October 10, 2020
ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ ▬ 4621

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The lava bubbled around the unconscious figure, the twisting caverns stuffy and stale from the sleepy heat. A bubble burst near their head, tiny splashes of magma stinging the person's face and burning parts of their beard. At that exact moment, the chunk of rock they were drifting on hit the obsidian shore of the lava river.

The old man unconscious on the rock jolted awake. Spotting a glowing golden sword next to him, a long piece of dark cloth appeared in his hands and he hid said sword inside, stifling its shine.

Sensei Wu gripped the disguised Sword of Fire tightly as he left his stone raft, hiding behind pillars of rock jutting into the sky. He observed the dark world around him, breathing the name of the realm he despised so much, hardly believing that he had truly crossed over.

"The Underworld."

He never understood how his brother could stand this realm. It was a place of eternal darkness, death, and banishment... but since when was Garmadon not used to that?

Wu picked his way through the Underworld, hiding from stalagmite to stalagmite, swiftly traveling deeper to the heart of the realm. Perhaps this environment had become a home to him, a consistent, simple home that was quite the opposite of how he grew up.

Their family had been constantly riddled with fights, arguments, and emotional bursts of elemental power that could not be taken back. And after... the incident, Garmadon's outbursts became significantly more common. But what did he expect? Wu had been born into a god's family. Things were not going to be perfect.

He ducked behind another stalagmite as a pair of Skulkins passed by, continuing in his way after they were gone. Speaking of Garmadon, Wu was there to find his brother.

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"Harper? Sensei?" Skylar banged desperately on the grand doors of the temple. Zap whispered something to her and the Ice Ninja stopped, leaving both girls to just stare at the temple in defeat.

Realm suddenly halted in walking, stopping in the middle of the staircase. Shutting her eyes as if she had a headache, the team leader's fingers twitched, as if feeling for something.

"Realm? Are you okay, what's going on?" Zap croaked out, struggling to speak. Skylar repeated it louder for the blue Ninja, and at this Realm snapped her eyes open.

"What?" she asked in confusion, not unaware of what she had just done. The three stared at each other for a moment. Usually, they would start laughing and joking around, but their situation made it difficult to see the light.

"Did you figure something out?"

"Yeah. I'm not any happier about this than you are... but the Elemental Weapons are in the Underworld now." The Earth Ninja sighed. "We're too late. It's a place no mortal can cross over to. I can just feel it."

Zap looked to Skylar, and they both visibly slumped. Realm gestured for them to leave and they turned to do so just as the temple began to part in half, turning outward to reveal the inside. At the same time, a familiar accented voice echoed from inside the temple.

"We may not be able to cross over..."

The temple split fully open and a red dragon burst out, flying in a loop before landing on the steps in front of the Ninja.

"But a dragon can!" a different voice finished from the creature's back.

"Harper? Is that..." Realm's breath caught in her throat as the Fire Dragon's gaze met hers. "Woah," she whispered, fear and awe mixing in her veins. The latter emotion took over the former as Harper, ever the one for dramatics, flipped off from the dragon's saddle and landed before the team. A boy followed suit, leaping off and landing on the steps just as smoothly as his sister. Blowing the strand of green hair from his eyes, Morro crossed his arms and smirked at the Ninja. "Yep! This is our dragon, Sal-"

Harper cut him off quickly. "Umm, no. This is the Fire dragon, Ombra."

"Noo, I wanted to name her Sally."

"As you have reiterated multiple times. But I am standing firm on this decision. You can't just name a functionally immortal dragon 'Sally'."

Morro muttered under his breath, "I'm calling her Sally."

Skylar waved her hands in the air, trying to fan away the dragon's smoke filling the space. "Wait wait wait. You're Morro?" she asked, addressing the pale boy in front of her. "The Morro Smith that Harper needed to save?"

"Uh-huh." In the darkness it was harder to see, but the girls' vision caught that he had many marks and bruises on his arms and legs, as if he had been tied up for a long time. Despite his injuries, he was in high spirits, looking like he was itching to run around and savor his freedom. "And... who are you?"

"I'm Skylar, this is Zap, she temporarily lost her voice-" she pointed to the blue Ninja, who waved- "and our leader is Realm."

"It's nice to meet you, Morro! We're glad to see you're alive and well." The Earth Ninja smiled at him, and Morro returned the smile after a split second of hesitation.

Zap pointed at the dragon with a flurry of hand gestures and whispers to Skylar, who translated. "Back up, why can dragons travel through realms?"

