This is a bit of a filler chapter to lead into the next part of this story.

Where There's Darkness

Later that afternoon, Lloyd found himself seated once again on one of the small sofas in the Smiths' sitting room, squished between Skylor and PIXAL. His mother had taken the armchair, while Maya, Ray and their daughter were huddled together on the other sofa. Each of them was holding a cup of calming Sereni-Tea in their hands.

They had just watched the news, which had mainly consisted of a very distraught Gayle reading out lists with names of 'enemies of the Emperor' – and most of them friends of the Ninja – that were now either wanted, had been arrested or killed.

"He was right." Nya said in a quiet voice. "We have to get back to Ninjago City."

Although he had been trying to convince his teammates of exactly this ever since they had left, Lloyd knew that the Water Ninja was not talking about him.

Just over a week ago – although it felt like an eternity – Jay had objected to the Ninja abandoning the capital, while the Green Ninja's own mind had been occupied with something – or someone – else. All that had mattered to him back then was to keep Rumi safe.

As if The Quiet One had ever needed anyone's protection.

"We need to do it for them." Nya emphasised.

Having talked to her father had not made her less upset – if anything she looked worse than before - but one thing had dramatically changed in her. Her chocolate brown eyes, that were now still glistening with tears, were now also glowing again with determination.

This image made the young man's thoughts turn to a pair of very determined emerald green eyes – the most beautiful eyes in the most beautiful face he had ever seen. But unfortunately, the eyes and face belonged to one of the most dangerous persons Ninjago had ever encountered.

It is said that that the eyes are the mirror of one's soul.

If this is true, how had Lloyd missed seeing the madness in Harumi's eyes? But the answer to that question was an easy one. He hadn't seen it, because he hadn't wanted to.

And that's what had brought them here into their current situation...

"I agree with Nya." Skylor was the first to respond. After finally having joined the team, she was now eager to kick some evil butts and make them pay for the loss of Kai.

"Yes. We should return to the city." PIXAL also agreed. "But we need to wait, until Lloyd has fully recovered from his injuries."

"Oh, I am fine." The Green Ninja claimed. But a not-so-gentle nudge in the ribs from either side immediately reminded him that the true reason behind the Nindroid's suggestion maybe was wasn't about him at all.

He took another look at the broken family on the other sofa. Sitting between her mother and father and absentmindedly playing with a strand of her black hair, the strong and fearless Master of Water suddenly looked like a small girl.

She reminded him of the young girl he had seen in the pictures that had been taken just after the defeat of the Skulkins and shortly before Lloyd had first met his honorary brothers and sister.

But at that time, she had still been older than Lloyd himself, so he had never realised before how young she had been back then. How young all of them had been. How young they still were. And how young his brothers would be...

Lloyd awkwardly stretched himself.

"Uhm, thinking about it, my back is still a bit sore." He stated. "I guess it won't harm to stay here for another day or two."

From the corner of his eyes, he could see Skylor and PIXAL give him a little smile.

"And when you get back to Ninjago City, what are you going to do?" Maya asked, obviously worried about losing her daughter as well.

Nya turned to her mother. "Cause some trouble, of course." She said.

"Your mother has a point." PIXAL chimed in. "As much as we want to fight the Emperor, we do not have a plan at the moment, and I do not have my suit."

"And Lloyd doesn't have his powers." Misako added, concerned about her son.

"What happened?" Maya wanted to know.

"I somehow lost them when my fa- Lord Garmadon defeated me." He uncomfortably admitted his weakness to the blacksmith couple. To say they were shocked by the revelation would be an understatement.

"Another one gone..." Maya sighed. "Now we really have to prepare for the worst."

"What do you mean?" Nya gave her mother a questioning look.

"Elemental Masters have always lived dangerously, and over time, some powers have been lost forever because their Masters died without producing an heir or finding a worthy successor." Ray answered for his wife. "But Ninjago has never lost four – even five now – at once. And especially..."

"... not the elements the First Spinjitzu Master used to create Ninjago." Misako finished for him. "The loss of them could cause its destruction."

"Had the Golden Weapons not been destroyed, it might have been possible to transfer their powers into a new host. But so..." Maya shook her head.

"At the tea shop, the guys used their powers to heal you." Nya addressed Lloyd. "And as the Golden Ninja, you've held them before. Maybe..."

"I cannot even access my own powers." He interrupted her harshly. "How should I access theirs?"

"That leaves Nya as the only one with powers in our team." PIXAL concluded.

"Well..." All eyes widened as they turned to the person who had just muttered a single word.

"Skylor?" Nya gasped. "You mean..."

"It turned out that the spell only drained my powers, but it didn't take them away completely." The redhead explained. "They've been coming back, albeit slowly. At the moment, I am able again to absorb elemental powers but I can only keep them for a very short period of time. And the closer I am to its real Master, the better I can use their element. Like this." She smiled as she produced a small water orb in her hand.

"Kai's helped me practicing. I had become quite good using Fire powers but..." Her face fell. "I couldn't hold them. Believe me, I've tried."

"I am proud of you." Nya gave her friend an encouraging smile. "And I am sure Kai was as well."

"Thank you." Skylor replied. "But we're still not strong enough. Is there really no way for Lloyd to find these powers again?"

"What about the Temple of Light?" Nya suggested. "This is where all five of you unlocked them in the first place."

"I-I..." Lloyd hesitated. He hated feeling weak without his own powers, but he just didn't want his brothers' elements. He had given them up a long time ago, and taking them back now would make everything so... final. If he could reclaim their elements, he had to give up any little bit of hope that Cole, Jay, Kai and Zane had somehow made it.

But the others were right. Ninjago needed these 'golden' elements to survive, so he couldn't be selfish. And facing the Emperor and the Sons of Garmadon in his powerless state would be a very stupid idea.

"We could try." He shrugged. "It's not like we'd have a better plan right now anyway."

His teammates nodded in agreement.

"But don't forget, we still need to tell Jay and Cole's parents." Nya reminded them.

"We can do that for you." Maya offered. She and Ray had become good friends with her daughter's boyfriend's family as well as with the previous Master of Earth's son-in-law. "We will probably all have to leave our homes and go into hiding sooner or later anyway."

"But where will you go?" Nya worriedly asked her parents. "The junkyard or Lou's home aren't safe either, and Garmadon knows about pretty much all of our hideouts..."

"What about the abandoned workshop in Birchwood Forest?" Ray suggested. He and his wife had never been there but they had heard about the remote location.

"No, my father met Zane's father after the Final Battle." Lloyd informed them. "Dr Julien might have told him about it."

"According to Zane and I's shared database, there is a place in Ninjago that Garmadon has never visited and may not even have know about it." PIXAL said. "But you might not want to return there..."

"The swamp, of course." Maya exclaimed. "It doesn't hold the best memories for us. But this also means that, even if they have heard about it, the Sons of Garmadon will never expect us to go back to that place."

"You are right, my dear." He husband reached for her hand. "And we know the surroundings."

"So, it's settled then?" Nya concluded. "We will travel to the Temple of Light. You will go see Ed and Edna and Lou. And when we're back, we'll all see each other at the swamp."

Although she tried to sound optimistic, everyone knew that it wasn't a matter of 'when they would be back'. They had no idea if any of them would make it at all. But they were gonna try.

It was ironic how in times like these, the Island of Darkness would once again be their little light of hope.