Chapter 1: Prologue
Chapter Text
She had her head down in shame, her eyes not daring to look up. The red carpet seemed to glare up at her — or maybe that was his eyes burning holes in her head.
"You should've done it by now."
She didn't look up when she responded with, "I know. I'm sorry. I'll get it done this time."
"Sorry won't capture them." He laughed. "This is your very last chance. Otherwise, you will join the others." His words were angry, every ounce of the fun loving person diminished. All that remained was his angry, power hungry self.
Her body stiffened with the threat but she looked up to meet his cold, piercing gaze. "Yes sir," she said shakily. Bowing to show her respect, she quickly moved out of the suffocating room.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed open another set of doors further down the hallway. Two guards stood on the other side, immediately snapping to attention when the girl walked through. “Guards,” she ordered, her voice steady and holding authority. “Ready the cells.”
“Yes miss,” they said, heading through two doors at the other end of the hallway, finding more guards to continue carrying out the orders.
"We're finally going to be done with this today." She smiled to herself, proud of what she had helped him accomplish. Leaving the building, she walked to the end of the pathway. The ferry was still docked, the waves rocking it ever so slightly. The water gave her more confidence, and she turned to the forest, ready to carry out her mission.
Chapter 2: One
Chapter Text
A crowded dock was where Zariyah found herself that night. Not in bed with a book as she had planned, or out in a park with a box of takeout that she enjoyed once in a while. No, her plans of relaxation had been derailed when a group of thugs showed up at her favourite spot and quickly made a scene. She followed them, stopping when they went down an alley and seemingly disappeared. There, set up against the wall, was a small stand with a candle and plate. Against every smart brain cell screaming at her not to advance, she did, and was met with a fortune cookie she immediately cracked open. The note inside invited her to a tournament for people with elemental powers.
After gathering a few supplies in a drawstring bag, Zariyah had set out for this dock. Her grey crocheted cardigan flapped in the wind, the chilling ocean breeze running through her loose black hair. Compared to the other Masters spread out across the wood planks, she looked like a civilian who got lost on their way back home. She picked her clothes to blend in, but soon realised they did the opposite. Heads turned, eyes scanning and assessing her, frowns adorning their many faces. Those faces quickly turned away, deeming her as harmless in a first glance.
Zariyah slowly made her way across the dock, dipping her head in greeting to anyone who looked her way.
She ran into a wall. More specifically, one of the Elemental Masters had cut in front of her and stopped, Zariyah not noticing in time and walking right into him. He turned, metal gloves rising from his sides as he assessed the girl. "Look where you're going," he said, loud and bold for everyone in a ten mile radius to hear.
"I'm sorry," Zariyah said with sincerity, "But I'm afraid you cut in front of me before I could notice and react. Maybe we'd both be better off if we took that piece of your advice."
He scoffed. "Karlof not need to look where he goes," metal gloves announced. "Karlof can see perfectly fine. You need to look better." He often spoke in the third narrative, using his own name when referring to himself and his actions. Zariyah found it interesting, but quickly annoying.
Knee high brown boots clicked across the wood planks, laces tied in perfect, even bows. The wind kicked up and sent a snow cold breeze over the dock, and the newcomer zipped up her purple hoodie, shoving her hands into the small pockets. Green eyes surveyed the Masters with unease, some unusual appearances catching her attention. A green ponytail of a girl to her right, arms crossed and eyes cold; a soft melody dancing across the dock coming from a guitar player with oversized glasses; metal gloves that must weigh pounds waving through the air like they were nothing significant.
That metal man was caught in a heated discussion with Zariyah. She did her best to maintain her calm tone, but an underlying tone of frustration was pushing its way through. Karlof took a step forward, Zariyah one back; she was dangerously close to the edge of the dock.
The newcomer weaved through the crowd, hoping to reach Zariyah and warn her before the girl toppled over the edge. Her path was clear, but Karlof took another step into Zariyah's space. She took an automatic step back, her toes skimming the side of the dock. Arms flailed as she tried to catch her balance but the attempt was feeble; her bag fell from her arm and she yelled in surprise as the water splashed around her. She kept her head above the surface and looked up to the dock that sat a greater distance above the water than she could reach.
