Reika and Aria hide behind a tree, they heard a roar and peered out. Aria moves Reika back against the tree and held her there. Aria kept an eye out for the beast nearby.
"Don't look at it," Aria whispers
"What the hell is a Vraal doing out of the Shadowlands?" Reika questions in a hushed voice
"I bet there's Grundle's here too," Aria tells her
Reika looked up into the sky, avoiding looking at Aria's chest. After a bit the Vraal headed into a different direction and Aria let go of Reika.
"Coast is clear," Aria says
"You know I was avoiding saying this," Reika comments "but that was kinda hot."
"Didn't like it?" Aria asks with a smirk
"Oh no dear," Reika smiles "you can slam me against a wall anytime."
"Come on," Aria playfully smacks her before they rush off into the forest again.
The girls soon heard a loud sound, the sound of a thruster, before it broke down.
"You don't think-"
"The ninja!" Reika shouts before running in the direction of the noise
Aria follows after her until they reached clearing where the destiny's bounty was broken down. The ninja surrounded it, no sign of Lloyd or Harumi.
"Oh, that's it. I've had it." Jay says annoyed and Zane laughs "First we crash land in who-knows-where, surrounded by who-knows-what, and now this!"
"Well, at least Cole Jr.'s fine so we can give the diapers to Jay." Cole holds up the baby
"Hi-hi-hi-hilarious." Jay looks at him annoyed
"Guys!" Aria shouts running to them
"Aria! Reika!" The ninja all smile widely
The girls and the ninja all hug.
"We thought you died!" Kai shouts
"I found her locked in a room after the palace exploded!" Reika tells them "Harumi locked her in!"
"What do you mean?" Cole looks confused before angry "She tried to kill you!"
"Harumi set up the destruction of the palace, she's the Wuiet One," Aria says "more importantly where is Lloyd, where's my boyfriend?"
"He and Harumi got separated from us when the Bounty went down," Zane informed her "I believe they are looking for the Oni Mask."
"Shit," Aria curses
"You're telling us after everything that's happened, we've also been protecting a criminal?!" Jay questions "Great, it got worse."
The ninja all sigh before looking at Aria.
"Any plan?" Kai asks
"Kick Harumi's bitch ass," Aria replies
"Let's move then!" Reika agrees
"We can't get the bounty moving," Cole tells them "we're grounded."
"Then Reika will stay with you guys and help repair it," Aria says "I will go after them."
"That's too dangerous," Kai disagrees "We should stay together, we don't know how many Sons of Garmadon are nearby."
"And let Harumi get the last mask?" Aria questions "Not a chance, you all have a strength in numbers, the less people around me when I loose it the better."
"We just got you back though," Jay whines "even our reunion after 2 years was cut short."
Aria smiles "I know, but once this is over we'll be sure to catch up."
The ninja all nod before each giving her a hug. Aria then runs off as the Ninja and Reika got to work on the Bounty. Meanwhile, Lloyd and Harumi are stranded in Primeval's Eye looking for the third Oni Mask. Lloyd and Harumi run in the jungle and she trips.
Lloyd helps her up "Come on" They drop into a hole to hide from a Grundle "Phew"
"Are you okay?" Harumi asks
"Yeah. Just need a second" Lloyd replies
"Let me see" Harumi fixes his arm sling "How's that?
"Oh, um. Good. Very close. I-I-I mean, snuggly. I mean, snug" Lloyd says
"Are you sure we're heading the right way?'" Harumi asks
"Pretty sure. If this map is right, there's a river that runs through Primeval's Eye that way. And the river leads straight to the hidden Oni Temple that holds the third mask" Lloyd replies
"Uh, I don't know, Lloyd. Maybe it would be smarter to turn back and try to find the others. I mean, your arm is still pretty bad and we're all alone out here" Harumi suggests
"I'm doing okay. And, anyway, we can't take the chance. If the Sons of Garmadon get to the mask first, they'll have all three" Lloyd says
"Okay, but I want you to rest that arm for a while and let me take a turn" Harumi insists
Harumi and Lloyd continue to trek the jungle.
"Stuck in a palace all your life, did you ever imagine you'd be in a place like this?" Lloyd asks
"Hacking my way through Primeval's Eye? Not so much. But to be perfectly honest, I always dreamed being with you" Harumi replies
"So, according to this, we're almost to the Black River." Lloyd says, changing the subject "We just have to get past this part that reads Strangler's Path."
"Did you say Strangler's Path? That's cheery. Why is it called that?" Harumi questions
Lloyd cut another vine "Places like these always have colorful names. Half the time, it doesn't mean anything. The Caves of Despair, Blind Man's Eye, Hiroshi's Labyrinth. Probably just some bored mapmaker with a wild—"
Something grabs Lloyd
"Lloyd!" Harumi shouts
A knife cam from nowhere and cut the vine ahold of Lloyd. Someone grabbed him and pulled him off the ground and away from it.
He looked up only to see Harumi "how did you-"
"I-I don't know. You were gonna be eaten. I-I got lucky, I guess" Harumi replies
Lloyd looked shocked "Luck? You were clear over here—"
Harumi kisses him "Should I not have done that?"
"No you shouldn't have" he sighs "I guess now we know why they call it Strangler's Path"
"How's your arm?" Harumi asks
"It feels all right now" Lloyd replies
Meanwhile, Aria was in her half dragon form flying through the jungle. Anything and everything that might've been a problem, now hid from her. It was as if they sensed the darkness coming from her. She landed to take a small break and looked into the river. Her eyes were dark purple with slits, the eyes of a dragon.
"I guess Zero was right," Aria sighs as she hovered in the sky "how right I will still have to determine."
After Lloyd and Harumi narrowly survive falling off a waterfall, they swam to shore.
"Rumi, we made it" Lloyd says
Harumi sighs as she gasps for breath "Yeah, barely"
"No. I mean, we made it to the temple. Look." Lloyd points to the temple behind the waterfalls.
YOU ARE READING
The Students of Garmadon
FanfictionAria Lord is the daughter of Empress Layla and the Overlord. She is known to her mother and the citizens of Ninjago as the unwanted princess. Unwanting to see her daughter's face, Layla sent her off to live with Lord Garmadon, who taught Aria about...
