[Minor Gore/Self Harm Warning] at the end of this chapter.
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*In the mines, the ninja mine for an unknown substance.*
"What is this stuff we're mining for? It looks familiar." Lloyd questioned.
"It's Vengestone! That's why our powers failed. And why Nova was in her oni form." They look up to see some Re-Awakened, whipping a Mino.
"Hey! Leave him alone, you big bully!" Cole throws his pickaxe and pins a Warrior's whip to a rock. The Warrior snatches his companion's whip and advances on Cole menacingly. "Okay, um, I didn't think that through." The ninja briefly fight the Warrior. "Hold this for me, would ya?" He drops his ball onto him, and the Geckles and Munce cheer. More Warriors surround them.
Zane sighs. "That accomplished very little." They all got thrown in a cage.
"Yeah. But it was worth it. Heh." The Mino licks Cole. "Ugh! Oh, you again."
Murt hands Lloyd a bowl. "For you. Murt bring food."
"Thanks, Murt." said Lloyd.
"Don't trust Munce bearing gifts!" said Gliff.
"Don't trust Geckle blade stealer!" said Murt.
"Shut up!" shouted Nova, as she slowly came out of the shadows, still in her oni form and wearing her mask.
Gliff and Murt backed away from the cage when they saw her come out from the shadows.
"Nova! Are you okay?" Lloyd got over to check on her as she went to sit down.
"I'm fine Lloyd, just tired." said Nova with a sigh, before turning to Gliff and Murt on the other side of the cage. "Why do you hate each other so much?" Gliff and Murt growl at each other.
"Nova, at least turn off your mask." said Lloyd, sitting down next to her and offered her some of his food.
"Yeah, I wanna know about this "blade stealer" thing. What exactly happened between you?" Cole asked.
Nova rolled her eyes as she turned off her mask and just rested her head on Lloyd's shoulder, just wanting some rest. "There, happy now?"
"Yes, very happy." Lloyd gave her a soft smile before turning his attention back to Gliff and Murt.
"Yes, I too, am curious. Please explain the origin of your mutual mistrust." said Zane.
Nova glanced down at her right hand/claws while the others' attention was away from her. Her hand was shaking a little with cracks all over it, but it was hard to see in her oni form so she had decided to stay in that form, so the others wouldn't notice it and get worried.
"Oh. Very well. I will tell you of the Two Blades. One was the Ivory Blade of Deliverance. The other was the Shadow Blade of Deliverance. They belonged to a mighty warrior named Gilly." Gliff explained.
"Milly." said Murt.
"Not "Milly," you fool! Gilly!" said Gliff .
"Milly." said Murt.
"Just get to the point of the story already." Nova growled at them.
"Please." Cole quickly added to lighten the mood.
"Try and calm down, Nova." said Lloyd, wrapping an arm around her and holding her close for comfort.
"Fine, I'll try." Nova sighs, closing her eyes.
"The warrior came to our mountain many, many years ago. In those days, Geckles and Munce lived in fear, for there was a terrible dragon in the heart of the mountain." Gliff explained.
"Mief-Bringer." said Murt.
"Grief-Bringer! Grief-Bringer!" shouted Gliff.
"Mief-Bringer." said Murt.
"Oh, boy. Here we go again." said Cole as they all could feel the cold, eerie glare coming from Nova.
Lloyd gently petted Nova's head, trying to calm her down. "Deep breath, moonie, deep breath. Just focus on my breathing."
Nova let out a frustrated sigh but decided to listen to his breathing, and the smell of his scent that helped her calm down.
The ninja let out a relieved sigh when they saw her calm down. "Thank the First Spinjitzu Master." They all whispered.
"For many days and nights, Gilly battled Grief-Bringer. In the end, Gilly, won. Geckles and Munce were safe again. Gilly returned to the surface. But before she went, she gave to us a parting gift. One was given to the noble Geckles. The other was given to the stinking traitorous Munce. A gift to help us, if ever another evil should return to our mountain." Gliff finished explaining.
"Most intriguing. But I fail to find the source of your strife." said Zane.
"Our source "strifed" when the Munce snuck into our cave and stole our blade. Because they wanted both!" said Gliff .
"Geckle stole blade! Not Munce!" They growl at each other again.
"They each think the other stole their blade." said Lloyd.
"What if neither of them stole the blades? What if someone else took both blades?" Nya questioned.
"Three guesses who." said Cole.
"Indeed. There's an ancient Ninjago proverb that says, "An enemy divided is more easily conquered." said Zane.
"If Munce and Geckles are fighting each other, they can't fight the Skull Sorcerer." said Nya.
"Cole, do you think we can broker a truce between these guys?" Lloyd asked, getting up.
Nova let out an annoyed sigh when he got up, but shook her head getting up too.
"Hmph!" Cole answered.
"Not forever, just a temporary one. Make a deal. Tell them, if they can keep it together and not fight, we might be able to break out of here and find their blades." said Lloyd, gently taking Nova's cracked hand.
Nova hold in a painful winch when he took her cracked hand, not wanting to worry them when they were finally coming up with a plan.
"And how are we going to do that?" Kai asked.
"I'm working on a plan. But first, I need them to stop fighting." said Lloyd.
"I'll do my best." said Cole.
"I'm going back to shadows, before I'm seen and caught." said Nova.
"No, you've already been in the shadows for a while Nova, it will only make it worse for you if you don't take a break." said Lloyd, gently squeezing her hand.
Nova turned her mask back on just as she felt him squeeze her hand, sending a painful shock up her arm. "It will just be until you guys have gathered the two groups." She took a deep breath ignoring the pain shooting from her heart along with the sound of another crack as she went back into the shadows.
