"Your bodies are fighting instruments," Sensei Wu instructed, as Hikari glanced at the photo they'd taken a few weeks ago spontaneously on the wall and then returned her attention to the other ninja, as she and Lloyd stood back-to-back with their eyes shut.

She heard Cole raising his scythe, and her eyes flashed open as Lloyd ducked forward and kicked it away with his back leg, Hikari rolling sideways and then catching Jay as Lloyd flung him sideways with his nunchucks. Catching Jay, her foot kicked him forward, knocking him to the floor. Both of them flipped over the shurikens that Zane threw, Hikari over Lloyd, using her light, thin frame to her advantage.

The sound of a sword being drawn made both of them look, as Kai thrusted. Lloyd caught the sword with his hands, and Hikari kicked it up and out of his grip, just as Kai jerked it back, yanking Lloyd so that he fell on the floor and making Hikari stagger off balance before catching it. The kick made Kai trip a little as well, so it wasn't a total loss.

Kai chuckled slightly as Lloyd panted from where he was lying on the floor. "You're getting pretty good, kid," he said to Lloyd, "but that move you fell for was basic 101."

Lloyd nodded, brushing his hair out of the way. "Yeah, if I had focused more when I was little, I would've seen that coming," he admitted, and Hikari grinned as she put her arm around him. "Well you still kicked butt."

Lloyd grinned back at her, and Hikari's own grin faded as she let go, a faint pink blush decorating her cheeks. Ever since she'd been older, even doing a chummy move like THAT made butterflies explode into a flurry in the pit of her stomach and her face pump blood more rapidly through it. Her heart also seemed to start working overtime.

One bad thing about getting older, besides the odd feelings, was that Nariko had also developed in strength, and using even her powers over death too much would result in Nariko whispering and insisting that she take over, let Hikari stop. Hikari always shook it off, but it was getting harder and harder to do so.

"We cannot change the past," Sensei Wu interrupted her thoughts, "but we can improve for the future. Again- and this time, do not hold back."

x

"The falcon has returned with troubling news," Zane said, quickly sliding a chip into the reader, "what did you see, my mechanical feathered friend?"

The falcon's vision appeared on the screen, showing- "The Lost City of Ouroboros," Nya breathed in wonder. "Lord Garmadon's returned to the Serpentine home base!" Kai commented, "but why!?"

"Looks like they're preparing for a final battle!" Cole exclaimed, eyes widening, and Sensei Wu turned to Nya, who looked at him seriously with her amber eyes. "Nya, set the course. We'll head straight for them."

The Bounty did a u-turn in midair and headed back towards Ouroboros, everyone preparing their weapons and getting ready.

Once they reached Ouroboros, it had become nighttime. The ninja shimmied down a chain as quietly as they could and jumped into position.

"Ninja-GO!" Sensei Wu shouted, and spun into sight.

Lord Garmadon glared at his brother malevolently. "Brother!" he snarled.

"It's time," Sensei Wu said, sternly, "we finished this."

And all the ninja jumped behind, except for Lloyd and Hikari. "Bring it on, fools!" Lord Garmadon sneered, opening all four of his arms.

Lloyd rolled in and shot a blast of ice, freezing the Mega Weapon, Hikari following. Her hair was wrapped up under her mask, fists clenched as she glared at Lord Garmadon.

He let out an exclamation as he looked at the frozen Mega Weapon, but then seemed to freeze when he saw his taller son. "... Lloyd? Is... that you?" he asked.

Lloyd nodded as he straightened up, Hikari still slightly poised to fight, just in case. "Yeah- I've grown a little since the last time I saw you, Dad."

Lord Garmadon let out a sound that sounded like a mix of a pained wheeze and a panicked cry. "Stop him!" he sputtered to the Serpentine standing there, before turning and running away. Hikari stamped her foot and send columns of earth at them, capturing them in columns of solid stone that were cracked, dry... dead, almost.

She charged after Garmadon, slamming open the door he'd charged through to reveal a swirling portal. Cole groaned, "He used the Mega Weapon again!"

Jay drooped slightly, the most annoyed expression on his face. "Oh, swell! Every time he uses that thing, something really BAD happens!" he snapped, throwing his hands up (and his nunchucks, forcing Hikari to duck as they almost hit her in the face) in frustration, "Now what?!"

"What's happening!?" Kai exclaimed, as the building began to rumble. "What's going on?!"

