NINJAGO: The Beastmaster

CHAPTER FIFTEEN - Out Of The Shadows

 "Are you kidding? If my dad comes back to the shop and sees this--he'll freak!" Scott said, his arms crossed as he looked at Zane with Taiki inside of the Ninjago Masonry.

"She could help with cleanup?" Kai suggested.

"Cleanup? She'll make messes bigger than--"

"Son!" called Scott's father as he stepped into the Masonry, carrying a suitcase with him that he haphazardly set to the ground and ran up to hug his son. "I heard about the evacuation and I got on the nearest train out of Metalonia--goodness! Are you okay?"

Scott just accepted his father's embarrassing level of affection and continued on.

"I'm okay, the shop's okay--but something big has come up and might be an on-going problem," Scott said, then gently moved out of his dad's way so he would see the giant, four-winged and horned creature resting in his shop.

"Huh, uh, Scott? Is this one of those creatures from that Prime Empire game of yours in my shop?" he asked.

"No, she's not from Prime Empire," Scott said, then looked over at the ninja. "And if they know anything about her, she's actually from the First Realm."

"The First Realm?" Scott's dad asked, then decided to walk up and give Taiki a pet, then looked at Zane. "What can she do?"

"Cleanup!" Zane said brightly, grabbing a pebble off the floor. "Here, Taiki."

Zane gave her the rock and she nibbled it up.

"Scott! You're a business genius!" Scott's dad exclaimed. "Why, if Taiki's getting all of the cleaning done, that leaves us with time to work on everything else leisurely!"

Scott was surprised, he always knew his dad to be a stickler about how his business was run and usually didn't want to test out some otherwise "unconventional" methods.

"Yeah, exactly," Scott replied, and Kai elbowed him gently for what he said earlier. "I guess this whole evacuation thing should've happened a lot sooner, huh?"

"Hah-ha!" Scott's father chortled, putting an arm around his son. "That's my boy!"

Cole was watching the conversation about Taiki unfold from the back of the group, and it was the perfect place for him to notice Ryo leave the shop without saying anything. It made him curious, so he headed after her to find out what she was doing.

"Ryo?" Cole asked after the Masonry doors closed behind him. Ryo wasn't too far down the sidewalk and heard him as for her, so she turned and stopped as he walked up. "Where are you going?"

Ryo then looked around Ninjago City's skyscrapers, then sighed.

"Well, since I was doing most of the cleanup in the Ninjago Masonry, I'm out of a job," Ryo explained. "But don't worry, that doesn't bother me--there's tons of jobs in Ninjago and I'm sure that I'll find another..."

"But don't you want to try becoming a Ninja again after what we've been through in Reatania?" Cole asked.

Ryo thought about it.

"I do," she started. "But... I think I need to do my own thing for a little while. I'm proud that I got through all of that without needing my powers--but I guess I'm still trying to accept the fact that they're probably gone forever."

"You doubt yourself too much," Cole said bluntly. "But if that's what you want to do, then I won't stop you. You deserve to go and do the things that make you happy--I mean, come on, you missed out on most of your life because of Medua for crying out loud."

Ryo laughed a little, but it still made her feel sad.

"Do you think the others will be okay?" Ryo asked, glancing at the shop windows where she could see them all standing.

"You mean Jay?" Cole asked, looking back at them with her. "Honestly, I don't know how he'll be. He might be dramatic and oftentimes predictable--but at the same time, he can be surprising."

Ryo looked at the back of Jay's head as he stood in the shop, laughing about something going on inside. Ryo then grabbed the little jar Jay had made her as a Christmas gift, and she covered her hand with it.

"Maybe you should send him postcards in the mail--" Cole said, then stopped as he turned back to look at Ryo, only to see her walking away. "Ryo?"

But this time, she didn't turn back. She kept going until she tucked away into the crowd.

"Huh..." Cole mumbled to himself.

"Hey, there you are Cole!" Lloyd said. "We're going to head to Buddy's Pizza. Nya wanted her favorite since she's on bed rest until her leg's better."

"Sounds great!" Cole said, trying to hide what happened with Ryo in his tone. "Let's go."

ᬏࠃᰛ〞

The dark terrain was cold and abrasive against Medua's hands as she climbed upward to the very place she believed she'd find him. As she reached the top and let out an exasperated breath of air, she saw him standing there, and became outlined when lightning struck overhead.

"Lord Garmadon," Medua said and bowed. "It is I, Empress Medua of Reatania."

"Hmm," Garmadon said, crossing all four of his arms behind his back and walking off. Medua looked up at him then got up to follow after his footsteps.

"I'm looking for your help," Medua said. "My people--they no longer respect me as their ruler, and I'm looking to make them pay."

Garmadon stopped, then looked over his shoulder at her pensively.

"I'm listening," he said.

"Trust me, you'll like what I have planned a lot," Medua said. "I know of a way we can get rid of everyone who wants to stop us. Once we find it and activate it--"

"What is it?" Garmadon hissed.

"It's this," Medua said, pulling a folded page from her pocket hand handing it to Garmadon. "Mage Albek's relic, the Idol of Aurics."

Garmadon looked closely at the picture detailing a statue of a Fu Lion colored a grayish orange with eyes of jade, and beneath its right paw was a gemstone colored ocean blue, framed in a ring of gold.

"Yes..." Garmadon said, chuckling as he looked at Medua. "This is exactly what I need."

"What we need, you mean?" Medua asked, nervously.

Garmadon clutched the paper tight in his hand and began to use his powers in his others as he slowly walked closer to Medua. "I was the Emperor of Ninjago long before you decided to be her Empress. And you will not stand in my way when I go to reclaim my throne!"

Medua tripped over a rock and fell to the ground. She looked up at Garmadon right as a blast of purple energy from him struck the ground beside her.

"Do we have an agreement?" Garmadon asked.

But Empress Medua could only look up at him in fear.

To Be Continued...