Moon was more than worried and wondered how Wu could possibly think this was a good idea.
Lloyd struggled to hold himself up with only one arm- especially while carrying the weight of all the ninjas and Sensei Wu.
"Concentration. To be able to bear the weight of Ninjago's destiny on your shoulders, you must first learn to bear the weight of all of us. Concentration." - Wu said calmly, sipping his delicious tea.
"Wu... I don't think this is a good idea," - Moon said, looking worriedly at Lloyd.
"I agree with Moon, Sensei! This was a terrible idea!" - Jay looked down nervously.
"Yeah, Sensei, he's just a kid," - Cole said, glancing down while holding Wu on his shoulders.
"For him to succeed, we must all trust one another," - Wu explained.
Suddenly, they were thrown forward by a wrecking ball. Moon barely managed to land on her feet.
"What was that?!" - Cole was completely confused.
Looking at the destruction, they saw two workers and the said wrecking ball. Dareth came running in, desperate.
"No! No! No! That was supposed to happen tomorrow, you maniacs!" - he shouted in despair.
"Tomorrow? Let me see that order," - said the head of the operation - "Oh yeah, my bad. Sorry about that, we'll come back in the morning," - and then they left.
"Where's justice when you need it?" - Moon huffed and crossed her arms.
"Oh, Dareth, what's this all about?" - Cole asked, demanding answers right away.
"Well... I got behind on rent, and some company called Darnagom Enterprises is buying up the whole block to build some stupid golf course. If I don't come up with fifty thousand by tomorrow, my dojo's gone," - he said, clearly frustrated and in pain.
"But we already lost the Bounty, we can't lose the dojo too!" - Jay exclaimed, frowning.
"My trophies... all my fake trophies...!" - he whimpered, hugging a broken fake trophy.
"Wait a sec... Darnagom? When you rearrange the letters it spells..." - Zane waited for someone to finish.
"Uh... Donagram?" - Jay guessed.
"Garmadon," - Moon said correctly.
"Oh." - Jay laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. - "Yeah, that makes more sense." -.
"What?! My dad's behind this?" - Lloyd said, frustrated.
"And where are we gonna train Lloyd now?" - Cole asked.
"Got fifty grand in that little blue teapot of yours?" - Dareth asked, pointing at Wu's teapot.
"Don't worry, Dareth," - Sensei Wu said, trying to calm him down - "You are not alone. We are with you!" -.
"Did someone say fifty grand?" - Nya's voice chimed in.
"Wait, did you win the lottery?" - Jay asked quickly.
"No, but I heard about a Ninjaball Tournament," - she explained.
"Ninjaball Tournament?" - everyone, even Moon, asked in confusion.
"It's the biggest road race in Ninjago," - she said - "The prize is one hundred grand. And it's tomorrow!" -.
"Thanks, little raspy-voiced one, but you're talking about the most dangerous race in the world. Only professional racers have even a tiny chance," - Dareth said, already sounding defeated.
"Didn't you upgrade the Ultra Sonic Radar? We might actually have a chance!" - Kai exclaimed once Nya confirmed.
"I can enter with my dragon! You said I needed training!" - Lloyd said eagerly.
"I think Sprint will love to run, he's really competitive," - Moon said once Lloyd mentioned the dragon.
"Then it's settled. We're all entering the Ninjaball Tournament to save the dojo!" - Meanwhile, Dareth was still crying.
"Is Dareth still crying?" - Nya asked, walking up.
"Yeah. But these are tears of joy," - he said, wiping one away.
Today is the big day.
"Welcome everyone to the 14th Annual Ninjaball Tournament!" - announced the commentator.
"No matter how you got here, as long as you make it there," - said the co-commentator.
"Let's take a look at the racers!" -.
"I'm seeing the starting line now, and we've got some familiar faces!" -.
Lloyd landed next to the mailman. Sprint landed right after and let out a roar, which thrilled the crowd.
"Watch it, you idiot!" - the mailman shouted angrily.
"You look nervous, Lloyd. You okay?" - Cole asked, watching the boy.
"Nervous? Hahaha! Speak for yourselves," - Lloyd tried to play it cool.
"Moon, are you sure you want to race with Sprint? Don't you wanna come over here on the Ultra Sonic Radar?" - Cole asked the Purple Ninja.
"With Sprint, we'll have another chance to win," - she said, giving the dragon's neck a pat.
"Oh, one more thing," - Nya landed beside them - "I installed a pretty cool upgrade. So if you're ever in trouble, pull the lever, because-" - Unfortunately, the roar of the Brat Bus engine drowned her out.
"What?!" - Kai asked, covering his ear.
All the ninjas tried to hear her. Sprint looked at the bus and snorted.
"Alright! The race is about to start, and the judges are saying it's time for teams to take their positions!" - announced the commentator - "We're about to begin!" -.
"That's my cue! I gotta go! Good luck!" - she shouted, running off.
"Wait, Nya! We didn't hear anything!" - Kai called after his sister, but she was gone.