"Is the city... sinking?" Jay asked, as sand began to pool at their feet. "Worse- the city is returning back into the desert," Zane said, looking around as more and more sand began to pour in, "as if it had never been found in the first place!"

"What?!" Kai yelled, shock in his amber eyes, "but what does that mean?!"

"What's happening?!" Nya cried out, as sand began to rise up to their waist.

Zane turned back to look at them. "Lord Garmadon must be turning back time so that Lloyd never turns into the Green Ninja, and Hikari into the Purple Ninja!"

Hikari and Lloyd looked down. "I can't..." Lloyd said, faintly, "I can't feel my hands..."

"N...neither can I," Hikari said, reaching out and taking Lloyd's. It might've been her imagination, but her hand- THEIR hands- were turning transparent.

"We have to go in!" Kai said, struggling through the sand towards the portal.

"If he changes anything- he changes EVERYTHING!" Sensei Wu shouted, "protect the future, ninja!"

All four of them struggled out, and leapt through the portal. Hikari's hand clenched on Lloyd's, her face pale with worry. Even if something goes wrong, Hikari thought desperately, at least I'll still have Lloyd. At least we'll still have each other.

Even though secretly, she worried that maybe the two of them wouldn't even have THAT if things went wrong.

x

The ninja splashed down in a large rice paddy, and Jay groaned as he stood up. "Remember to remind me to pack a helmet next time we time travel," he joked.

"Where are we?" Cole asked, and Zane corrected, "You mean, WHEN are we."

Kai looked around, and his eyes widened. "Four Weapons... huh! My parent's shop! Nya and I used to work there! ... hey, wait a minute, this is the day Garmadon ordered the skeletons to take my sister! We need to warn them-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Cole said, waving his hands at Kai, "you heard what Sensei said, we change anything, we change everything."

"Yeahh, I was confused by that too," Jay said, and Zane said calmly, "What he means is, our world is the result of past events that have already happened. If for whatever reason events fail to happen, then our future could radically change."

"Uh, so what YOU'RE saying is that we have to stop Garmadon from changing anything?!" Jay exclaimed, "but of all the times, why did we land here?!"

"'Cause this is where it all started," Kai responded, somewhat dazedly. "Today I met Sensei Wu for the first time and I began my training as a ninja! Somehow, Garmadon is gonna try to prevent that! ... but how?"

A short silence before Cole sighed. "Ugh, if only Sensei were here to guide us..."

Suddenly, a figure wearing white started up the path. "Hey, look!" Jay gasped, "there he IS! Maybe he CAN!"

"We have to tell him what the old Garmadon's done!" Cole agreed, but Zane said, quickly, "but we must prevent the past Kai and Nya see that we talked to him, or else it WILL affect the future."

Kai was thinking, and then he said, "I know exactly what to do!"

x

Hikari walked up the rustic path. She knew that Lloyd said to head to Jamanakai Village while he went and gathered some supplies ("it's too dangerous there," he told her, "and if you get hurt it's gonna be even slower getting to Jamanakai"), but perhaps she should've asked WHERE it was first.

Suddenly, she heard a slight yelp, and she looked up to see a flash of white disappearing around the corner. She stared at it, but there was no more movement- perhaps she'd just seen a rabbit?

She looked up at the shop's sign, and her eyes lit up- of course! She could ask for directions here!

She walked in now, hopefully, hoping that someone was inside right now.

x

"Hey- guys! That's Hikari!" Jay whispered.

Kai leaned around the corner to see the familiar, small girl entering the store. He frowned. He didn't remember Hikari ever walking inside the shop...

But then he remembered that when he'd first met Sensei, he'd seen a small girl walking BY the shop... so that's why he'd thought Hikari seemed familiar.

"Oh god... not only did we change the future by dragging Sensei into this, I think we caught Hikari's attention when we got him off to the side! Hikari met me a lot earlier than she was supposed to!" Kai groaned.

"I believe... yet another 'uh oh' is in order," Zane groaned, slapping his hand to his forehead in frustration.

x

Hikari walked into the shop to see a boy with spiky brown hair and a scar running through his left eye, and a girl with black hair and the same amber eyes as him. So, that meant... those two were siblings?

"Do you need something?" the boy asked, sounding disgruntled about something.