Realm responded, "The worlds they can travel between are ones they consider a home, as they belong to those realms." She eyed the reptilian creature nervously, her expression softening as Ombra purred like a cat. "I'm not afraid of dragons, but I... respect their power. Traveling between realms is a gift I would love to have."

"Agreed. Dragons aren't all that intimidating." The red Ninja rubbed the dragon's snout. "Once she realized we were trying to protect the Sword of Fire, she became significantly friendlier. And she is allowing me to call her Ombra," she added proudly.

"Sally sounds better," Morro argued.

"No it doesn't. I will fight you on this."

"I will fight you too."

The siblings engaged in a silent staring contest, ending when Zap tapped them on the shoulders to remind them they weren't alone. "Oh!" Morro grinned innocently at his sister, redirecting the conversation. "Now that I made it out alive- um, now that I'm here and all, can I have a tub of Milo?"

Harper picked up on his slightly odd behavior, but brushed it aside for the time being, thinking it to be from the adrenaline and exhaustion.. "I'm more than thrilled that you are here, but no. I don't want to have to go to the city just to buy you something that you will devour in less than a day."

Morro didn't deny this statement and tried again. "Can you sing the Earthworm Sally song for me?"

"That's even worse."

"Pleeeeease? Even Sally likes it--"

Ombra blasted fire into the air indignantly.

"Stop calling her Sally!"

Morro made a heart with his hands. "No. Pleeeease? Can you do one of them for me?"

Zap's eyes were darting from person to person as if she were watching a verbal tennis game. Harper shook her head in disagreement, jumping back onto the dragon and adjusting the saddle for more passengers. "Well, I might not even live to fulfill these requests. Don't get your hopes up."

Morro's begging instantly dropped, firmly stating, "Don't say that. You're going to make it."

"Yeah, we're going to make it," Skylar put in.

The Earth Ninja agreed, "We've got this." Zap nodded in confirmation.

When Harper didn't answer immediately, her brother added, "Let's make a deal: if you come back alive, I won't call the dragon Sally and you don't have to give me anything."

"Fine. Deal." Harper reached down, nearly falling off the dragon's back, and they shook on it. She then straightened up, straightening her gi and retying the sashes. "I can't guarantee we'll survive this mission, though... "

"You better make it, I'm not running the store on my own. Besides, you don't wanna leave me alone for eternity. No supervision!"

The red Ninja pointed at her. "While I'm gone, you better be careful. Not for the first time, I advise you to not do anything that you know is stupid. Because if- when I come back, you'll be in trouble if you do."

"Don't worry," Morro laughed. "I'm always careful."

"I feel like that means the opposite," Zap whispered hoarsely.

He shrugged. "Okay, Harp, are you giving me a ride home or what? I'm not walking back to Ignacia."

The red Ninja patted the seat behind her and Morro hopped on, strapping himself down. The other three Ninja didn't follow suit, however, glancing at each other. Realm questioned, "Wait, Harper. We aren't going to all fit on Ombra. How are we going to get home?"

Harper grinned, and the others glanced at each other with amusement and worry. "You are absolutely right. But I have already devised a way to fix that."

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A blur of red, white, blue, and orange-brown streaked across the sky, each carrying a passenger in matching colors. They had already flown by Ignacia, which had not been far away, and Morro had been safely returned to the blacksmith's shop. This left the Ninja to journey to the Underworld.

Zap sat atop the Lightning Dragon, unable to cheer but smiling from ear to ear. Skylar was pulling the Ice Dragon into dives and rolls, challenging her friends to do the same.

"Hey guys, how do the dragons cross over to the Underworld?" Realm asked from the Earth Dragon's back as she pulled up.

Harper, in the lead, noticed a sudden increase in Ombra's acceleration. "I believe we are about to find out..."

At once, all four elemental dragons dove towards the ground rapidly, tucking in their wings and spinning as if performing a Spinjitzu of their own. The team didn't get a chance to yell, they were moving so fast. Rift, the Earth Dragon, overtook Ombra's place at the front and a massive orange portal tore through thin air. Flying through the vortex, the dragons sped into a whirling kaleidoscope of madness and somehow started traveling even faster.

The dragons' riders were hurtling through time and space at insane speeds, but miraculously they didn't feel anything more than strong wind and a rushing sensation like the drop in a roller coaster. Quicker than it began, another orange portal appeared and spat them out into an inky realm of darkness. Almost in unison, the dragons landed on a stony ridge of sorts.

Realm unbuckled herself from the dragon and slid off quietly as her team did the same. "We made it," she whispered.

The crude, bony structures of the Underworld dotted the indigo earth around them. Skulkin vehicles were both parked and on patrol, the latter group of vehicles circling the outskirts of a mammoth fortress that screamed death.

