Rise of the Overlord

Chapter Thirty-Seven

 Midday. A winter wind blew over the Temple of Darkness, overtaking the summer breeze that had surrounded the Ninja and their sensei's, completely erasing any warmth or joy they had previously. The once clear blue sky, stretching for miles in every direction, was consumed by boiling black and violet thunderclouds, bursting with lightning and thunder every couple of seconds, yet no rain fell.

The five Ninja stood on the cliffside, elemental weapons ready to be formed at a moment's call. Kai, fire and fury burned in his heart, ready to die for his country and his family. Jay, sparking with lightning between his clenched fingertips as he bounced on the tip of his feet. Cole, grounded with the strength and determination of his team as he remained still as stone. Zane, stoic and cold in the face of impending doom, yet his heart was warm with love for his family. Lloyd, staring down the barrel of Fate's gun in a game of Russian roulette. His powers still felt sluggish in his veins, unsure if he would be able to fight in the ultimate battle, but he knew that he would not be alone. He had his team and his parents, he had his grandfather's guardians, and he had hope. He had faith. He had love.

The power of the elements in such close proximity to one another filled the air with a strange pulsating energy, one that Lloyd faintly recognized from long ago. Last time he felt that energy was at the Jay's parent's junkyard when the Ninja formed the Tornado of Creation to form the Ultra Sonic Raider. The power of creation clashed against the clouds of destruction surrounding them, engulfing the Sun in shadow. Within the clouds, they could feel the presence of the Overlord; the looming giant bursting with an aura of death and eradication of all that was good in the world.

Lightning flashed, briefly revealing the tremendous silhouette of the Overlord; towering over fifty feet tall with dragon-like wings spreading seemingly across the horizon, his violet eyes cut through the clouds like a bullet through the fog. The Ninja could hear his echoing laughter ricochet around them, bouncing off of the mountainside and into their souls. The Ninja knew this was it. This was their last stand.

This was for their families. For their friends. For their country. For themselves. They knew that they would never be the same after that day. Underneath Kai, Jay, Cole, and Zane, their Elemental Ancestors appeared in their dragon forms. Rocky, Wisp, Shard, and Flame beamed with pride and elemental energy. Though three of the ancestors did not have much time with their descendants, they couldn't have been more proud of the men they had grown into.

Behind the group, Garmadon and Misako knew it was time to reveal a surprise they had been working on. Garmadon closed his eyes, feeling his own elemental power surge through his veins. Though he despised his element of destruction, he knew that it was his lifeblood and would be a part of him for the rest of his days. Garmadon felt his body float off of the ground, rising higher and higher as his element formed and materialized underneath him. With a flick of his wrists, his element shifted and expanded, morphing into wings stretching over twenty feet long. He stomped his right foot forward, twisting and rolling his body and arms as his element coiled forward, morphing into that of an electric purple dragon.

The five Ninja stared at their Sensei with mouths agape, Lloyd was frozen with awe. As Garmadon helped Misako onto the dragon, she quickly explained, "Each of you has this power inside. If we had more time, you five would've been able to access this power as well. But for now, focus on the task at hand." She shifted the sword on her back as the pair stood with the Ninja near the cliffside.

A loud roar shook the Temple once again, shaking the five from their stupor. Kai helped Lloyd onto Flame's back, sitting at the base of her neck. Lloyd wrapped his arms around Kai's chest as tight as he could without hurting the Fire Ninja. The dragons shifted and moved restlessly, nerves thundering in their stomachs.