"Yeah," Hikari nodded, her silvery-gray eyes crinkling up happily, "Do you know the way to Jamanakai Village?"

The boy blinked, before nodding. "Um... yeah. Continue on the road that direction-" he pointed, "for as long as you can, into the forest, until you come to a fork in the road. Once you reach the fork, turn left, and keep going along there- Jamanakai Village should show up then."

Hikari beamed, thank god she had directions now!

"Thank you!" she said cheerfully, before looking around the shop. "Do you make weapons here?"

"Yeah," the boy said, still sounding a little grouchy. Hikari touched some of the armor, "well it's really good quality!"

"Thanks, but my dad made it," he responded, frowning. Hikari paused, "Oh. Well, it's still great. Let him know, okay?"

If possible, the boy's expression got even darker. Hikari's bright smile faded off her face then. "Oh... did I say something wrong?"

"Our dad left a while back," the girl said, abruptly but kindly, "he said he was going to come back in an hour. He never did." She said this, as if this made what she was saying less unpleasant. Which of course, it didn't...

Hikari's eyes grew bigger and sadder. "Oh... I'm sorry to hear that..."

"Nah, it's fine- thanks, kid," the boy said, his expression lightening, and clapped her on the back. She almost fell, but as it was she still stumbled forward a few steps.

Suddenly, Hikari heard a sound, and she turned to see dark clouds creeping out from the horizon. She squinted at them. "Huh...? Is it just me, or...?"

"No... no, it's not just you, kid," he said, gently, but with a confused look, as a huge vehicle suddenly blazed over the surface of the horizon. His expression became more determined, and he put on the armor and grabbed a sword. The girl shuddered. "What ARE those things?"

"I don't know. Stay back," the boy said, adjusting a helmet on his head, before continuing forward.

Hikari bit her lip and backed away a little bit, as the boy kept fighting. Then she heard a voice. "Should we help them or what?"

It sounded like the boy who was fighting, but he obviously wasn't talking- his teeth were gritted in determination as he blocked and parried with his sword. Hikari frowned a bit and started forward, looking around.

The boy was being surrounded in skeletons, but the girl grabbed a wooden staff and smacked two of them out of the way with a smirk. The boy glared at his sister. "I thought I told you to stay back!" he exclaimed, and the girl moved so that she was back-to-back with her brother. "And what? Let you have all the fun?"

The boy turned to face a huge skeleton, with four daggers. The skeleton snickered, and revealed all of them at once. Hikari's eyes widened, and she charged forward. "Leave him alone!"

She didn't know how to fight, but she shoved the skeleton as hard as she could, making him stumble a bit. He turned to see her, his bony face leering down at her.

"Oops," Hikari said weakly, as they got closer. She got up rapidly and scooted herself away from him, as he struck down with the dagger in his top left hand.

"Hey, bonehead!" the boy shouted at the skeleton, making it turn back to him, and fight with all four of the daggers, knocking the blade from the boy's hand and kicking him over, starting to whirl the blades like spinning helicopter... er... blades.

"NINJA-GO!" yelled a voice (who sounded suspiciously like the source of the yelp) and spun straight into the skeleton with a golden tornado, knocking him over and around the yard while Hikari breathed a sigh of relief. They also knocked the sign free.

"Sensei Wu!" the skeleton rasped, "your Spinjitzu looks rusty!"

"I thought it looked good to me," Hikari volunteered, raising her hand.

"Nothing like bone to sharpen its edge," the old man with long white hair said sternly, "Samukai!"

Samukai snickered, and then threw all four of his blades. Hikari let out a cry of fear as she flung herself to the ground, making her shoulder twinge with pain as the blades nearly missed her head, splitting one of her hairs.

"They all thudded into one of the legs of the water tower that stood there, making the structure buckle and then fall, plummeting straight towards the boy.

Hikari screamed, knowing she was too far away to do anything. She looked around frantically, as Sensei Wu's golden tornado tore towards the boy, and knocked him away from the falling watertower. She ran over, the boy stepping a little off to the side, just in front of the roof, to shake his fist at the skeletons.

A huge bony hand flew errantly, barely missing the girl, who let out a gasp of surprise.

Hikari ran over to the old man, and stopped. There, next to him, stood a boy with the same hair, but harder amber eyes and a more mature face. "Wha-?"

The boy looked down, grabbed her, and dragged her away a bit, as she protested. "H-hey, no!" she said, slightly panicked, "what are you do-?!"