*Later while mining.*
"Psst! Secret meeting after Glop Time. Spread the word, and no fighting, or you'll never get the blades back." Cole whispered to Gliff.
"Secret meeting after Glop Time. It's about the blades. No fighting!" Gliff told another Geckle.
*Soon both groups were spreading the news.*
At Glop Time. "When do we start the fight?" A Geckle asked.
"Yeah, let's get it on!" said another Geckle.
"Fight? What fight?" Kai asked.
"This is what happens when you play telephone with these guys." said Nova from the shadows.
"Not helping, Ocea." said Lloyd.
For once, Nova didn't answer back like she normally would, causing Lloyd to get a little worried.
"Against the Munce." A Munce growls at the Geckle.
"No, there's no fight! Who said anything about a -" said Lloyd.
"You said we were gonna have a fight." said a Geckle to Gliff.
"I said, a secret meeting about the blades. No fighting!" said Gliff, both the Geckles and Munce growls at each other.
"Look, guys, do you want your blades back or not? We think the Skull Sorcerer's got them. And if you promise to stop fighting, we might be able to get them back for you. Agreed?" said Lloyd.
"Now we just have to figure out how to break out of our cage." said Nya.
They glanced over at the shadows. "No, we aren't having Nova risk anymore with her powers. She is already taking a risk being in the shadows for so long." said Lloyd.
"I got an idea about that." Later, in the cage, Cole whistles at the Mino. "Here, Mino, Mino, Mino." He pours his food onto the chains. "Come and get it." The Mino eats the food as well as the chains.
Lloyd turned to Kai, Nya, Zane, and Jay. "You go release the Munce, Cole, Nova and I will go find the blades." He, Nova, and Cole arrive at a cave full of Vengestone.
Nova came out of the shadows, happy she was wearing her mask, so they couldn't see the painful look on her face. She hide her ride hand behind her back as a few shards were falling off of her hand.
"Oh, look at all this Vengestone." said Cole.
"The blades! That's all that matters. Find the blades!" said Lloyd.
Nova gave a small nod and began searching for the blades.
"Lloyd! Nova!" They arrive at a room with a deep hole. "Whoa, careful. You don't wanna fall down there." said Cole.
"Look!" They uncover what seems to be a blade, but is actually the Skull of Hazza D'ur.
"Thieves! Interlopers! Intruders! Trespassers!" Nova punches it, just as it casts a spell and the Skull Sorcerer arrives.
"You have made a grave mistake coming here." said the Skull Sorcerer before turning to Nova. "I see the little shadow has come out of hiding."
"Now, you will pay!" shouted Hazza D'ur, who was glaring angrily at Nova for punching it.
The Skull Sorcerer attacks them, and they run away, but are blocked by Awakened Warriors. "This way!" shouted Lloyd.
"They do not appear to have found the blades!" said Zane.
"What they found is trouble! Run!" shouted Kai.
"Get the glop!" The ninja throw the food at the Warriors. "I'll get the gate!" Nya releases the Minos. "Go, go!"
"The cages! Jump!" shouted Lloyd, running from the Sorcerer, he bumps into Nya.
"This way! Come on!" shouted Nya.
Nova tried catching up, but the Sorcerer fires at some rocks planning on blocking her way, but instead the rocks fell over her as she let out a painful scream from being buried under the rocks.
But the worst part was her right arm covered in blood and broken shards, tears were running down her face under her mask as she tried pulling herself free. Or even use any of her powers, but it was only making it worse.
"Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!" Nova growled from the pain as she kept trying to pull herself free, making the painful with more blood coming out and shards falling off.
"Of all the times to have unstable powers, this is the worst situation." Nova turned her head to look at her right arm.
"Sounds like someone here is having some trouble moving.~" said a voice.
Nova growled in anger and pain. "Fuck off, old man!" She tried moving, but only shot more pain through her arm.
"You keep forcing yourself free, and you'll end up tearing off your arm.~" said the Overlord with a chuckle. "Unless you want my help?~"
"I don't want any of your fucking help! So leave me alone, old man!" Nova growled, and tried pulling on her arm again, whimpering in pain with tears running down her face.
"The ninja aren't around to help you, not even that fucking green ninja. So the only options you have my child, is either take my help, or stay stuck under these rocks.~" said the Overlord.
"Then I take fucking option number three!" Nova growled at him, even though it was only his voice that she could hear.
"Oh? And what is option three, my little shadow?~" The Overlord questioned.
Nova glances at her arm before taking a few deep breaths. "Forcing myself free." She bite down a painful scream as she began pulling on her arm at full force, trying to ignore the pain as her right arm was getting torn apart.
Blood and shards were going everywhere, but she still couldn't get fully free so she summoned one of her dual blades, and taking in another deep breath as pulled up her blade, and closed her eyes. She then cut right through her right arm. Letting a painful and horrifying scream as she was fighting to stay awake.
The arm that was stuck under a rock slowly turned into shards and then went back into the darkness where it came from.
Nova took a look at her now cut off arm and was surprised to see darkness coming from it.
"W-what the fuck is this?" She questioned shocked.
"Did you forget child? You came from me, so right now you are leaking out what is giving you powers.~" said the Overlord as he let out a laugh. "We both know the only person to fix this is me, so why not take my help?~"
"I wouldn't take your help, even if my life depended on it!" Nova growled before taking a deep breath and tried to focus on the darkness leaking out of her, and after a bit, she was able to shape the darkness into an arm, and hand made of darkness.
"Impressive, child.~" said the Overlord.
"Fuck off already, old man." Nova went on to use the shadows to catch up with the others while ignoring the pain still coming from her heart.