Chapter Text
Not only did the Ninja get to stay at my heels for longer, but I had to write that stupid contract.
“Performance of duties includes: protecting all in need, no matter the circumstance.”
All of this bureaucracy just for them to let a building fall on my parents’ heads?
Giant scales surrounding the windows, Mom and Dad huddled as the elevator closed right before my nose, the rubble, the revving ambulances…
I blinked the memory away.
The doors clicked open as Hutchins led Lloyd in.
The Ninja bowed before the dais. “You wished to see me, Your Majesty?” He smiled extra politely at me. “Your Highness.”
The Emperor and Empress explained to him the Ninja’s significance, the way they deserved to receive a worthy payment for their duties at the palace, and a bunch of other fussy praise. Hutchins, on the other hand, remained quiet, only so often releasing a sigh. Eventually, after lots of “it’s not necessary” talk, the Green Ninja gave in to their boon and signed the contract.
After he’d left, the Empress asked me to hand it to our accountants as well as some other paperwork. But first, I hurried to fall into pace beside Lloyd. Although his interference was the reason why my late-night meeting hadn’t gotten a chance to occur, his heritage might come in handy.
So better be nice, I guess.
“Would you like a copy to show to your teammates?” I asked.
He slowed down. “That would be great.”
“So did you find—”
“Master Garmadon!” a Jade Guard called at the end of the hallway.
“What again?” Lloyd muttered. He ran off in that direction. Halfway there, he stopped and turned to me. “Excuse me, Princess. Hope we’ll chat another time.”
The guard then complained that the Ninja had taken their sharpener, so Lloyd apologized—apparently for the whole team—and disappeared outside.
I sighed. The folded papers still in hand, I returned to my assignment.
***
By the time night settled, all tasks had already been done, all lights turned off. Makeup washed away, hair down, I tucked myself into the warm fleece of my hoodie. For a second, the world became a green blur. Then, visible through the latticework of the shutters, the Red Ninja passed, guarding. That one wouldn’t let me wander. So no meetings tonight, too, unfortunately.
Yesterday’s lack of them had turned out quite nice, though. Even if the thugs—no, that wasn’t nice at all. Mere thievery? Seriously? They were capable of so much more, yet still chose to harass those who were already not that well doing?
It was just…unfair. Though the world had been so for a long, long time. Since the Ninja had appeared, they brought destruction upon Ninjago. How could they, in attempts to protect, ruin so much? Probably without realizing it themselves, in trying so hard to be this “heroic”, they often left the unfortunate to fate’s discretion—
A vibration had come from my pocket earlier during my errands, so I remembered to check the device. Mr E had designed it to resemble a car key fob—small, square-like. But instead of opening a vehicle, the buttons were responsible for transmitting voice messages.
“Beware,” Mr E’s voice said via a recording. “There have been a few…corrections to our plan. In short, make sure to take shelter at approximately—”
“BLAST ZAP!” someone cried.
The palace trembled.
And all went black.
Heart pounding in my ears, I forced myself to blink away the nausea. Fire slithered from the doors, which had been blocked by a fallen pillar. Coughing, I lifted my clothing to cover my nose. The blazes crawled closer. I made my way to the window to—
That greyness was crushed with a cooling blue. Zane, the Ice Ninja, used his element to eliminate the fire. He lifted the pillar with ease.
“Your Highness, follow me.” His cold glove in my hand, he guided me out of the destroyed room.
In the main hall, more blazes bit the walls. The other ninja, along with some guards, waved their weapons at—
“The Sons of Garmadon?” I gasped through the cloth.
“Zane, Nya, Kai, keep the fire under control!” Lloyd commanded. “Others! Fight them off!”
The nindroid ran off, and the Green Ninja took my hand instead, his other occupied by the sword.
“There are hidden pathways here, right?” Lloyd asked. “Do you know where the nearest one is?”
I swallowed. “In the throne room.”
He glanced around, then dragged me after him, his steps firm even on the debris.
I climbed onto the dais. “Here!”
I pushed the Empress’s seat, Lloyd helping. Beneath it, a staircase went down into the tunnels.
“Lead the way,” the Ninja said.
The already narrow tunnel grew smaller, pieces of the fallen ceiling covering the way. Lloyd lit up his hand with a green orb, illuminating the room.
Left…right…left—
The further corridor was fully blocked by the rubble.