Clear ocean water swirled and spiralled around Zariyah, flowing up into the air and gently lifting the water ridden girl back to the dock. Her feet were planted on the worn wooden surface — a safe distance away from the edge — before the water spiralled back down and became part of the ocean once more. Elemental Masters stood and stared, voices silenced, as they quietly noted the display of control one among them had over their element. Zariyah wiped the trickling water from her face and looked towards the girl. “Thanks, for that,” she said gratefully.
"I meant to warn you, but it was too late by the time I got closer to you."
"It's fine, really, thank you. You still saved me from the raging water." Zariyah extended a hand towards the girl. "Zariyah Omiru. My friends call me Zari. Nice to meet you . . . ?"
"Kailani," the girl said. She held out a gloved hand and politely shook Zariyah's. "Nice to meet you as well, under the circumstances." Kailani glanced over Zariyah's shoulder towards Karlof, a question on her mind. "What did he want with you?"
Zariyah shrugged. "It was a simple misunderstanding about spacial awareness." Her hands absentmindedly went to her dripping hair and started twisting it to wring out the excess water. It dripped in a steady rhythm to the wood below, adding a layer of noise to the background.
"Oh, let me help you with that," Kailani said. She lifted her hands and pulled the water from Zariyah's hair and clothes, then let it sink to the ocean below. "Sorry about the smell of the salt water; can't really do much about that."
Zariyah waved it off. "It doesn't bother me now that I'm dry. Which, thank you." Her hands went to one shoulder to adjust her bag — only it wasn't there. Of course it had fallen off and probably ended up in the water with her, that was exactly her kind of luck. "You — you didn't happen to see my bag anywhere, did you?"
Brown hair fell around Kailani's face as she shook her head with a frown. "I, no, I didn't see it anywhere in the water with you. Sorry." She sounded genuine, her eyes holding a sympathetic weight. Kailani took a step closer to the edge of the dock and looked around the water's surface, until she caught something in her peripheral vision. "You're lucky," she said, crouching down to snag the bag that dangled from its strings. "Got caught on an uneven plank."
Zariyah thanked Kailani — the words being spoken for a fourth time now — and slung the bag over one shoulder.
A new set of footsteps sounded on the dock and a few heads turned towards the arrival. A kid in a red gi walked to the middle of the dock, followed by a kid in a blue gi, who had a kid in a black gi following closely behind him. The Ninja. "I told you we shouldn't have worn them!" The red one, Kai, exclaimed, gesturing to how much they stood out. His words carried across the open dock, loud and clear like he didn't try to keep his voice down.
The legendary green ninja quietly slipped onto the dock to join his friends. They huddled together and conversed in hushed tones, the occasional word or two delivered to the ears of nearby Elemental Masters by the eavesdropping wind.
"I didn't expect them to come," Zariyah commented, but she was happy and nonetheless curious to know how they stumbled upon their invites.
Kailani looked from the ninja to Zariyah, a puzzled look across her face. "You know them?"
"Oh, no, not really. I've bumped into them a couple of times, but I doubt they'd remember me. It was a while ago." The words were flippant and rushed, like she was brushing them off and desperately wanting to switch subjects.
As if the universe heard her thoughts, a subject change came in the form of a blaring horn. The attention of every Elemental Master on the dock was drawn towards the ocean. Cruising across the water was a ferry, heading towards the dock. This had to be the ride everyone had been waiting for. Quiet descended upon the waiting masters as everyone watched the ferry draw nearer. A line formed as masters moved to the edge of the dock to board the upcoming ferry. The masters fell into place without causing a fuss.
The ferry pulled to a stop a few feet from the docks. Up close, it was easier to see the layout of their transport. Three levels in decreasing size floated on the water, illuminated by hanging lanterns casting half the ferry in shadows. Two henchmen with purple tattoos stood by the ferry's rope railing holding a long plank between them, and let it fall to cover the gap after a moment. They stepped back to reveal a middle aged man with slick-backed black hair and clothes that screamed authority and power.