"Hey, it's my dad," - Cole smiled, spotting his father's crew - "They came too!" -.
"Oh no..." - Jay groaned as he saw -is own parents.
"Jay! Jay!" - Edna called out - "Look, he saw us, Ed!" -.
"I see him, Edna, no need to embarrass the boy," - Ed said with a smile.
"Wait! We're gonna have to compete against everyone?" - Jay complained.
Suddenly, a portal opened, revealing the skeletons- they were joining the race too.
"Big mouth, huh," - Moon muttered, not at all worried about them.
"Hold on! Looks like the skeletons have crashed the party! Isn't that against the rules?" - asked the second commentator.
"Rules? Ha! There's only one rule in the Ninjaball Tournament: cross that finish line first! Let's take a look at the track," - and the attention turned to the big screen - "The first thrilling stretch starts in Ninjago City and heads toward the treacherous Sea of Sand. Racers, beware of the Canyon of Beats, where even the smallest mistake could be your last. The next two stretches take us through the Burchwood Forest," - Moon flinched, remembering a certain event - "and then the dangerous Arid Glacier. Finally, in the fourth and final stretch, racers must conquer the heat of the Badlands Desert, leading back to the finish line in the heart of Ninjago City!" - he finished, and the crowd cheered.
"I don't know, guys. If we're gonna save the dojo, we'll have to win one tough competition," - Kai said.
"One last word! Let's make this a fair and fun race! Good luck to everyone!" -.
The light turned red, making everyone tense up for the start.
Sprint crouched lower, ready to launch into the skies when the race began.
The light turned yellow.
"On your marks. Get set... Ninjaball, go!" -.
Everyone shot forward. Sprint leapt and beat his wings, soaring upward. Moon noticed Lloyd was a little behind.
"Okay, he's doing fine," - she thought, then focused on the race.
Moments later
"Ah! Wrong way!" - Lloyd lost control and the Ultra Dragon went off the wrong path.
"Oh no," - Moon pulled on Sprint's reins, steering toward where Lloyd had gone.
Sprint growled, wanting to stay in the race, his competitive side kicking in.
"Sprint! We have to go help Lloyd and the Ultra Dragon!" - The Mega Dragon snorted before turning his huge body around.
o0o0o
"Everything according to your sssage plan, Massster Garmadon," A-shley said, appearing in her new form.
Her legs had been replaced by a serpent's tail, just like a general's. The Serpentine seemed to respect her more because of this new form.
In truth, the plan had been Ashley's idea, but since Garmadon was pleased and decided to make her his advisor... she needed a form more dignified, something that commanded respect and set her apart from the rest of her kind.
The Mega Weapon had done its part, but Ashley still needed more and the power of the Mega Weapon would've been perfect if not for the fact that only Garmadon could use it.
"Excellent. Now Lloyd will never become a true ninja without his dojo," - Garmadon smiled, thinking victory was certain.
However, Garmadon soon saw on TV the Ninjaball Tournament- and that the ninjas were participating, along with the prize money.
"They're trying to save the dojo? They never give up, do they?! Set course for the race! They won't beat us!" - Garmadon then pointed the weapon at Ashley's neck - "Your plan failed. Don't you dare fail me again!" -.
She only nodded silently as he pulled the weapon away.
(Fine, now the plan is mine.) - Ashley rolled her eyes when Garmadon wasn't looking.
o0o0o
"Lloyd! Keep those reins steady!" - Moon shouted, standing up on Sprint's saddle.
Sprint easily caught up with the Ultra Dragon.
"I'm trying!" - Lloyd yelled.
Sprint leveled his wings as Moon ran across them and leapt onto the Ultra Dragon's back, grabbing the reins and forcing it to stop.
"Now that he's stopped," - Moon handed them back to Lloyd and explained a few tricks - "Let's get back to the race." -.
She stepped back, falling off the Ultra Dragon and landing smoothly on the Mega Dragon's back.
"Last one there's a rotten egg!" - Moon called out as Sprint surged forward at full speed.
"Hey! Since when do you know those kinds of things?" - Lloyd asked, surprised but excited, grinning as the Ultra Dragon shot ahead.
o0o0o
It wouldn't take long before both dragons caught up with the others.
Meanwhile...
"Whoa! Looks like the pirates are out of the race!" - announced the commentator.
"Good thing I didn't get into that mess," - Sato said - "Sorry, ladies, looks like there's no club tonight." - The two beautiful women around him pouted and walked away - "I'll never forget you... Purple one," - he added flirtatiously.
Suddenly, in the middle of the Canyon of Beats, the sound of a motorcycle engine echoed.
A dark purple- almost black- bike appeared. The rider wore a helmet of the same color and a punk-rock style outfit. The biker accelerated and joined the race.
"Looks like someone new has entered the race! A mysterious rider!" -.
Garmadon appeared soon after, trying to fire a cannonball at the ninjas. But Lloyd rammed the Ultra Dragon into the ship, throwing off his aim, and the ninjas cheered, praising the boy.