“Step back.” He jumped in front of me and shot his element at it.
I covered my eyes from the dust as the building groaned.
“A little more,” Lloyd said, rushing beyond.
And the tunnel led to the edge of the palace, outside the fence. Though still filled with smoke and exhaust gases, I breathed in the cleaner air.
More bikes arrived nearby, blocking the road. Lloyd lit his element again and threw it at one of the thugs. The fellow wasn’t quick enough to dodge and got hit with the green flame-like sphere. He flinched in pain, falling off his bike.
The other Sons of Garmadon struck towards the Ninja on wheels, blades held in one hand.
Lloyd yanked me and jumped away from the approaching vehicles. He reached the fallen biker and took his seat.
“Hold on!” he said, helping me up behind him.
The motorcycle trembled, revving, loud and stinky. I wrapped my arms around Lloyd, his chest hard beneath the fabric. Plate perhaps?
And we took off into the city. Wind whistling in my ears, streets passing in a blur beside, the Sons of Garmadon were everywhere, chasing.
The air grew clearer with a salty scent to it as the palace disappeared behind. Lloyd, as if knowing exactly what to do, turned another intersection, circling back at the group of thugs.
“On your left,” he instructed, “be ready to grab it.”
I leaned in that direction. Mr E possessed the Mask of Deception; it had been put at the back of his bike.
Lloyd sped up. The Sons of Garmadon occupied the other two lanes. Even with the little honor they had, nobody dared to raise a sword at me. Instead, they drove closer, budging our bike—just what the Ninja wanted.
I leaned to the side even more, grasping at Lloyd with my right hand for balance.
Mr E was at the back, avoiding immediate contact.
Lloyd dashed through the surrounding fellows, driving against their flow, and came closer to the edge of it.
Mr E met my gaze. He knew—understood even with his artificiality—that I wouldn’t be able to do it. To betray him? Well, it wasn’t in my plans.
A losing chance, nevertheless, I tried, brushing the mask; it was secured with a rod anyway.
Lloyd muttered something, but didn’t turn back again.
Skyscrapers turned into lower buildings, then huts, the road getting covered with wood piles at the latter. Now, a mossy smell accompanied the gasoline. The Sons of Garmadon noticeably slowed down. The seaside lay ahead, then a port—full of vessels, boats, and ships—stretched along it, fishermen wandering about even at such an odd hour.
Lloyd pulled to a stop, the tires screeching.
“Come on,” he said, getting off.
I followed as he jumped on a ship.
Behind, the Sons of Garmadon lingered, still in reachable distance—probably to retrieve their precious motorcycle.
Play the part.
“They’re not going to just let us sail away,” I said, voice worried.
Lloyd untied the ship from the shore. “Who said anything about ‘sail’?”
He climbed up the ladder to the poop deck and clicked some buttons. A screen turned on above the controls. The map of Ninjago appeared there in a green glow with a blue dot buzzing at the edge of our island.
Outside, red-white sails spread, twitching at the gusts of wind.
Lloyd steered the wheel. And after one more lever was pushed, the ship took off into the sky.
Standing on the deck’s edge, I grasped the wooden railing as the water withdrew farther beneath.
“Your Highness,” he said, gesturing around, “welcome aboard the Destiny’s Bounty!”
It was flying. Higher and higher, the night sky got chillier, more…free than ever before. For a heartbeat, everything got covered in mist. It flew through a cloud.
Now, instead of the bluish sea, white bellowed beneath, occasionally uncovering the city, its tiny squares that were houses, and even smaller lanterns that now looked like yellowed stars.
And far away rose dark smoke. The palace. Flashing, blinding in that festoon of cheerful lights, blue and red ones joined.
I sank to the floor, hugging my knees. In all that haste of escape, the adrenaline of chase dissolved my terror, even tremor. Now, with the distractions withdrawn, it came again.
How could they? It wasn’t written in any plan, but there…
Lloyd walked over and kneeled across from me, softly saying, “Hey…”
I stared up at the wheel; it was throbbing from side to side.
“Shouldn’t you be driving this thing?”
“It has autopilot.” His eyes trembled at the sight of me. “Are you hurt?”
I shook my head. “If they only needed the mask, why…”
“I wish I knew. Whatever their plan is, it’s safer for you to be here.” He paused. “If that’s okay with you, Your Highness.”
Slowly, I nodded, and he returned to the controls.