He walked across the plank with ease, hands held behind his back and head high like he owned the place. The air became thick, heavy and anxious, like it knew something about the future the masters didn't. But the man stepped off the plank and to the side, gesturing for the line to get a move on. The bottom deck of the ferry quickly filled with the masters, each wandering off in a different direction. Being near the front of the line, Kailani and Zariyah were the first few to board. Kailani, wanting to get to know her competition, stayed on the sidelines and watched the rest get on.
A bump from behind sent Kailani forward into the ropes around the boat. Her arms instinctively flew out to catch the metal poles evenly spaced along, knowing the rope was old. "Watch it, little girl," a gruff voice said, annoyed with the Master of Water.
Kailani pushed herself off the poles and turned to see Karlof walking away from her. "Rude," she muttered. She caught Zariyah watching and the two locked eyes. The sound of metal hitting metal caught their attention, Karlof having found another way to annoy his competition. Zariyah tilted her head and rolled her eyes, earning a smile from Kailani.
"Hey," Zariyah said, walking over to join Kailani at the railing. "Don't let him get to you. He's probably got a problem with everyone."
Kailani nodded. "I saw what happened —"
"Lloyd!" Someone called from the dock, cutting off all conversation. There, walking towards the ferry, was an older gentleman with grey hair and a black robe that conveyed his stance as a Sensei among the ninja. "If you get on that boat, you may never return."
Kailani turned away from the father-and-son scene on the dock. "I'm going . . . over this way," she absently said to Zariyah, though she knew she held no obligation to tell the friendly Elemental Master anything. She passed the masters and ferry henchmen that stood around watching the interaction of Ninjago City's legendary green ninja and his father, the once-evil Lord Garmadon.
The pair reached the front of the ferry and Kailani sat on one of the many crates piled around. Head in her hands, she mumbled something unintelligible to herself.
"Soooooo . . ." Zariyah started to say, trying to open up a conversation for the spiralling Elemental Master she'd just met. "I take it you know those people and you either don't like them, or don't want them to be here."
"Something like that," Kailani muttered, lifting her head enough to see the ninja and Garmadon had all successfully boarded the ferry. "I know of them, they don't know me, but it's complicated."
Zariyah nodded and leaned against a nearby pillar holding up the second deck. She let her bag slip from her shoulder and land by her feet with a gentle thud. "Cool, cool, good. Because for a second I was wondering if you were an ex of one of them, because that would definitely be awkwaaaaard."
Kailani's face went through several different emotions before settling on changing to flushed. "Oh my god, no. They've never met me, I've never met them."
Zariyah, albeit a little sceptical and curious about what was going through Kailani's head, nodded and moved to sit next to Kailani on one of the crates. "Let me get this straight. You guys have never met but you had a little panic episode when the old guy showed up." Zariyah placed a gentle hand on Kailani's shoulder. "I know we just met, but I'm a pretty good listener if you need someone to talk to. Because, clearly, there's something going on."
Kailani shook her head, pushing her thoughts to the back. "It's complicated."
"That's what everyone says when they don't want to talk about something they probably should talk about."
"But this, this is actually complicated. The short answer is that I'm related to one of them and they don't know. The longer answer is my entire past and I don't want to explain that all right now to only one person." Kailani stood up from the crate and stretched her arms. "Please don't say anything to anyone about that. I'll do it at some point."
Zariyah mimed zipping her mouth closed and tossing the key. "My lips are sealed; the secret's safe with me."
"Thanks."
"However," Zariyah added, her gaze travelling to something behind Kailani. "You might either want to move away from this side of the ferry or prepare yourself to face the ninja."
Kailani looked over one shoulder to see Garmadon leading two of the four ninja around. They were close enough for their conversation to reach Zariyah and Kailani. "For instance, that pale man." Garmadon gestured towards a set of floating clothes, and Kailani followed their gaze. "A distant relative of the Master of Light." A blur of white and red went around the ship, courtesy of one of the competitors. "Then there's Griffin Turner. Grandson to the Master of Speed."
Zariyah stood up and whispered to Kailani, "If you want to avoid them, get out while you still can. Because any second now, one of those two will ask about us."
As if on cue, the two ninja turned to Garmadon. "What about those two?" Lloyd asked, nodding towards Kailani and Zariyah. He was more curious about the brunette, but knowing about both could only help them know their competition.