"Sensei's inside," Harper blurted. She clenched her fists, trying to still her shaky hands.

Zap stared at the building intently. "Did you see him go in? Where?"

She shook her head. "I just can feel it. And look-- they have been expecting us."

As a group of skeletons approached the castle's gates, another group checked everything the first brought with them. One even pushed a wheelbarrow filled with a variety of items, and Nuckal knocked the cart over after yelling, "Ninja Check!"

Skylar pointed to the thin stalacite-like vines hanging from the ceiling. Leaping off their mountain, the team used them to swing right over the Skulkin warriors' heads undetected.

Zap was reaching for the next vine when the one she clung to started moving of its one accord. Looking up, she almost screamed, biting her lip to silence herself. The only sound coming from her was a thin whine of fear as the vine revealed itself to be an oversized skeleton spider's leg.

She tried to get the Ninja's attention, but her hoarse voice made it nearly impossible to speak. The spider made a hissing sound and clicked its pincers hungrily.

"Look- up-" she tried.

To her slight relief, the other Ninja looked up. As soon as they did, they saw the hungry arachnids they were clinging to. They all screamed and let go, falling through the air and landing on the ground with a loud thump that knocked the wind out of their lungs.

The blue Skulkin general noticed them and tapped his grey partner on the shoulder. "Uh... if there are more than one ninja, is it 'Ninjas' or just 'Ninja?'"

Kruncha didn't look up from the cart he was inspecting. "I think it's just 'Ninja.'"

"Oh, okay then," Nuckal nodded in understanding, then raised his voice to a shriek. "NINJA!"

At his alert, all the skeletons nearby started to surround the girls. Quickly doing the math, the Earth Ninja counted aloud, "There are ten warriors to every one of us. I think I like these odds." She unslung her scythe, and the rest of her team brandished their weapons as well.

"Each skeleton is one point. Whoever gets the most wins," Harper declared, and at once the four Ninja leaped into battle.

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A familiar sinister chuckle came from behind Wu as he reached the lowest level of the Underworld fortress.

"Brother."

Sensei Wu pulled the cloth off the Sword of Fire. "Brother."

Lord Garmadon's red eyes fixed on the weapon. "Seize the sword!" he growled, and a group of Skulkins lunged at it.

"Ninja-go!" Whirling into his golden tornado, Wu's Spinjitzu knocked them away from the sword. "You'll have to take it from me," he countered.

Another familiar figure appeared, this one a four-armed skeleton holding three other weapons of power. Samukai stepped forward, lifting the Nunchucks of Lightning, Scythe of Realms, and Shurikens of ice. "My pleasure."

Flames erupted from the sword's tip and Wu slashed at the general, fire licking across the blade. Samukai leaped back and suddenly slammed the Scythe of Realms into the ground, shaking the fortress and opening a bright orange portal beneath him. With a yelp of surprise, he was dropped into the portal and vanished with it.

"Is... he coming back?" Garmadon asked.

Wu stared at the spot. "Just wait for it."

Almost on cue, a nearly identical orange portal opened up above him and Samukai jumped down onto him, trying to strike Wu with the Nunchucks. He swiftly evaded the blows, starting to take the offense as well as he expertly used the Sword's fire. Lord Garmadon noticed his henchman starting to falter and spoke up in a chilling voice.

"Teach him a lesson."

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"They just keep coming! It's as if every skeleton to ever exist is attacking us!" Skylar gritted her teeth and kicked a warrior away.

"Not to mention the giant murderous killer spiders that arrived late to the party," Realm added, struggling to hold off her own group of Skulkins. The skeletal spiders didn't move to attack just yet, but were closing in with the warriors.

Harper sliced a skeleton in half, only for it to be replaced with another. "Any ideas, guys? We could really use one right now."

"Orrato urrrh hreation."

Harper blinked. "Umm... what?" Zap coughed the same sounds again, further confusing her team.

"You feel a weird sensation?"

"You ate an odd crustacean?"

"We need a vacation?"

The blue Ninja raised her voice the best she could and screamed, "Tornado of Creation!"

"Ohh."

"That makes a lot more sense. We do need a vacation, though."

Realm hesitated. "The Tornado of Creation... it might work. But it could lead to disastrous consequences."

"We're about to have a disastrous consequence," Harper defended. "This is our best option."

The black Ninja nodded to the red. "You're right, let's do this." She spun into her tornado. "Earth!"

"Fire!"

"Ice!"

"Lightning!"

"Ninja-go!"

The four tornadoes whirled around each other in an alluring way, spinning in unison. At first they repelled each other, but as they fell into sync, they began to blend together.

