Well, this was interesting.
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*Master Wu and the ninja, except for Cole, are touring the Kingdom of Shintaro.*
"This truly is a city of wonders. Look at these gardens. Have you ever seen anything so magnificent?!" said Wu.
"It sure is pretty." said Lloyd as he took a glance at Nova walking next to him.
Nova let out a small yawn, walking, as she had been woken up early, and was still a little tired.
"Where's Cole? He's missing all of this." said Jay.
Vania pops up from a bush. "Master Wu. Master Wu! Oh, ouch, fiddlesticks. Wait!"
"Princess?" said Wu, surprised.
"Oh, thank the mountain." said Vania, relieved.
"What happened?" Nya asked.
"I went into the dungeons with Cole, and we found something terrible!" said Vania.
"Dungeons?" Wu questioned.
"There's an underground mine full of these little creatures. And they're all chained up, and they're being forced to dig by these evil skeletons with whips, and Cole stayed to rescue them, and he told me to come back to get help!" Vania explained.
"W-What?" said Lloyd.
"Well, that's not a good start to the morning." said Nova.
"We have to tell my father to send his guards. Come on!" They all run to the palace.
"I'm very disappointed, Vania. It is forbidden to enter the mountain! The rule of law is there for a reason. It is unsafe below. Not only did you endanger yourself, but you have also endangered our guests." said Vangelis.
Nova glared at him but stayed quiet and let out another yawn.
"I-I'm sorry, Father." said Vania.
"I humbly beg your forgiveness, Master Wu. I will send three brigades of my ablest guards at once. They will find your friend. Have no fear." said Vangelis.
"We'll go too." said Kai.
"I cannot allow that. The dungeons are treacherous. We have lived here for centuries, and even we do not enter them lightly. There are things that dwell below that... should not be disturbed." said Vangelis.
"So the creature Cole saw was real?" said Nya.
"I can't believe you guys didn't believe him." Nova shook her head with a sigh.
"You told me I imagined it!" said Vania.
"I said what I had to protect you, child. One day, when you are older, you'll understand. Now, time is of the essence. I must dispatch my men. I ask you all to remain calm and stay here." said Vangelis.
"We can't just stay here. Cole is our friend!" said Kai.
"Yeah, we have to help!" said Jay.
"It is out of the question. I will not put anyone else in danger. My men will bring your friend back. Trust in them." said Vangelis.
"Yeah–" Wu interrupts Kai.
"Of course, King Vangelis. We will do as you ask." said Wu.
"Thank you. Now please, I have much to attend. As do you, Vania." said Vangelis.
"You don't really think we're gonna sit this one out, do you?" said Lloyd.
Nova rolled her eyes with another yawn. "Of course not silly."
"No, of course not. But angering the King will solve nothing." said Wu, before turning to Vania. "Princess, I don't want to get you into any more trouble, but do you think you could perhaps show us –"
Vania pulls out two torches. "The way into the dungeons? You bet. Follow me!" She hands Wu a torch and runs off.
"Okay." said Lloyd.
"Stop being so skeptical, Lloyd." Nova rolled her eyes.
"We don't know if she is leading us into a trap." said Lloyd.
"Just drop it already, or by the First Spinjitzu Master, I'm gonna punch something." Nova groans.
Vania takes the ninja to the opening in the palace gardens. "Here it is." Sighs. "I wish I could go with you. I feel like this is all my fault."
"No, we don't want you to get into any more trouble. We'll handle it from here." said Nya.
"Yeah. You've done enough. Come on, guys." said Lloyd suspiciously.
Nova let out a low growl. "Drop. It. Lloyd." She turned on her mask as she followed.
"We probably shouldn't have woken up her this early in the morning." said Jay.
"Let's just hope we get out of this safe from her rage." said Kai.
"Master?" Zane noticed Wu wasn't following them.
"Go on without me, Zane. I would only slow you down." said Wu.
"Master Wu, that is not so." said Zane.
"It is, not matter how I wish it weren't. Now go, quickly, before someone sees you." Zane takes the torch and runs off.
*The ninja arrive at the mines.*
"Quick! Let's hide." said Lloyd.
"Wow. Vania was right. There sure are a lot of them." said Nya.
"Told you so." said Nova, now in her oni form while wearing her mask.
"But I detect only simple weapons and crude fortifications." said Zane.
"Why did you change into your oni form, along with your old mask?" Lloyd asked.
"I have my reasons." said Nova, not looking at him.
"Look, there's Cole!" Jay pointed towards Cole.
"What do you think? Take 'em by surprise?" Kai asked.
"I don't know. This feels like a moment when Master Wu would say we need more of a plan." said Lloyd.
"I like simple. I say we bust up that bag of bones, get that key, and save Cole. Best. Rescue. Ever. Unless someone else has a better idea?" said Kai, glancing over at Nova.
"Nova? You got any better idea?" Zane asked.
Nova looked down at her claws with worry behind her mask but glances over at Lloyd. "I might, but I'm a little rusty."