Cole stole the spotlight from Garmadon and his large expanse of knowledge and answered instead. "Oh, that's Zari. We met her a while back, remember? During the rise of the serpentine." As an afterthought and mostly to himself, he added, "She never mentioned she had an elemental power."
Lloyd went to nod his head, but the memory never came to him. "Yeah . . . No, I don't remember her."
"She kept the civilians out of harm's way during an attack at Mega Monster Amusement Park?" Cole tried to jog Lloyd's memory. "You were, like, a small child when it happened." When that still didn't help, Cole threw his arms up in defeat. "Y'know what, maybe talking to her will help. Or maybe she's forgotten us, so why do I even bother."
Zariyah, bored but amused with their conversation, decided it was time to quit eavesdropping. "Y'know," she said, immediately gaining their attention. "If you're wondering, I didn't forget you guys." Zariyah joined their group and accepted Cole's hug, then a handshake from Lloyd. "I did, however, think there were four of you on the dock. And I'm sorry to hear about Zane. He was always lovely to be around."
Cole nodded. "Yeah, that's actually why we're here. Our invites said Zane was alive and this was the way to get him back, so we came to find him."
"Well, if you need help, I'd be happy to assist an old friend."
"Thanks, Zari." Cole patted her shoulder, before looking behind her towards Kailani. The Master of Water had been lingering behind Zariyah, debating whether to join the group and introduce herself or walk away and give them some space. "Who's that?"
Zariyah followed his gaze over her shoulder and the realisation dawned on her: she'd left Kailani without saying anything. "Oh, right." She waved the girl over, and Kailani tentatively joined them. "This is Kailani, Master of Water. She helped me out when I fell off the dock. Kailani, Lloyd and Cole," she said, gesturing to the ninja when she said their names. "Lloyd and Cole, Kailani." She paused, counting the number of ninja. "Where are the other two?" Zariyah asked, looking around their side of the ferry.
Cole rubbed the back of his neck. "Kai's trying to charm the girl in orange and Jay challenged Karlof to an arm wrestle."
"You mean the guy with metal gloves?" Zariyah asked, astounded. "And you let him!?" She didn't bother saying anything about Kai's choices — she'd heard all about those before.
Before anything more could be said about Jay's poor decision making, Garmadon's words sliced through the air, adding a jagged edge to the introduction. His gaze had landed in Kailani, curious and cautious. "Water, meaning you are the lost daughter of Ray and Maya Smith." The words felt like they were directed at everyone and no one at the same time.
Kailani stiffened and looked down, choosing her next words carefully. "I . . . Yeah, that . . . That would be right."
Cole, Lloyd, and Zariyah shared a confused look. "Aren't those the former Master of Fire and Master of Water," Lloyd said, thinking.
"Isn't 'Smith' Kai's last name?" Cole asked.
Zariyah, following suit in the 'sudden realisations' category, gasped. "You're Kai's sister!?"
Kailani sighed. Apparently some of her secrets weren't always hers to tell. "Yes, I'm Kai's older sister."
Cole's eyes grew to twice their size. "Wait wait wait. So let me get this straight." He turned to Kailani. "So you're Kai's older sister?" When Kailani nodded, he turned to Garmadon. "Did you know about her?"
The old man let out a sigh he must have been holding back for many years. "I had known, as did Wu, that there had been a child before Kai and Nya. We knew that child had disappeared, but no one knew how or why. Wu and I had our suspicions, but there was no way to know the truth . . . until now."
Lloyd let that run through his brain a couple of times. "So you're saying that you knew there was another Smith kid, as did my uncle, and you never thought to tell Kai or Nya about it in case she showed up looking for them or something?"
"Son," Garmadon started, trying to calm the conversation. "We didn't want to distract or anger your friends, nor give them hope in the event that it proved untrue."
As Lloyd and his father continued to argue about the morals of the decision, Zariyah turned to Kailani with a puzzled expression. "So if you've been gone for however many years, what happened to you? That is, if you don't mind me asking." That question drew all the attention back to Kailani.
"Do you want the short version or the long version?" she asked, half hoping they'd want to hear the short version.
"However much you would like to share," Garmadon said kindly.
Lloyd cut into the conversation before Kailani even thought about where to start. "If you don't want to talk about it, totally fine too. You don't have to feel like you need to share; we won't press."