White blurred with blue and red melted into orange, and suddenly a massive golden Spinjitzu tornado grew from where the four smaller whirlwinds came together. The strength of the tornado began to draw in anything nearby, sucking in skeletons, spiders, weapons, even buildings.

It was the Tornado of Creation, and it was working. It grew with everything it swallowed, and suddenly in a bright flash the tornado broke apart, throwing the team onto the ground once more and leaving an incredible structure in their wake.

Before them stood a towering, spinning ferris wheel of bone and stone. The spiders formed cages in which all the Skulkins were trapped within, and purple fire burned from torches all over the ride. The tornado had constructed both a masterpiece and a prison, and the four Ninja were left speechless.

Zap was the first to snap back into reality. "Come on! We gotta find the Golden Weapons!" she cried. To her excitement, the Tornado of Creation had healed her voice, allowing her to speak normally. The Ninja followed her, darting over bridges and through many rooms before reaching an open arena-like area. Two very familiar figures were battling there, and the duel was intense with elemental power.

Zap, Realm, and Skylar stepped forward to aid their mentor, but Harper stopped them. "Wait," she said softly. "We are not to interfere. This is Sensei's fight."

The Sword of Fire shot a fireball towards its skeleton opponent just as Samukai dove to freeze the sword to the ground with the Shurikens. Wu tried to pull it out, but he wasn't quick enough. Samukai swung the Scythe of Realms, fracturing the ground beneath their feet and sending the fourth Golden Weapon out of Wu's reach. The Nunchucks struck him in the chest, sending him flying backwards and away from the sword, and Samukai picked it up.

"No!" the Ninja yelled at once, giving away their hiding spot. However, their presence didn't bother the Lord of the Underworld one bit. He smiled cruelly at the Skulkin general and ordered, "Bring me the Four Weapons."

Samukai ignored the command and raised the Weapons of Spinjitzu in each bony hand. "No!" he said triumphantly. "You will obey me now!"

This statement made Garmadon chuckle mockingly. The Golden Weapons in Samukai's hands suddenly began to shake and pulsate with a purplish-blue light, and to the Skulkin leader's alarm, he was unable to let go of them. Seeing what was about to happen, Sensei Wu quickly made his way to where his students were-- far away from the skeleton and his master. "No one can handle all of their power at once," he told them, watching with idle interest as Samukai lost control of the weapons.

Garmadon laughed again. "Selfish fool. Did you truly think I wouldn't plan on your betrayal?"

Samukai ignored the question, panicking. "Wh- what's happening to me?" he wailed, his body starting to turn a bluish color.

"You've fallen right into my master plan." Garmadon smirked at him. "Not even I can handle all of their power! But now that they're combined, it'll create a vortex through space and time, allowing me to finally escape this ghastly place."

"No!" Samukai screamed, but it was too late. His body exploded into an indigo portal, and the Skulkin general ceased to exist.

The vortex was the greatest light source among the overwhelming darkness of the Underworld, its pulsing, bright light blinding those around it. Garmadon was about to step inside when Wu spoke up.

"Father would not want you to do this."

The Lord of the Underworld turned around. "Father is no longer here, if you have noticed, Wu," he sneered. "Good and evil, there has always been a balance. Where I go, the balance can be destroyed. Soon I will be strong enough to possess the Four Weapons so I can recreate the world in my image- not yours, or his. I will make sure nothing will be that way." With one last chuckle, he stepped through the portal and vanished from the Underworld.

He was gone.

TThe moment he disappeared with the rift, the sensei and his students darted over to where the Golden Weapons had been left behind. "He is gone, but he will return," Wu said solemnly.

Harper picked up the Sword of Fire, feeling the comfortable weight of the weapon in her hand once more. She hadn't intended on sticking with a Ninja career. Morro was safe; she achieved the very goal she sought from the start. But as she took a moment to breathe with her three new friends, equally battered and bruised from battle but still lighthearted and excited, she realized that perhaps it wouldn't be too terrible to stay. Additionally, she had a dragon of her own, a badass title and gi, and a much nicer living place. Morro wanted to see the monastery and the world. How else would he get to do so, other than tagging along with his sister's journeys to save the world?

And gods. The shock from the battles would only build up. But better go through it with family by your side than alone, right?

She focused back on the warm gold in her hands. "And when he does return, we'll be ready for him," she said. Wu caught her eye and nodded, a faint smile playing at the corner of his mouth. He knew. Fucking bastard, even he had grown on her.

