The Last Telekinesis

Chapter Eight

"Hope is faith holding its hand out in the dark." -Joseph Campbell

I looked at Zane. He didn't look back at me, but started the engine and put his feet on little pegs. I quickly picked my feet up as well, and found pegs for my own feet. I yelped as Zane began to guide the bike onto the road. I held onto his waist tightly.

After a while, I got used to being on the bike, but I didn't dare let go of Zane. My father's lamp was still hooked onto my finger, making it bounce against Zane's leg every so often.

"So, how did this all start?" I asked. "I don't think you all are really related, right?"

"Well, since the skeletons kidnapped my sister," Kai said. I could see his bike a little bit ahead of Zane's. "It feels like so long ago."

"Excuse me, what?"

I heard Zane chuckle lightly into the coms. "We obtained all the golden weapons, but Samukai released Garmadon into Ninjago. The skeletons were working for Garmadon, and were trying to stop us."

Part of me shivered because of the cold, cutting through my jacket. Another part of me shivered because of the name. "Garmadon? Like Lord Garmadon? When did he come to Ninjago? When we left, he was ruling the underworld."

"He came out of the underworld to take the Golden Weapons. The four Golden Weapons held by the wrong person can create a portal. Samukai made that mistake trying to overthrone Garmadon," Zane answered.

"Then we had the snakes to deal with," Kai said as he passed a car. "That was a massive pain! Remember when Lloyd released the tribes and made Pythor resurrect the great Devourer."

"Wait, the serpentine were trapped somewhere?"

"The serpentine were all locked in tombs underground, after the Serpentine War," Zane answered.

"Then the Overlord took over, twice!"

"The second time was my sacrifice," Zane said. "That's how I became titanium." He sounded super calm, for someone talking about his death.

Zane pulled up beside Kai at a stop light. Kai smiled at his friend, as if remembering good memories.

"I'm just glad Cole found you under Chen's island."

"Master Chen, like the noodle house guy Cole told me about? Chen had an island?"

"He was banished to the island with his number two, Clouse, after they swayed the Serpentine War and made it worse than it needed to be. He nearly caused another Serpentine War, I'm glad we stopped him," Zane informed me.

"The Serpentine War?"

Kai nodded. We pulled out of the intersection together. I closed my eyes, as the bike dipped. I was terrified of falling off.

"It was a large war way before we became ninja. All the original elemental masters teamed up with Wu and Garmadon to defeat the Serpentine and seal them underground."

"Then Garmadon's sacrifice released Morro," Kai continued. "He possessed Lloyd, rendering our powers useless. And Cole turned into a ghost."

"Cole was a ghost? Who's Morro?"

"Morro was Master Wu's first student, before us. He made the mistake of letting Morro storm off on his own, as Morro returned for revenge. He wanted to be the green ninja but Wu decided that he didn't fit the role." Zane said like it was something that was totally normal. Like he was explaining the weather.

"Green ninja?" I wasn't getting much of this. It was like learning a new language. I knew some words they were saying, but a lot of them were going over my head.

"Then Acronix and Krux wanting to take over and use time travel." Kai's voice turned slightly annoyed and angry when he mentioned Acronix and Krux.

"Then Garmadon was resurrected by Harumi," Zane said. "I liked joining that biker gang."

"Someone let you into a biker gang? Why?"

I yelped as Zane swerved to avoid a driver that was trying to cut us off. I held Zane's waist a little tighter.

Kai looked over at us. He was a little bit behind. "Even though you forced Cole to sing and get him captured."

"It was the only way," Zane argued calmly. "On the bright side, he did find Wu as a baby."

"I'm looking for a baby master?" My heart sunk. "That won't help me!"

Zane spoke to Kai. "I had to go undercover to see with the Sons of Garmadon were planning."

"Then the four of us and Wu were teleported to the first realm," Kai said. It sounded like he was smiling. "We really rocked their world, when we set the dragons free, right?"

"And we defeated the Oni with the aid of Garmadon," Zane said.

Kai whistled. "Yikes, our lives have been jam packed!"

"Guys," I yelled. Zane quickly glanced at me. "What the heck are you talking about?!"

Kai rolled his eyes under the helmet. "You weren't keeping up? I don't think we can explain it again."

Zane turned onto a road. It looked like it wound up a mountain. "It doesn't matter. Yes, we've been through a lot. We can explain it in greater detail when we get you to the Monastery."

"Why are we going to a Monastery?"

Kai sighed. "That's where the team and Master Wu are."

"I don't know if he's going to help," I said sadly. "You just told me that Master Wu is a baby."

"He's not a baby anymore," Kai said. "You have to have faith and hope. But mostly faith."

As we rode up to the Monastery, the rest of the ninja came outside to greet us. They were joined by an old man with a long white beard and a wide straw hat. I looked at him. Although he looked calm, his eyes gave away the slight panic and wonder he was feeling.

Zane shut off the bike and we both climbed off. Zane and Kai took off their helmets, so I did too. Then they bowed to the old man.

"Hello, Master," they said together.

"You were right," Kai said. "Something fishy was going on. When we got there, Thalia was about to be road kill. Luckily, Zane saved her with airjitzu."

I looked at them. "This is Master Wu?"

Master Wu smiled at me. "Hello, Thalia. It's been a long time. I see you still have your father's lamp. You were so attached to that as a child."

I tilted my head. "We've met before?"

"Just once, when you were very small," he said. "Come, let us go inside and learn about each other. Maybe we can get you some tea."