Kailani, glad someone cared a bit, gave the green ninja a grateful smile. "It's okay, really. I get it if you're curious." Taking a seat on the nearest crate, Kailani started to tell her story. "As you all now know, I went missing pretty soon after I was born. I didn't just vanish, I was kidnapped."
"Who would want to kidnap a baby?" The words burst from Cole, unexpected, but Zariyah shushed him and gestured for Kailani to continue. "Sorry, sorry," Cole mumbled.
Kailani smiled but continued. "I grew up underground, in a series of tunnels, raised by an organisation opposing the Elemental Masters and later, the ninja force. They knew about my element and hoped I would fight on their side against you. I started training when I was little: simple things at first, small exercises, fitness things, stuff like that. They taught me a variety of fighting techniques and trained me with different weapons, preparing me for any situation."
The four had gathered around her, sitting cross leg on the ferry deck in a story-time circle like preschoolers. They were entirely invested in her past, listening more than they did to Wu on a regular basis. It was a sight to see for the other masters, but no one made a comment loud enough for the group to hear.
"My powers surfaced when I must have been fifteen. At first, I tried to keep my element a secret — I had been alone when water made its debut — but with it being new, I couldn't control it. Every day after that I was forced to be around water to 'learn' and 'train', though I was never given instructions on what to do or told what to expect. It usually ended badly those first couple of years.
"After that, I started to form an escape plan. Little by little every night, I'd explore the tunnels and make a map with the least guarded places, easy exits, etcetera. I trained extra at night instead of sleeping, pouring my entire being into this plan because I knew I would only have one chance and I couldn't waste it.
"My opportunity came at night, just as I'd hoped. I had played my cards right and they believed I was really on their side. I won't bore you with the details of how I got out, but they never suspected a thing from me that night." Kailani took a breath, using that moment to look at her listeners. If they were sitting on seats, they would have been on the edge of them. "Once I was out, it was a whole new world to explore. I didn't know much — they kept my knowledge of Ninjago to a minimum — so I had no idea what to do with my life. I stumbled upon an old couple and they helped me out. They gave me food and shelter until I felt comfortable to be on my own.
"Life wasn't so bad after that. I learned about my parents, my siblings, and how the world worked. Oh, and then I came across the invite to the Tournament of Elements and decided it might be good to find some other Elemental Masters, even if it would come in the form of a competition." Kailani finished her story and focused on her hands, not quite knowing what else to say. Should she add an 'the end' or leave them in their silence?
Cole was the first one to speak after that lengthy backstory. "That's rough." Zariyah elbowed him gently, though an elbow, no matter how gentle, always hurts. "Ow, okay, I don't know what else to say because that was a lot and what are you supposed to say to someone who practically went through hell?"
Kailani shifted uncomfortably on the crate, wringing her hands in her lap. Lloyd noticed and sensed a subject change was overdue. "How did you get your invite?" he asked the first thing that came to mind.
"Oh," Kailani said, perking up at the new question. "It was late at night. I'd decided to take a walk when a group of guys came by and started causing trouble with a couple of other people. They had purple tattoos awfully similar to theirs," she pointed at two henchmen standing by the rope railing a little ways from them. "I got a little closer, but the second they noticed me, they ran. I followed at a distance to an alleyway and found the invite there. The three guys had disappeared without a trace." She shrugged, as if anything she had said in the last few minutes was a normal thing for any one person to experience. "Kind of odd, but it's Ninjago so it wasn't entirely surprising."
Lloyd gave a single, slow nod. "That's similar to how we got ours. Well, we were trying to have a meal when some things attempted to rob the place. We ended up in a back alley where the invite sat waiting and the robbers nowhere in sight."
Kailani nodded, not knowing what to say. She went back to wringing her hands, a nervous habit of hers, and decided she really needed to move about. "That was a lot about me and I'm not used to sharing things," she said, a little quiet. "I'll be over by the rope railing if you need me." With those parting words, Kailani stood from the crate and made her way over to the side of the ferry, cautiously leaning against the rope and testing how much it would support her.
Lloyd looked over at Cole and shrugged. "Do we go after her or give her some space or . . . ?" he trailed off, not really sure what to do. It was a lot for someone to talk about their past with people they've never met before.