"Shhh," the boy whispered, his amber eyes slicing into her quickly. "Just- don't mention you saw me, okay? Just, continue on to get wherever you need to go, okay?"

Hikari paused. "Um.. okay, sure, but why-?"

"Just, go over and say hi to them, okay? I need to talk to Sensei Wu," the boy said, jerking his head in their direction. Hikari blinked. "O... okay. Hey, what's your name?"

The boy hesitated, before the tiniest smile came over his face. "That's a secret. But those two, his name's Kai, and that's his sister, Nya, okay?"

"Okie!" Hikari said, nodding and smiling, even though internally she was incredibly confused.

x

Back in the real time, Sensei Wu looked at the dark clouds beginning to roll over Ninjago, as the picture that'd been hanging on the wall during training changed, Lloyd and Hikari fading out of it, even though their arms were around one another. They faded out of it together, so that there was an empty space between Jay and Zane, whose arms were around them.

It was as if they'd never existed.

Sensei Wu chanced a glance at Hikari and Lloyd, lying on the bed together, their hands tightly intertwined. Hikari's body was a bit more solid than Lloyd's, who was almost transparent. Hikari's body was more translucent than anything, but you could easily see the bed through her body.

Her brow contracted slightly as her teeth gritted slightly in her sleep. "L... Lloyd.."

x

Hikari followed the boy's advice, walking away after greeting the two siblings and hugging them, telling them thank you and good luck, before turning around and heading in the direction Kai had pointed earlier.

As she did so, she passed a boy wearing a blue ninja outfit with ginger hair and electric blue eyes as he stared at the guy who looked creepily like Kai, a boy with white-blonde hair and white eyes wearing a white ninja outfit, and a boy with black hair and dark brown eyes in a black ninja outfit.

She waved cheerfully at them. "Hello!"

They all jumped a little as she passed, before sheepishly waving back at her, with a rather forced smile on their faces. "H-hey," the blue one said.

Hikari ignored how jumpy they seemed, waving again with a bright smile before leaving, hopping down the steps slowly.

"Same old Hikari," Cole commented with a small smile under his breath as he watched the little girl leaving. Kai grimaced and crossed his arms. "Yeah... this isn't good, though."

"Why?" Sensei Wu questioned, "we saved you, and your sister!"

"Nooo," Kai groaned, "the skeletons were supposed to get away with Nya- the only reason you convinced me to become a ninja in the first place was to get her back!"

Sensei Wu's eyes widened a little. "Oh... I see."

"Sensei," Zane said, seriously, "no matter what, you need to convince Kai to come with you!"

Jay blinked. Seriously, they knew he was a little slow sometimes if the situation was way too complicated, but this was ridiculous! "Why?" he asked, simply.

"BECAUSE," Zane said, sounding a little worried, "if Kai doesn't become a ninja, the world as we know it won't exist! We'll never unite, we'll never train Lloyd to become the Green Ninja, and Nya will never fall in love with you!"

"WHAT?! NO MATTER WHAT," Jay said, panicking and shaking Sensei Wu, "YOU HAVE TO GET KAI TO GO WITH YOU!" He then gasped, realizing that past Kai was approaching, and they all ducked behind the watertower.

"Thank you for your help," Kai gushed, "if it wasn't for your- your Twistitzu or your Tornadzu-"

All of the ninja glared at Kai. Kai gave them a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his head.

x

Kai casually shoved a punching bag. That little girl who'd stopped by the blacksmith shop... she'd been so cheerful and happy, snapping him out of the black mood he'd been in since Father had left. Oh sure, he might pretend to be cheerful so that Nya didn't worry, but seriously... no. He was easily upset, moody, and his already fiery temper flared up far too easily now.

But she.. she'd mentioned his father, and seemed sincerely sorry when Nya explained for bringing it up. She reminded him of a flower that popped out of the earth in the middle of winter without any warning, without dying.

He turned back to the punching bag and punched it half-heartedly as the old man said, "You must harness the fire within you-"

He was cut off as the punching bag swung back and smacked Kai in the face. "Ow!" Kai sounded annoyed, "Yeah, yeah, yeah..."

Sensei Wu followed him, whacking him on the head with his stick. Seriously, he was starting to consider grabbing that stick and smashing it in half by now. He leaned against a column with other sticks on it lazily. "I know, I know, harness the fire inside, blah, blah, blah..." he groaned lazily.

