Ninjago: Crystalized

Episode 13-No Regrets (Chapter 3)

News was all over Ninjago. The large screens on building walls, the TVs in everybody's houses, the radio firing without cease, all talking about the same thing: The Ninja are no more.

The ninja stood on the top row of the court, under the presence of countless reporters taking snaps and shots of their every move, as if they were hungry for content. At the back, some citizens of Ninjago, mostly those who somehow still believed in them, showed up and sat at the back, where they all waited silently for the judge to arrive.

Jay could see the worry in Ed and Edna's face, as he looked back to see the 'audience'. He smiled back, hoping that it would give them some comfort, but that was of no use.

"I doubt there is much chance of us getting out of this." Zane said.

"Man, I only took three weeks of law classes." Dareth, their lawyer, said, "Three weeks! And it was mostly how to get out of traffic tickets."

"Maybe the judge will go easy on them." Skylor, who was also present, suggested. Wu and Pixal weren't able to come, mainly due to the fact that Nya required care, as she was still unconscious. Maya and Ray were already on their way rushing to the Monastery after being informed that their daughter had returned, but their arrival would take days.

"He is nicknamed 'Toughbutt'." Dareth said in response.

"I don't think that's a nickname. I think that's his last name." Cole said.

"Nobody's last name is 'Toughbutt'." Kai ridiculed.

"All rise. The honourable judge William Horace Toughbutt presiding." The guard near the door at the front announced, not long before a rather senile man walked in, with a nearly bald head wearing formal attire. "Please be seated." He ordered as he sat.

The ninja and everyone else sat down, waiting for his speech.

"In all my years as a judge, I have never seen such a callous disregard for public safety from the alleged protectors of our city, as I have in this case." He coldly said, "The ninja put the entire city at risk with crimes that are unquestionably serious.

Breaking into Kryptarium Prison,

Breaking out the dangerous Serpentine Sorceress Aspheera,

Breaking into the Borg Vaults,

Performing a heist on the highway,

Causing minor public damage, but mass panic with a flying jet connected to a truck,

In which the items are stolen: Aspheera's Scepter, and the Mask of Vengeance–"

"What?" Kai blurted out in astonishment just as much as the others were, "We didn't steal any Oni Masks–"

"Silence!" He ordered, "The evidence you have provided is not sufficient to suggest the existence of another perpetrator. Hereby, I accuse the following five ninja: Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon, Kai Umas, Cole Hence, Jay Walker, and Zane Julien, guilty of the above accusations, following with the crime of endangering public safety."

"Wait!" Dareth busted out of his seat as he hurried towards the judge, "Okay, yeah, that's what happened. But what about all the times they helped this city? We have to take that into account too, don't we?"

"Which is why I'm not sentencing them to life in prison," He replied, "But 9 years in Kryptarium Prison!" He grabbed the gavel, banging it.

The ninja stared at each other with a sigh of air. It could have been worse, but 9 years was just too much.

"Your honour!" Dareth cried, "Can't we work something out? Like community service! Or-or sweeping! Or some light trash pickup–"

The doors slammed on them.