Thanks for all the votes and comments on the previous chapter. I was kinda nervous about changing Lloyd's powers and thereby stripping him off his title as the 'Green Ninja', but this change is going to be very important for the remainder of the story (yes, I have everything planned out!). And Zane's message to PIXAL will be explained, probably in the next chapter.

Also, I have seen only parts of the new season so please no spoilers in the comment 😄.

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Swamped

The sun was burning down onto the desert as Maya, with Misako on the backseat, and Ray turned into the junkyard on their motorbikes, where Edna Walker was just hanging up the laundry.

The previous Master of Water could see the fear on the other's face when Edna saw the three dark figures on the black and purple painted vehicles.

"Ed." She shrieked, dropping the pair of bright blue boxers that very obviously belonged to a teenage boy rather than to her husband. "They-they're here."

"Don't be afraid, Edna." Maya removed her helmet and gave the shivering woman a friendly smile. "It's us."

"Oh, so good to see you, Maya." Edna sighed in relief, recognising her son's girlfriend's parents as well as Lloyd's mother. "We've seen all this horror stories on the news about those nice friends of our kids getting arrested by those awful bikers and such, at first I really thought you were some of them..."

"Well, that was kind of the plan." Ray explained, climbing off his bike. "Not scaring you, of course, I am very sorry for that. But these outfits have helped us getting here safely."

"Ed, my dear, it's just Maya, Ray and Misako." Edna called to her husband who had just appeared from inside a small shed, carrying a blowtorch in one hand and a piece of pipe in the other. "No need to attack our guests."

"Oh, dear." Ed exclaimed, putting down his makeshift weapons. "What a lovely surprise." He greeted the newcomers, as his wife pulled them into a firm hug.

"I will put the kettle on for some tea." He suggested. "You must be thirsty after the ride through the desert."

"Ah, such a shame you didn't call in advance." Edna stated. "I could have made a lovely cake for you, now we only have some dry cookies in the house..."

"Edna makes the best crumb pie in all of Ninjago." Ed piped in. "Our boy and his friends all love it as well." He chuckled. "Cole almost devoured the whole thing by himself that one time he and Jay were here, just before the two of them set off together looking for Master Wu."

Jay. Cole. Maya swallowed upon hearing their names. These boys were not going to have Edna's cake ever again.

But just how was she supposed to tell the Walkers? She had met the friendly couple often enough to know that almost their whole world revolved around the freckled boy they had found on their doorstep all these years ago. For sure, this was going to break their hearts.

"Are you alright?" Edna gave the female blacksmith a concerned look. "You look a bit pale, maybe we should go inside for a bit."

"That's a good idea." Maya agreed. "Let's all sit down. And I think we could really use a cup of tea..." Especially the two of you. She added in her mind.

"Now, tell us." Edna requested as they were all sitting around the old table inside the trailer, a mug of tea in front of everyone and a plate of chocolate chip cookies in the centre. "What brings you here? Do you have any news from our kids? We haven't heard from them for a couple of days. Jay still needs to collect his laundry, and he hasn't even had the time to call. Oh, they must have been so busy saving all these poor people in Ninjago City, ever since it has fallen under the rule of that monster Garm..." He gaze fell onto Misako. "My apologies, my dear." She comfortingly placed her wrinkled hand onto the other woman's. "This must be very hard for you."

"No." Tears were pooling in the historian's eye. "I am the one who's sorry." She said.

-----

Maya sighed as she closed the door to the blacksmith shop her husband had buried himself in ever since their arrival at the swamp. Trying to get his mind off their children, he had been making one sword after the other, only taking short breaks to eat and sleep, but only when she would force him to. The only person keeping him constant company was Ed Walker. The elderly mechanic was sitting in a corner, quietly polishing the newly forged blades.

When she glanced around, the former Master of Water saw Edna and Lou sitting on the grass near the water, silently looking at pictures of their children in the album that she and Ray had brought from the Four Weapons.

It was strange and rather disturbing seeing everyone this quiet. Ever since she had received the news about Jay and his friends' death by the hands of the Oni Titan, the blue Ninja's usually talkative adoptive mother had not spoken a single word.

The same went for Lou, although involuntarily - when he had learned about the death of his only son, the shock had caused the famous singer to also loose his beautiful voice.

Turning her gaze away from this sad pair, Maya started walking in the other direction, up the small hill behind the blacksmith shop

Behind a rock, Misako was sitting on the ground by herself, looking at some scrolls she had brought in her small leather bag.

While Ray and Ed as well as Lou and Edna were at least keeping each other company - even though they were not talking to each other - Lloyd's mother had isolated herself from the rest of the group.

While nobody was blaming her for what had happened, the feeling of guilt over what her husband had done to their children – whereas her own son had escaped – was consuming the poor woman.

Unable to even look at the others, the only person she would interact with was Maya.

The female blacksmith was barely keeping up herself, experiencing all of her friends' emotions herself – torn between grieving for her son while at the same time she was utterly grateful that it had been her daughter who had gotten away (but now she was of course worried sick for Nya's safety right as well) – yet, she had found herself to be the one person who was still holding their group here together, at least somehow.

And no matter how hard it was, she had to stay positive, for the sake of everyone.

"Hey." Maya gave her friend a friendly smile.

Misako looked up from her work. "Hello Maya." A weak smile briefly appeared on her face, before she turned her attention back to the map of Ninjago City.

Maya sat down on the damp grass next to her. "What are you doing?" She noticed several building were crossed out and others marked with green dots.

"Looking for possible hideouts in the city." The other woman explained. "We need to be prepared for when the kids are coming back..."

When. Misako had said. Not if.

And Maya didn't dare to think what would happen if they didn't. To them and to Ninjago.

Stay positive. She reminded herself. There is no 'if not'. They will come back.

"That's a good idea." She said. Nya will come back.

But the longer the children were away, the smaller the chances were getting.

After visiting the Sea of Sands, the group had taken the Walkers' old jalopy to first see Cole's father before the six of them had made their way to the swamp. And it had been... Maya had stopped counting but it had been too many days already since they had arrived here.

So, what if they didn't...

"Mum!" The single word shouted in a loud – and very familiar – voice that probably could be heard all over the swamp suddenly snapped her out of her worries.

"Nya." – "Lloyd."

Maya and Misako exclaimed simultaneously as they jumped up and started racing down the hill towards the source of the voice down by the water.

They have come back. My baby girl has made it. Maya smiled, hearing Nya then call out for her "Dad."

While the two women were passing the blacksmith shop, the wooden door flew open and Ray burst out the building, followed by Ed.

Soon, the four of them reached the edge of the water, where the Destiny's Shadow had just landed. Lloyd was climbing off the boat while the others were busy tying it to the frame of the wooden bridge.

Nya, being just as impatient as her mother, had jumped off before and, her feet and legs soaking wet and muddy, was already hugging Edna and Lou, all three of them crying violently. When Maya approached the group, she immediately got pulled into the hug as well.

"Nya." Maya gently rubbed her daughter's back. "I am so glad you're back. I was so worried for you."

"Mum. Th-they're a-al..." The girl sobbed, unable to finish her sentence.

"What happened?" Misako asked worriedly, while hugging her son. "Did anything go wrong?

Lloyd pulled away and smiled at his mother.

"Nothing went wrong." He told the six adults. "Wu and the Ninja - Kai, Cole, Jay and Zane. They are alive. Now everything is gonna be alright."