A high-pitched scream sounded from the other side of the ferry, one very much familiar to the ninja. "Oh no, Jay, what have you done," Cole groaned, standing up and stretching. He looked between Lloyd, Garmadon, and Zariyah, all four sharing a concerned but knowing look. "I'll go make sure he didn't lose his arm," Cole told them.
The rest quickly followed in standing up. Garmadon followed after Cole, telling Lloyd it was to make sure Jay had learned his lesson the first time and wouldn't do something that could hurt himself.
Zariyah glanced between Kailani at the side of the vessel and Lloyd, staring between her and his friends and made her decision quicker than the rest. She leant closer to Lloyd and whispered, "I don't know you very well, but I can tell there's something here and I'm not going to ruin it. You're going to keep that girl company, especially after she just explained her life story and it's a pretty unfortunate thing to go through. Don't worry about your friends because they'll be fine with your dad. Just worry about making sure that girl you just met is doing alright. Got it?" Lloyd nodded, unsure of what to say in response. "Perfect!" Zariyah beamed and practically skipped after Cole and Garmadon, leaving Lloyd speechless. How could someone all but threaten him then walk away perfectly calm?
With a sigh, Lloyd listened to Zariyah and walked over to join Kailani at the railing. The pair stared out at the vast ocean, watching the ripples of the ferry fan out. "You doing alright?" he asked.
Kailani shrugged. "I've never told anyone that before, but it feels like a weight has been lifted." She let one arm fall over the ropes and pulled a stream of water up, shaping it into different objects before letting it fall back into the ocean. "I overheard you and your friend talking to Zariyah about the Master of Ice. If you want an extra helping hand, don't hesitate to ask me. I'm sure you could use all the help you can get."
She looked around the ferry and spotted Kai — her brother — attempting to flirt with a girl in orange. "Kai's either going to get you an ally or turn someone against you."
Lloyd followed her gaze and spotted Kai. "Oooof course that's where he went."
The Master of Water watched her brother for a moment longer. "He doesn't know anything," she mumbled, the words sounding a little heartbroken. Kailani looked at Lloyd, really looked at him, as if he held the answers she needed. "What's he like?"
He hadn't been expecting that question, but he supposed when someone learned about a long-lost sibling, it made sense to want to know about them. "He's a massive hot-head," Lloyd said first. "Cocky with a big ego. He's pretty stubborn but determined and confident. Very protective of his sister — your sister, as well — Nya, although she can take care of herself perfectly fine."
When Kailani nodded, Lloyd read between the lines of her question. "I don't know how he'll take the news of you, but it won't end badly. He might not take it great at first, but I'm sure he'll understand after you explain."
Kailani mulled over those words. "I guess the sooner I tell him, the better, right? Then it's not some big secret I've been keeping from him."
"Yeah, that's probably the best idea," Lloyd agreed.
A commotion behind them caught their interest and attention. Instead of Kai standing by the girl, Karlof had taken his place with a growl and his anger palpable. "Oopsy," he said, facing down the side of the ferry. Fireballs came shooting towards the Master of Metal right after, courtesy of Kai. Clearly, he decided it was his time to make some poor decisions.
Several pairs of footsteps thundered down the ferry towards Kailani and Lloyd. "Guys!" was Cole's greeting. "We just saw Kai flying down the ferry. What. Happened?" Lloyd simply pointed at their friend and Karlof, their argument having evolved from a fist fight to a proper match. The fighting pair were jumping from deck to roof and back down, taking their squabble over every inch of the ferry.
Clouse, the too-fancy man with a voice that sounded like his nose was stuffed up, had to break up the fight before it escalated too out-of-control and damaged more of the ferry. Already, some roof shingles were hanging for dear life from a hole Karlof punched and many wood planks on the deck had been splintered and broken. They were lucky Kai's fire hadn't caught on anything.
Up ahead, the mist had started to clear and an island came into view. A thick jungle covered every part of the island they could see from the ocean, but a small speck that was a palace sat at the front. Clouse made his way to the very front of the boat and gestured towards their destination. "Welcome," he said to the Elemental Masters that had gathered around, "to Master Chen's island."