NINJAGO: Shadows of the Past

The Island of Darkness: Part I

Lloyd Garmadon felt that it was only natural he should stub his toe on a sacred bell.

It was kind of a reflection on his life, wasn't it? Like, oh, here I am finally fulfilling my destiny, striking the instrument of peace to know the power of the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master! And something as stupid as a stubbed toe was ruining his epic moment. Why did things never turn out the way they were supposed to? Maybe it was karma for all those times he'd slammed the door on Kai's foot when he was a kid. But come on, those were accidents! Usually.

His complaints against the universe were cut short as a bright light filled the Temple. The clear sound of the bell swept across the entire island, running through the mountain and rattling Lloyd to his bones.

"Woah!" he yelped. "What's happening?"

"No one move!" Zane shouted.

Lloyd could feel his own heartbeat pounding in his ears, a mix of fear and excitement coursing through him as the light rippled through the room. For the fraction of a second, he felt the pressure of a million lives crushing him, counting on him to save them, to save the world. To be the legendary green ninja when in reality, he was just a kid.

But he wasn't alone anymore.

He trusted the four ninja he was with. They had been through thick and thin together, and all of them had risked their lives for him. Despite a rocky first meeting, they had become his best friends-- his brothers. Zane had even forgiven him for turning his suit pink, and heck, if that wasn't brotherhood, Lloyd didn't know what was. He had his mother back, and he had his uncle. He would save his father, no matter what.

Taking a deep breath, Lloyd closed his eyes and let the light pour onto him.

Suddenly he was weightless, lifting off the ground as the light refracted off his body. He could feel destiny all around, weaving its way through the air and connecting them to one another. Kai's fire, lighting up the night. Cole's earth, rippling from the ground. Zane's ice. Jay's lightning. The power of the elements surrounded him, comforted him, completed him. Even with his eyes closed, Lloyd could see everything in the Temple and feel its beautiful wrath.

All at once, the elements came crashing together within him, bursting forth in the form of a fiery golden dragon. A strange sense of euphoria settled over Lloyd, telling him that this was what he was meant to do. He was the successor of the First Spinjitzu Master. He was a ninja. He was...

He was falling.

Great.

The light faded, leaving only the stars and the quickly-approaching Stone Army. Lloyd landed on his face with an oof. Couldn't he have a cool entrance and exit, for once? Sadly, he didn't even have time to file a complaint. He picked himself up and nodded to his friends.

"Let 'em have it!"

Cole grinned. "Now we get to fight!"

The next few minutes were a blur. A feeling of intense exhilaration filled Lloyd's lungs as he watched his friends take on warrior after warrior, testing out their weapons and hollering with excitement. A whirlwind of fire, ice, earth, and lightning charged the air. Zane froze a cluster of warriors (they looked like a popsicle. Did they have popsicles back on the Bounty? Lloyd was kind of craving one), while a slightly-less-than-maniacal laugh came from Kai's direction. Jay's eyes shone with the glow of his lightning. Was Cole dancing?

Finally, the stone warriors backed up against the door. Lloyd's chest felt like it was about to burst with anticipation. He stepped forward and looked General Kozu dead in the eye.