A Mino smells Cole's food, and he gives the bowl to it. It swallows the bowl as well. "That's quite the appetite. Ugh, I bet the bowl tastes better than the glop." The ninja except Nova land in front of Cole's cage. "Boy, am I glad to see you guys."
"You okay?" Nya asked.
"Yeah. Get me out of here." said Cole.
"Someone's coming!" said Jay as Zane severs a chain with a shuriken and blocks a Warrior's path.
"Shh! Keep it down! There's a creepy, evil guy with wings in that temple, and trust me, you do not want to meet him." said Cole.
"Yeah, let's not bring the whole place down on our heads." said Nya, while the Geckles in Cole's cage exit as well.
"Come on, guys! It's a rescue!" said Kai to the Munce.
"We're getting you out of here. But you have to be quiet!" said Nya.
"Murt is quiet." said Murt.
The ninja glanced at the shadows as they noticed a bit of movement from them, as Nova had gone into hiding in them. But they weren't sure how long she could stay in them before she hits her limit.
"We're free!" Geckle accidentally bumps into Murt.
"You rescue Geckles?" Murt asked.
"Thieving Munce!" shouted Geckle.
"Thieving Geckles!" shouted Murt.
"Hey! Keep it together, guys. Just for a few more seconds." said Cole.
"Blade stealers!" shouted Gliff.
"Filthy takers!" shouted Munce.
"Traitors!" The Geckles and Munce attack each other.
"Hey, Knock it off!" shouted Kai.
"We may have a problem!" said Zane.
"A big problem." said Nova from the shadows as she watched Awakened Warriors having noticed them.
"You think?" said Cole.
Two Awakened Warriors from their watchtower throw their spears at the ninja.
"New plan! Jay, Nya, take out that tower! Everyone else, run!" shouted Lloyd, while Nya and Jay use their Spinjitzu to knock down the tower.
"Blade stealer!" shouted Geckle.
"Geckle thief!" shouted Munce.
"I don't believe this!" shouted Lloyd and looked over at shadows. "Nova! Can't you use the shadows to take us somewhere safe!"
"My powers aren't stable, Lloyd! I don't wanna risk something bad happening if I did!" shouted Nova from the shadows, as she could already feel she was slowly reaching her limit.
"Guys, move it! Run!" shouted Cole.
"This is painful! Cole, can't you get them to move?" Lloyd asked.
"I'm open to suggestions! Murt? Murt! Hey, Murt! Run!" shouted Cole.
"Murt run." said Murt.
"Every Geckle for themselves!" shouted Geckle.
"Let's get out of here. We'll come back!" shouted Kai.
"Strike!" shouted Cole.
"These guys go down so easily!" shouted Kai.
Zane tries to freeze the Warriors, but his powers won't work. "Ugh. My Elemental Powers appear ineffective!"
"Then let's try something else!" Nova jumped out of the shadows and summoned her blaster, shooting at the Warriors, taking a few out.
"There's something down here messing with our powers. But Spinjitzu still works! Ninja, go!" They use Spinjitzu to knock down the Warriors.
"Who dares disturb the Skull Sorcerer?!" shouted the Skull Sorcerer.
"Wow, talking in third person. Never met a villain talk like that." said Nova.
"Yeah, that's him. That's who I was telling you about." They run, but the Skull Sorcerer blocks their path.
"There's seven of us and one of you, pal." said Kai.
"You just fucking jinxed us, Kai." said Nova.
"Rise, my children!" said Skull Sorcerer.
"Rise!" The Awakened Warriors reassemble themselves.
Nova let out a long whistle. "Damn, you've gotta be a busy man to have this many kids. But with how ugly they look, I don't think I wanna know who their mother is."
"Nova, seriously!" Lloyd glared at her.
"Hey, I was woken up early in the morning. At least let me humor myself into a better mood." said Nova.
"They also get up easily!" shouted Jay.
"You will never again see the sun." The Warriors tackle the ninja. They are defeated, but Nova was able to fight.
"Don't just stand there! Get her already!" shouted the Skull Sorcerer.
"If elemental powers doesn't work on you guys, then how about oni powers." Nova slowly surrounded herself in darkness and began attacking the warriors, turning them to stone, before then going on to use decay on them so they became dust.
"I see why she mentioned to watch out for the little shadow, should it ever appear." said Skull Sorcerer, catching Nova's attention much to her worry, but still kept fighting.
But as the fighting went on, there slowly came the sound of something cracking, and Nova almost falling over in pain but kept fighting on.
Nova glanced over at her knocked out friends, but was unable to help them as she kept fighting. "I can't keep this going, I'm already at my limits." She looked around and with a painful growl, she jumped into the shadows.
"Of course the little shadow would always return back to what it was, nothing else but a shadow." said Skull Sorcerer, and ordered the ninja to mine.
"Worst. Rescue. Ever!" said Jay.
"What? I asked if someone else had a better idea." said Kai.
"Nova had a plan, but it didn't seem to work out." Lloyd looked over at the shadows that were shaking like crazy.
"I don't think her staying in the shadows is making it easier for her." said Nya.
"If she keeps staying inside the shadows, it will only make it worse for herself." said Zane.
The ninja watched the shaking shadows in worries on what was happening with Nova.