Sensei Wu smacked him on the head again, and he grumbled and got on the column to stop getting hit. Sensei started hitting his feet with the staff, and he was forced to dodge over and over as the staff kept trying to smack him. "Hey, quit it!" he yelped, completely unaware that anyone was watching him- and discussing him.

x

Kai waited patiently, the ninja all probably wearing the skeleton masks and getting ready to grab Nya by now. He walked into the very small space between the walls, wearing a pair of spare pajamas he'd borrowed from himself and removed the mirror when he heard himself spitting into the sink. His face was the barest bit different, so with luck, Kai wouldn't notice any change.

He meant past Kai. Oh.. you readers know what I mean!

He imitated his expressions flawlessly, a lazy look, then a shocked one, and moving his hair out of the way. He winked to himself (this was honestly like seeing the 'Bizarro' version of himself, as Hikari had once put it) and then leaned in so close that he was a little scared they'd collide.

Past Kai reached up to touch the mirror, and then Future Kai said, "Hey dummy!"

Past Kai let out a yell and jumped back, making Kai force himself not to grin like a doofus. As it was he was still smirking. "Yeah, I'm talking to you!"

"Me?" Past Kai said, touching his chest in confusion.

"Would you get your head on straight and start listening to Sensei?" Kai asked, putting his hand on his hips and glaring at himself slightly. "The fate of the world kinda rests on it!"

"Huh?" Past Kai managed.

There was a vague scream from above. "Kai! Help!"

Kai cringed and resisted facepalming, this meant that Nya still wasn't out of here. Well... crap.

"NYA!" Past Kai yelled, and Future Kai snapped at himself, "I'm not done talking to you. You can't leave!"

Past Kai whirled back at the door, glaring at him. "Why not?!" he demanded, now back in front of the mirror, "You're just my reflection!"

Future Kai sighed internally, glared at Past Kai, and then punched himself into the opposite wall, making Past Kai cry out in pain as he was knocked out. "Sorry, but I can't have you spoiling our plans," he said to himself, before rushing outside back in his ninja gi, throwing on a skeleton mask, and catching his sister in the sack as she rolled off the roof. Slinging her onto his shoulder, he ran up onto the roof. "Guys, let's get out of here!"

His friends looked at him and then spinjitzued themselves away from their past selves. Kai resisted cringing, this would surely result in a bit of a time anomaly, but they'd already caused so many it didn't seem worth counting the problem.

As they ran, they heard Sensei Wu say, seriously, "They took Nya!"

Past Kai gasped. "What?! They took Nya?! NO!"

x

Lloyd and Hikari faded back into view, looking barely translucent on the beds now, and the picture faded back into view, Lloyd and Hikari beaming at the camera like usual. Sensei Wu heaved a silent sigh of relief at the sight of it. Lloyd's hand tightened as he took Hikari's hand. "Agh..." he groaned.

Hikari's teeth gritted a little in her sleep, and a shadow fell over her eyes. "Ngh... L... Lloyd..."

Their hands tightened on the other's hand, as if they were the only thing keeping themselves anchored to the timeline. Hikari turned slightly and nestled into Lloyd's grip, the two of them struggling to hang on.

Of course, the ninja scrambling around in the past was also a bit of help, but that wasn't the important thing right now- what was really important was that both of them got out of this still existing.

The next minute, Sensei Wu let out a cry of alarm. "Great scott!" The dark storm clouds were rolling back in, and Lloyd and Hikari started to fade out of existence again, both in the picture and on the beds.

x

Hikari groaned as she walked through the forest. The path was winding and boring, and at this rate she'd miss the crossroad- although, maybe she already had. She wasn't entirely sure she hadn't passed it by accident by now.

"Nya! Wait up!"

Hikari looked up and to her left. Kai was now wearing a red ninja outfit, and chasing after his sister. Curiously, she chased after them.

"Wait, that wasn't supposed to happen," Kai said, frowning. "Hikari's never... I don't think she showed up originally."

"Perhaps she's been delayed somehow, and that is why she is just now here," Zane reasoned, and the ninja all followed the trio as they ran into the forest.

Hikari let out a soft gasp as they reached a temple that sat a little in front of a volcano, and ran into the temple after Kai. She went and climbed onto a higher rock to catch a better glimpse of the whole scene, although she did miss a whole deal of it while focusing on the climbing. At one point, she nearly plummeted straight into the lava, and only an errant rock saved her.

