escaped—chances are she's hiding out somewhere evading capture—while Dareth, of course, wasn't as fortunate. With no hope or ideas left, he's resorted to attempting to eat everything in the factory.

"I'm starting to think we might never get out of here," Katlain huffs.

"Please, everyone, try to stay positive," Kira begs. Truthfully, she's pretty worried herself, but she tries not to show it. "The only way we can leave this place is if we put our heads together."

Cole yelps, stumbling, as the conveyor belt starts to move and promptly drops him on the floor. He lays there, completely and utterly done with life.

"Sorry, don't mind me," Dareth says, hopping easily off the conveyor belt. "Carry on whatever important business you're all doing."

Cole sighs. "Sure, we were only using that to hatch our escape. Dareth, what are you doing?"

"Well, if there isn't a machine that makes puffy potstickers, by golly I'm gonna make one."

Zane's entire face brightens like a lightbulb. "That's it! Dareth, you've solved it!"

The earth ninja eyes him like he's just grown two heads. "How are puffy potstickers gonna help us?"

"We can use machine parts to build something, something large enough to break us out of here. I am still adjusting to this new body, but I'm sure I could find blueprints for it in my database. Pixal is in my system now, so she can help."

"Okay, so what do we build?" asks Samuel.

"Well, I think the Roto Jets that Chen's warriors have are pretty cool," Taylor suggests.

"A jet underground?" Cole says, looking thoroughly puzzled.

Ivan shrugs. "I dunno, I like the idea." Ray nods eagerly beside them.

"Then it's settled," says Zane. "I will create a blueprint. Everyone else, find parts."

The other Masters nod and disperse quickly. Cole stands there, looking completely and utterly dumbstruck. "But...we're underground..."

"It's better not to question it," Kira giggles as she walks past him, arms laden with supplies. "Come on, help me find more parts!"

He shakes his head and follows her, wondering what his life has become.

——————————

"Hail, combatants!"

Chen's voice blares through the speakers placed throughout the jungle. "I've left a few treats to help you in the hunt. I hope you use them wisely!"

Razhai wades through a river. As she emerges back on land, she spots something: a crossbow, complete with a bag of arrows.

"My favorite weapon?" she says. "Oh, this is too good."

She grins, snatches it up, and disappears into the foliage. Meanwhile, Lemon stumbles upon a gift of her own: a mech. Her eyes widen and she quickly hops inside.

"Welcome, Master of Mind," the mech churrs. The metal turns soft pastel pink and yellow to match her eyes and hair.

"Sweet!" she gasps. She immediately starts working at the controls, and the mech stomps away into the trees.

Apollo stalks through the jungle, ducking under leaves and around trees. The rushing of water reaches their ears, and they follow it, emerging into a small clearing. The place glows with warm sunlight, and a tiny stream trickles through it. The master of void kneels by the stream and scoops some of the water into their mouth, grateful for the cool taste on such a hot day. Something rustles nearby, causing them to tense, energy appearing at their fingertips.

"Who's there?" they demand. "Show yourself!"

Melody's head pops out from the foliage. "Oh." Apollo relaxes. "It's you."

"Aw, happy to see me?" Melody teases. "You had any luck?"

"No. Whoever this girl is, she's like a ninja...it's starting to feel impossible to find her."

"Well, hey, we're both here. Why don't we work together?"

"Sure. Maybe with luck, we'll find her before the Green Ninja does."

"Okay, what exactly is your problem with him?" She moves into the clearing, sitting down in the grass next to them.

"He's annoying, overpowered, and I hate his stupid face."

"Ooookay." Melody raises a brow. "Could it be something more than that, maybe?"

Apollo hesitates. "When I was a kid," they murmur finally, "the Serpentine attacked my village. I lost everything that day...my home, my family, my eye." They brush a hand gingerly over their eye patch, their one good eye looking haunted.

"...And he's the one who released them in the first place." Melody's face softens, her heart splintering. "Oh, Apollo, I'm so sorry..."

They huff. "Is what it is."

"Well, I don't blame you for being hurt. But why not find a healthier way to let those feelings out? Being mean to people doesn't help."

"Like what?"

"Like music." Her brown eyes grow misty. "That was how I coped when my dad died. When I was mad at the world for taking him from me, my songs helped me let out that frustration."

"Oh." Apollo blinks. "I see. I'm, um...sorry. About your dad."

"It's fine." She lets out a short laugh tinged with pain. "But what I'm saying is, you just have to find something that speaks to you, and express yourself through that. Maybe it's a hobby, like music, or maybe it's a person, someone that will listen."

"I dunno, maybe it's better to just keep to yourself. That way, you can't get hurt.

"I understand. It's scary opening up." Melody gazes at them with a softness they've never seen, brown eyes meeting violet. "But then again..." She reaches out and places a hand on top of theirs, her touch warm and gentle.

"...Maybe some people are worth the risk."

Apollo tenses. Their cheeks flare with heat, a million words sitting on their tongue. "Melody, I..."