"And keep an eye out in case he has any more of his evil plans," Zap added in determination, retrieving the Nunchucks of Lightning. Harper returned her attention to the situation at hand. Realm sheathed the Scythe on her back, twirling it a couple times first. Skylar took the Shurikens of Ice, and together the Ninja team turned to their master for further instruction.

Instead of giving them directions, he simply said, "Then I have done my part. The balance has been restored." He looked at where the portal had been moments before. "For now."

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Ignacia was dark. Ever since the skeleton army arrived, the valley had been blanketed in darkness. The citizens hadn't seen sunshine in weeks, and many crops were dying from the lack of light. Ignacia's villagers were left to do nothing but hope and pray to the First Spinjitzu Master, knowing these things were out of their control.

Morro twirled the green streak of hair around his finger, zoning out the window and blasting music simultaneously. He passively noticed the darkness roll away, revealing a bright, clear sky. Light shone down onto the village, and all of Ignacia's citizens ran out of their homes to soak in the sun's warmth. The sun shone brightly for the first time, but he felt no urge to return to the outdoors. He stayed inside the Four Weapons Blacksmith, just as he had since Harper dropped him off.

He had locked the shop up and isolated herself from any other unnecessary social interaction. He needed time to think and time alone: his transition back to regular life would not be as easy as he would like. One can't be kidnapped and taken hostage in literal hell then return to life as if it was normal. Morro twisted the bracelet on his left wrist habitually, the intense rapping of his music temporarily blurring away his racing thoughts. 

The bracelet was new. It was actually from one of the shackles from Garmadon's lair, made of the black and orange metal. He had broken it off and re-molded it to be a bracelet that fit just right around his wrist. From afar, it would be simply a fashion choice.

He didn't enjoy any part of being kidnapped. As cool as the Underworld was, he didn't want to be held hostage there. But he didn't hold much against the shackles; they had been clamped on rather loosely, and were only added right before Harper arrived. If anything, he thought they were cool; they proved to be a distraction from the chains rubbing painfully against his skin.

Even now, in the cool air, he could feel the warm chains constricting his body and it made him shudder. He never wanted to be trapped again.

But he wouldn't be. He trusted Harper, and a gut feeling told him to trust her new comrades. He trusted that he was going to be safe, because they were fucking ninja now.

Four heavy thumps came from outside the shop, and excited chatter among familiar voices made Morro get up abruptly. Opening the door, he saw red, black, blue, and white dragons resting on the road in front of the blacksmith's shop. But it was not the mystical creatures that made him sprint out the door: it was the four girls dismounting from the dragons, each patched up and bruised, but overall in good health and in one piece. A different gold weapon glowed in their hands, and their laughter filled the sunny village.

The red Ninja flipped off her hood, shaking out her tangled blonde hair as she said something with the dark-haired blue Ninja to her right. Morro grinned and ran out, yelling, "Harper!"

"Morro!" she cried, looking up just in time to see her brother crash into her, giving her a quick hug and bouncing back.

"You survived! See, I told you," Morro teased, tugging at his blue robes. "I win."

Harper elbowed him playfully. "Fine with me, as long as you didn't break, burn, drown, lose, or destroy anything while I was gone."

"Nah. Honestly, I did... pretty much nothing while you were gone." Morro's smile faded a bit. "But don't worry. Everything is still here."

Zap noticed his faraway expression. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked in concern.

"I dunno. E."

The Ice Ninja put a hand on his shoulder. "Well, you're our family now. If you ever need anything, just let us know, okay? We'll always be here for you."

Morro nodded, his eyes still on the ground. "So... are things going to return to normal?" he asked, changing the subject.

Normal for you, at least.

"For the time being, somewhat." Harper unsheathed her sword, the fiery dragon carving glittering in the sun. "But it's not over. Lord Garmadon will return."

Realm stepped forward and smiled confidently at her team. "And we'll be ready for him when he does."

With a cheer, the Ninja attempted a four-way high five with their Golden Weapons. The weapons, however, coming in contact were enough to release a shockwave of power, throwing them apart and crashing into the ground.

Harper picked herself up gingerly. "We need to remember not to do that again. The number of times we were thrown into the ground on this adventure is far too many."

"Good idea," Realm agreed, sheathing the Scythe of Realms on her back.

Zap rubbed her side as she got up. "Yeah, we'll stick to normal high-fives instead."

"Sounds like a plan," Skylar put in, picking up the Shurikens of Ice.

As the others started talking excitedly, Harper decided that maybe this was indeed the right thing to do. It felt right, being with the other Ninja.

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"Oh, umm, Harper?"

"Yes, Morro?"

"I, um, kind of lied earlier... I did do something while you were gone. I might have, maybe, possibly... adopted three cats?"

"You what?"

END