She managed to climb back onto the rock and turn around.

Nya screamed as she started descending towards the lava, and Kai yelled, "NYA!"

"Tick tock," said a deep, slightly annoying voice. Kai looked around desperately, before charging, flipping, and grabbing the golden blade that was stabbed into the rock, spinning into a fiery tornado, and slicing Nya's bonds and catching her on the stone ledge.

An evil laugh, and Hikari scrambled to watch as they began to walk. "Stay close," Kai said to his sister. "Trust me, I'm not going anywhere," Nya said shakily.

"You can't hurt us!" Kai yelled up to the shadow, raising the Golden Sword, "You're only a shadow!"

"This time, I'm actually MUCH more," the shadow with the red glowing eyes sneered.

And then a man with skin blacker than squid ink, glowing red eyes, and a golden staff thing came out from behind a rock structure. Kai jerked back in shock. "Garmadon?! You're supposed to be trapped in the Underworld!"

"Oh, there's so much more you don't know!" Garmadon sneered, and then charged at Kai.

Kai charged as well, and the two weapons collided. Hikari gasped, but she didn't care call or cry out- otherwise Kai might get distracted, and then... well, Hikari didn't want to think about it!"

Kai had to dodge back as Garmadon forced him back, and furiously attacked, laughing evilly, before knocking the golden sword out of Kai's hands. Hikari followed the sword's path, crying out- the cry was cut short as the guy with the red ninja suit stood there, looking at the sword.

He took it and jumped in front of Kai and Nya, and prepared his sword.

"Two Kais?!" exclaimed the shadow on the wall.

"Yeah!" Kai said with a grin, getting over his shock, and running behind the man with the more elaborate outfit. "I guess I have four arms too!"

Garmadon charged, but the other Kai... the one with the brighter red outfit... ducked the attack, and the Kai Hikari knew leapt over him. He glanced at himself, they nodded, and Kai grabbed the other Kai's hand and helped him jump onto the wall, run, and smack the Mega Weapon away, it sailing into the air, towards Hikari!

Hikari gasped and automatically caught it, grabbing it. The force of the throw was enough to force her back, almost to the edge of the rock, and she stumbled forward, her heart in her throat.

The white ninja and the black one were talking, rapidly, about... something. As Hikari regained her balance, the blue one came and threw a gold scythe, two gold throwing stars, and kept the gold nunchucks as he went and joined them. Kai yanked out the gold sword, and looked around.

"Where did it land?" And then everyone's eyes landed on her. "Hikari! You have to give us the Mega-Weapon! It's a matter of life and death!" the black ninja shouted, his hand clutching the scythe.

Hikari was so shocked of the fact that everyone was looking at her that she barely even realized that they knew her name. "I... I..."

"No! Give it to me! I am doing it to help Lloyd!"

Hikari looked to Lord Garmadon automatically, his teeth widening in a grin as he reached out with one of his arms. "You know Lloyd?" she asked, softly.

"Yes, and I know you two are best friends. He's my son! Now, give it to me!"

"Hikari, don't listen to him! We're Lloyd's friends, too! We're your friends!... in the future, so you wouldn't know about that. But, we're trying to save the world!" yelled the blue one.

"Don't listen to them! I'm doing this so I can be reunited with Lloyd!"

Hikari clutched the golden staff thing in her hands tighter as she shook her head. "I...!"

"Hikari, please," the other Kai said, looking in her eyes desperately, "we're telling the truth! Please...!"

Hikari looked at him. She might not know him all that well... but when she looked at the ninja, she felt a deep sense of trust, as if she had met them all before, as if she knew them. But with the Garmadons, staring expectantly at her, reaching out their hands.

There was nothing that said that Garmadon was Lloyd's father. He didn't have anything that looked even remotely similar to Lloyd. Blonde hair? No. Green eyes? No. Lloyd's stubborn pride in his eyes? Not even that. No, it was a sort of pride, a sort of wicked, mangled, twisted version of it.

Hikari stepped away from him, shaking her head. "You may be Lloyd's dad, but you're nothing like him," she said to him, and then she turned and threw the weapon towards the ninja.