Something sails out of the trees. Melody screams as a net lands on top of her, ensnaring her instantly. She tries to use her powers, but whatever the netting is made of, it effectively blocks them. A split second later, a pack of cultists emerge from the trees, headed by Clouse.

"Your time in this Tournament has expired," he sneers. Apollo and Melody both tense, coming to the same realization: the Ninja were right.

"Let her go!" Apollo snarls. They lunge, losing all sense of control as they fire blast after blast of energy at their enemies.

"APOLLO!" Melody shouts. "LOOK OUT!"

The master of void whirls around, but not fast enough. They yelp as the shadow of another net comes flying at them.

Meanwhile, Rain prowls through the undergrowth, her sensitive ears twitching at every movement and sound. The jungle reminds her of the forests she calls home, making her feel rather comfortable. She raises her nose to the air and sniffs. There's an unfamiliar scent trail—she assumes it's the girl's—and it's fresh, meaning she's been here recently. A bird chirps and she looks up, spotting it in the trees.

"Hey!" she calls to it. "I need your help. Did you see a girl coming through here, and could you tell me where she went?"

The bird chirps at her once."Run." It then quickly flies away.

"Run?" Rain repeats. "Wh—"

She barks in surprise as a sharp pain suddenly stabs into her leg. The wolf-eagle stumbles and looks down, noticing a dart embedded in her skin. Tranquilizer. She wonders who's responsible, only to have her question answered as Chen and his group emerge from the shadows.

"You'll be coming with us," says the sorcerer.

"Make me."

With that, Rain goes full wolf. She lets out a howl that shakes the trees and charges, fangs bared and claws extended. She gets in a few good scratches and bites, but the tranquilizer is quickly taking over, making her moves slower and less precise. It's not long before her strength is sapped, prompting her body to return to humanoid form as she collapses.

The last thing she sees is Clouse grinning down at her before she blacks out.

In another part of the jungle, Nya's heart races as she tears through the trees, searching desperately for any of the Ninja. Instead, she runs straight into Razhai. The brunette spins around, registers who she is, and readies her crossbow. Nya gasps and takes off.

"Hey!" she shouts, speeding after her. "Get back here!"

She nocks an arrow as she runs, and Nya flinches as it barely misses her ear. Razhai fires another one, this time embedding itself in a tree just as her opponent runs past it. The brunnete readies a third arrow, only to pause as Clouse and the cultists appear from the trees. Nya dives into some bushes just in time, but Razhai isn't as fast. She skids to a halt as she's surrounded.

"Your time in the Tournament has reached its end," Clouse informs her.

"So the Ninja were right," she whispers, her body going rigid. "Chen was never gonna give up that staff..."

"Only one can remain. And it will. Be. Chen!"

They close in on the master of time, quickly overwhelming her. Razhai screams, and Nya watches in horror as the cultists subdue her and drag her away.

Meanwhile, Lemon's mech continues to chug along through the jungle. It's not long, however, before a certain sorcerer finds her. He creeps forward and utters a spell, sending tendrils of dark magic shooting after her. They wrap around the mech, causing it to crash and skid across the ground. Lemon shrieks as she's battered and thrown around inside, slamming painfully against the walls. When the mech finally stops moving, she tumbles out of the cockpit with a groan. Clouse and his lackeys close in. She glares, but she's too beat up to fight. All she can do is struggle weakly as the cultists seize her.

Lemon yelps as she's thrown into a cell. To her surprise and abject horror, everyone else is already there. Kai grips the bars, his amber eyes alight with hatred as he glares at Chen.

"Don't get too comfortable, old man," he spits. "Lloyd will come for us!"

"Oh, I'm planning on it." Chen cackles.

"At least tell us this," Jay demands. "Who here was the spy?"

The old man laughs even harder, gasping for breath. "Foolish children! There was no spy!"

"Then how did you—"

"Find out you had allied? Simple. You were all so stinking nice to each other before I intervened, we figured you must have!" He snickers. "See what happens when you care for others? Your compassion makes all of you weak!"

He turns and walks away, still cackling, with Clouse at his heels.

"This is," Razhai swallows, looking pale with fear, "not good."

——————————

Lloyd and Garmadon are still walking as night falls. The jungle feels empty and eerily quiet, and there's been no sign of the Ninja or any of the other fighters. They both tense as something moves in the shadows nearby. Then, Nya explodes from the trees in a panting, sweaty mess.

"They took Razhai! I saw it happen!" she blurts. "They took everyone!"

"Nya!" Lloyd rushes to meet her. "Hey, slow down—"

"You're the only one left, Lloyd. You're the only one who can stop it."

"Stop what?"

Nya reaches into her pocket and procures a piece of paper: the page from Clouse's spell book. Garmadon takes it from her and reads it. His blood runs cold. "A transformation spell...it can't be..."

"Transformation?" his son echoes. "Transform into what?"

"An army of Anacondrai." His father's face is grim. "The tournament may be over, but the next Serpentine War may have just begun."