Enter The Ninjaverse

CHAPTER 47

The Iron Doom stood firm in the large chamber, its lower body completely encased in Dark Matter. Stands of the black gel reached up and grabbed onto other areas, like a web that had become stuck to the machine. The Iron Doom looked the same as it always had, even down to the four blades that seemed to be still inserted into the device. The only thing that stood out was a massive crack that ran down most of the length of the large circular dial on the beast's front.

"How..." Lulloyd asked, "I... I don't get it. How is this thing here?"

"Because," Overlloyd's voice sounded from behind them, "It is mine."

Overlloyd appeared in the tunnel behind them. He was walking with his massive staff being used as a crutch as he did. Just looking at him, the others could tell he was in pain. Despite this, he forced himself to walk forward with an elegant stride, not letting on even in the slightest that his body wished to do anything else. The Emperor had finally made his way into the fight.

"What do you mean, that's yours?" Mage asked in shock, "How?"

"You asked to know how both Sun and I existed, yes?" Overlloyd's staff began to pulse with dark power, "There is your answer."

Overlloyd starred forward at the machine, the thing he'd been fighting to keep hidden. Hidden under his palace, where only he knew of its existence. A relic of a time that had never come to pass... and time that was still fighting to one day claim him as well. For a moment, all he could do was close his eyes, and remember.

The Time Vortex pulsed with its distorted glow from around the Iron Doom. Sitting at the controls of the Iron Doom was Lloyd Garmadon, wearing the helmet that he believed used to belong to Blunck. The machine swirled through the Time Vortex with him as its guide, a fierce look of determination on his face.

He remembered the look of his team. Kai and Nya had tried to go in his place, yet he'd refused them. His team had treated him like a child. They refused to take him as a Sensei seriously. The Twins had beat them at every turn. He'd taken their place and followed the Twins back in time. He'd defeated them both. He'd proven himself.

Part of him knew he should return the Iron Doom to its own time. He shouldn't mess with time. He shouldn't do something drastic. Yet now that he had the power in his hands, he had to try. There was one man that time had forsaken. One man that Ninjago had dealt the worst hand it could. That man was someone Lloyd held dear to his feart. And it was a man that he, with the Iron Doom, could save.

With a flash, the Iron Doom landed at the base of the Mountain of a Million steps. Lloyd shut the machine down and tossed the helmet into the cockpit. The Iron Doom had been able to connect his mind to the Hive Mind to read the date that this happened. The control panel had put in the date for him, and the lights blinked without him knowing what to do. He didn't know fully how it worked, but he had landed at the base of the mountain.

The sun was already up in the sky. Seeing that made Lloyd's eyes widen. He'd landed too close to the actual moment! If he'd already landed, he knew he only got one chance. He was already pushing time too much here. He shouldn't b e here. He knew he shouldn't. But just like with the Iron Doom itself, he couldn't stop now that he was here. His body moved forward, even if his mind would beg him not to.

When he rounded the top of the steps, his eyes widened. A boy was exiting the gates of the Monastery. He was a young boy with a bowl cut of brown hair. He was heading towards the bushes to look for a katana that had been thrown over the wall. Lloyd's panic rose as he saw the boy readying himself to reach down and take hold of it. If that boy touched that katana, it was all over.