"FIRE!" Kai yelled, firing a beam of fire that hit the Mega-Weapon in midair. Hikari gasped softly, stepping back. "LIGHTNING!" the blue ninja bellowed, firing the same kind of beam, except it was a lightning bolt. "EARTH!" shouted the black ninja, firing a stream of dirt, and then a stream of ice crystals followed it, preceded by the cry of "ICE!"

They all hit the Mega-Weapon, which started glowing and vibrating violently, stopping in midair. Hikari squinted as the weapon suddenly sucked in the Golden Weapons, making them whirl around in a spitting display of fireworks, and then shot straight through the ceiling and exploded into the night sky as a glowing star, spitting fireworks for hundreds of miles.

Nya started fading, and Hikari did too. Hikari gasped and looked at her hands, but then a small smile came over her face. If she was going to die, she'd died doing the right thing.

She looked up at the ninja, who all looked at her in panic. "HIKARI!" they all yelled.

She smiled at them. "I... it's okay. It's okay!" she called, waving, as the entire world began to fade to nothing but a white oblivion. "Good luck!"

Her last thought was that she hoped that Lloyd would be unhappy that she hadn't helped his dad.

And then everything disappeared.

x

Lloyd and Hikari sprinted down the hallway. "Lloyd, you just HAD to start showing me a new episode of that TV show you like!" Hikari puffed, "we're so late!"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry!" Lloyd groaned back, as they burst through the door. "Sorry we're late, guys," Lloyd said.

"You ready to get training?" she asked, smiling, dusting herself off.

"You guys are still here!" And all four ninja dropped their weapons and enveloped the two of them in a hug, making the two of them blink.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Lloyd asked, casually.

Hikari was about to echo the sentiment when suddenly a flood of memories that she didn't remember having before entered her head, but they were ghostly... like they'd never existed...

Hikari's eyebrows shot up, and her mouth shut slightly as she looked at the ninja. Kai's face was near hers, eyes filled with relief.

She winked slightly at him, as they all stepped away from the two of them. Kai's scar stretched a bit in surprise as Jay sputtered, "So when we went back in time and destroyed Garmadon's Mega-Weapon, that- didn't change anything!?"

Kai went over and picked up a watermelon as Lloyd asked, looking thoroughly concerned, "My father has a Mega-Weapon?"

"Well, he did, I think," Hikari said, thoughtfully, as Kai threw the watermelon into the air. "Wait, you've never heard of it Lloyd? Well then why does Hikari-?!"

"I don't know," Hikari responded, "but I think the 'death' of the Mega-Weapon, and of those memories you formed when you went back... I think those stayed with me for some reason."

Kai sliced the watermelon into six slices, and everyone caught one.

Lloyd blinked. "I guess I would've remembered that, if that's the case. But what was it? Should I be concerned?"

All the ninja burst out laughing. Lloyd looked around in confusion, "Hey, what are you guys laughing at? What's so funny?"

He took the sword from Kai and tossed his slice into the air, slicing the pink flesh of the watermelon into a miniature dragon, complete with seed fangs, before handing it over to Hikari. "For you!"

Hikari's eyes lit up as the two of them traded watermelon slices. "Oh...! This is pretty, thank you!"

"I think some things are best left in the past. C'mon, let's just prepare for the future," Kai said, and then all the ninja burst out laughing, and even Hikari let out a soft giggle.

Lloyd looked thoroughly flummoxed. "What? I don't get it?" Which just made the ninja laugh harder. Hikari looked out the window as she looked at Lloyd, whose older face looked so cute when confused (she blushed a little at this thought) and noticed a single, shining star in the distance, which, for a single moment, flashed gold.

A/N: Holy crap this was long! And I managed to fit Hikari being in this episode reasonably. :) And yes, she can sense the 'death' or destruction of memories or other things, since that's her element. For that matter I guess Lloyd can sense when things first come to life.

Responses to commenters!

Fanfiction:

Shelly Marsh: Haha, yep

Michelle Rita: Woahhh! I'm glad you like this fanfiction so much! xD I'm getting so much positive feedback on this story!

Ninjago 76: Sorry? I don't understand French... (even though I took it this year, I only know a few words in that sentence)

MMM: Mayyybe :3

Quotev:

lloydninjago: Oh yeah xD Guess that's true

cookiecat567: Thumbs up!

Dream Lighting: Why do you feel bad for them again? Confused 0-0

x.X. A.L. X.x