The Master of Nature

A Tragic Loss

Prepare to cry. This is a very sad chapter.

Hope woke up to see the ninja looking at her. "Hope, are you okay?" asked Kai. "You were really pale and were burning up."

"I... Think that I fainted," muttered Hope. "How long have I been unconscious?"

"Almost two hours," said Lloyd. "We would bring you to the hospital, but it would be too dangerous."

"Where am I?" asked Hope before coughing.

"The Temple of Fortitude," said Zane. "It's the only place the Overlord can't touch."

"Cyrus Borg has a diet pill that could possibly shrink the Overlord," said Cole. "I'm not sure if it will work, but it's our one chance."

Kai wrapped a blanket around Hope. "You won't be fighting. You need to rest."

"But..."

Cyrus Borg came into the room. "I don't mean to interrupt, but I have something that should give you protection against the Overlord's Golden Power."

"Wait, where's Nya?" asked Hope.

"She's in Ninjago City," said Jay. "Fighting some nindroids."

The ninja were handed some armour that had belonged to stone warriors. Zane tried to offer his to Pixal, but she told him that he was vital to the mission and promised to see him again.

Hope could only watch helplessly as she watched her friends go with Wu and Garmadon while she stayed behind with Cyrus and Pixal. But she knew that she wouldn't be able to fight in her condition.

Pixal gave Hope some medicine. Hope drunk it and gagged.

"Ew! It's disgusting!"

"It's medicine. It's supposed to be taste like that," said Cyrus.

Pixal and Hope saw the citizens run away in panic. She suddenly noticed Alyssa being cornered by some nindroids.

"No!" she yelled.

But then, another nindroid came and rescued Alyssa. It was Echo! He brought Alyssa to Olivia and Jeffrey.

Hope sighed in relief. At least Alyssa was safe. Her parents won't let the nindroids hurt her. But what if the nindroids killed them like they did to Alyssa's parents?

Suddenly, Scales popped his head out of a manhole. "People of Ninjago, follow me!"

Hope sighed in relief as she watched Echo help her parents down the manhole and Alyssa following after. At least her family was safe. She made a mental note to thank Scales afterwards.

Garmadon helped Wu jump up and Wu hit the pill towards the Overlord's mouth. But unfortunately Pythor ate the pill instead and shrunk to the size of a rat.

Then the Overlord grabbed everyone except Zane. Hope started to scream. "No!"

Hope looked at Zane, who said, "Support me, friends, for one last time."

Zane jumped on some of the others' legs and grabbed the Overlord's golden armour. "Let… my…friends… go!"

The ninja and the two Senseis were eventually released. They looked at Zane in horror.

"He's not letting go!" said Lloyd in a panic.

"His heart! It's reaching critical mass!" screamed Jay.

"If his heart overloads, he'll blow! He'll never survive!" said Cole.

"Let go of him, Zane! What is he doing?!" asked Kai.

"He's protecting us," said Wu.

Zane then shot a blast of ice at the Overlord.

Hope watched the others look hopelessly before retreating to the manhole. Pixal was terrified.

"No," said Pixal. She knew that she was going to lose her true love.

Pixal took Hope and Cyrus and brought them inside the building. The glass was covered with ice. Hope couldn't help but be reminded of Frozen.

After some noises, everything went quiet. Hope sat on a couch in terror. She wasn't sure if it was safe yet?

Pixal handed Hope her gi and a coat. "Put these on," she said in a shaky voice.

After Hope got dressed, Pixal helped her go outside. It was snowing although winter wasn't for five months.

The ninja were now out of the manhole. There was no trace of Zane at all.

Nya burst into tears and hugged Kai. Pixal was crying as well. Hope stared at the ground. She couldn't believe it. Zane was... Gone.

~🌷~🌷~🌷~🌷~🌷~🌷~🌷~🌷~🌷~🌷~

A few days later, Hope couldn't let herself cry. She was at Zane's funeral, and enough people were crying there. Her parents sat at either side of her and Alyssa squeezed her hand.

Cyrus made a speech. "I used to think technology would be the answer to all of our problems… but then I saw technology invent new problems. Devastating problems. And then a nindroid named Zane saved us all. He was the perfect balance between us and technology. He taught us that life should be a balance. Technology can improve our lives, but so can people. And if we focus on one at the expense of the other, that's when the balance is off. Our city will find its way again, but this time with Zane as our compass. With that, I give to you the Titanium Ninja."

A titanium statue of Zane was unveiled. People started taking pictures.

"So, what happens after this?" asked Nya sadly. She was wearing her Samurai X gear. Even though it was usually the custom to wear black at a funeral, everyone was wearing their normal clothes. Zane wouldn't want anyone to change their attire for his funeral.

"I don't know," said Cole.

"And I don't care. Today's about Zane," said Jay.

"And now Kai would like to speak for those who knew him best," announced Cyrus.

Kai stood at the front. "Everyone wondered what powered Zane. I don't know if we'll ever know, but I'd like to think it was brotherhood. Because he powered me. And he'll still power me as his memory lives on. Ninja never quit, and ninja will never be forgotten. Wherever you are, Zane, you'll always be one of us."

The others came to stand with him. They wondered what would happen in the future.