Sprint flew overhead. Lloyd ended up falling off his dragon, worrying Moon- but at least he still held onto the reins.
"You saved us!" - Cole shouted.
"Ah, yeah? I mean- yeah! Hey, what do you say we team up, me and Moon?" - Lloyd asked.
"Time to show them what ninjas are made of!" - Jay exclaimed.
"Let's go!" - Moon yelled from atop Sprint.
"Ninja, Go!" - all the ninjas shouted.
Garmadon watched his former student- happier, freer... more alive. A strange feeling crossed his heart, though only for a brief moment.
During the race, the mysterious rider began picking up small orbs. They used a crossbow to shoot them at the ninjas when the orbs hit the ground, they exploded into ink. The Ultra Dragon dodged, but the Mega Dragon and Moon weren't so lucky, being behind and unable to see. The ink splattered across their faces, blinding them. Yet both remained remarkably calm.
"Blindness can't stop a Master and a Dragon of Aura!" - both Moon and Sprint said, perceiving through aura vision.
They entered the Burchwood Forest, where Moon felt a chill run down her spine- but, luckily, none of those creatures from the previous season were around.
Lloyd found a shortcut that helped the ninjas continue the race, aiding all three teams.
The skeletons managed to hit one of the Ultra Dragon's legs, dragging it down.
"Sprint!" - The Mega Dragon bit the chains, trying to break them, but ended up being dragged down too by the Ultra Dragon's massive weight.
Both dragons crashed into soft, fluffy snow- though at least the skeletons didn't fare much better.
"You okay there, buddy?" - Lloyd asked the Ultra Dragon.
The dragon growled in response.
"And you, Sprint?!" - Moon took off her mask, wiping her face with her sleeve to remove the ink.
Sprint snorted - he seemed fine.
"Looks like that crash dislocated your right shoulder a bit. Nothing serious though- you'll be fine after a few days' rest... Looks like we're out of the race," - Moon said, stroking under his chin.
She began cleaning the ink from his eyes at least.
Moon looked toward the horizon.
"Now we can only hope the ninjas win," - she sighed.
o0o0o
The race was now neck and neck between the Ninjas, Garmadon, and the Mysterious Rider.
"Looks like it's down to us, Garmadon, and that mysterious biker," - said Cole.
"Yeah, but this time, we'll make sure the good guys don't end up last," - Kai said, hitting the accelerator.
"You think you can beat me, ninjas?! This race is mine!" - Garmadon yelled as he saw them speeding up - "Mega Weapon, I wish to open the ground of Ninjago and create an insurmountable obstacle they can never cross!"
Suddenly, a massive crater opened up ahead of the ninjas and the biker, forcing them to slow down and stop while Garmadon kept going.
"This is ridiculous!" - Jay exclaimed.
"Guys, that's impossible to cross," - Zane said.
No one could see the Mysterious Rider's expression beneath the helmet, but they simply turned the bike around and left.
"We're not gonna win now! Even that other guy gave up!" - Kai said, staring at the obstacle ahead - "Wait a second! This isn't over yet! Everyone, hold on tight!" -.
Kai hit the gas again, an idea forming- and trusting his sister for the rest. The others grew nervous.
The vehicle transformed into a jet- or at least, the top part did. The other ninjas had to jump and hang on for dear life.
The crowd roared, cheering for the ninjas, and the finish was decided by a photo finish.
"We have a winner, ladies and gentlemen! It's... the Ninjas!" -.
"I knew that thing would bring us luck!" - Jay said, holding the piece that came from his parents' car.
"No! That's not fair! That wasn't even part of the vehicle to begin with! That can't be legal! My ship-" - But Garmadon was interrupted by Lloyd's arrival.
"Your ship?" - Lloyd asked, arms crossed.
The Ultra Dragon had carried the Mega Dragon and landed safely. It was possible since the Mega Dragon was smaller.
"I believe this belongs to us," - Lloyd said confidently, brow furrowed.
The Ultra Dragon lowered its heads as if to threaten him should he try to take the ship back.
Ashley stepped out of the ship, disgusted by the scene. Garmadon and Ashley were about to be arrested, but were saved by Skales.
"Who needsss who now?" - Oh, the irony, Skales.
Garmadon climbed aboard reluctantly, and Ashley followed. She and the current Fangpyre General locked eyes.
"What are you looking at?" - Ashley asked, frowning.
"N-nothing... no..." - both snake heads turned away awkwardly.
"I don't know why, Sensei, but I don't think this is the last time we'll see them," - said Nya.
"We did it! We saved the dojo!" - Dareth cheered.
Moon appeared, smiling slightly and crossing her arms.
"Every time I see you, you're smiling a little more, Moon," - Cole said, standing beside her.
Moon looked away, still smiling. Thankfully, Dareth's clowning around made everyone laugh- helping Cole forget the moment and saving Moon from blushing too hard.
_TO BE CONTINUE_