Kai's P.O.V.:

Pixal, Kira and Zane were with me waiting for the falcon to return. The others were at the police station trying to get them to help us rescue Lloyd.

Kira was trying to see if she could use her powers to fix Zane, but she wasn't sure if her powers even worked on Nindroids. Either way it was worth a try.

She was using her powers to heal him when she suddenly stopped to catch her breath.

"Are you ok?" I asked as Pixal and I helped her up.

"Y-Yeah." She said still short winded. "I just pushed myself a little too much. No worries though, I'll be alright."

"Do you feel any better Zane?" Pixal asked him.

"A little, thank you." Zane answered.

"Oh no problem." She said. "Sorry I couldn't do more, I guess my powers don't work that well on nindroids."

"Thanks for trying Kira." I said. "That Mr E really did a number on him."

"That is an understatement." Zane sighed.

"Have you got in touch with your falcon?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"Here he is now." Zane smiled.

He held out his arm and the falcon landed on it. Zane pressed a button and we all saw a holographic projection of Lloyd in some kind of cage. I could tell his leg had been bleeding, saw he had a black eye and he had his arm in a sling. The sling looked familiar to me, but I wasn't sure why.

Lloyd obviously saw Zane's falcon, but he was trying to make it look like he didn't notice it. That meant there was probably someone there watching him.

"That looks like the ruins of the Palace of Secrets." Pixal pointed out.

"Then that's where we're going." I stated.

"Kai, it is advisable to wait for the others." Pixal suggested. "We'll have a greater chance of success if we go in as a team."

"I'm all for increasing our chances, but I don't think Lloyd's gonna last much longer if we don't get to him soon." I frowned.

"He did look like he was in pretty bad shape." Kira agreed.

"Finally, someone who agrees with me." I said to myself.

"Guys come in." We heard Nya's voice come through our coms.

I put my hood on to take her call. "We read you sis."

"The police helped us come up with a plan to get Lloyd back." She told me. "Do you guys have his location?"

"Yes, we know where he is." Pixal said. "Sending you coordinates now."

"Thanks Pix." Nya said. "The police know the best route so we'll meet up with you."

"No sis, stay there. We'll come to you." I said.

Nya agreed and hung up. We made our way to the police station, careful not to get caught, and met up with the others. Once we were there we devised a plan.

"Hang on just a little longer Lloyd." I said. "We're coming for you."

Lloyd's P.O.V.:

It had been about two hours since Zane's falcon left. The SOG looked like they had everything ready to start the ceremony and that scared me. If Harumi succeeds, she'll resurrect my father, the bad version of him.

I couldn't let her win, but what could I do? It hurt too much to move and I was loosing more blood and getting more lightheaded by the minute. Even if I wasn't hurt, if I tried anything she could drown my mother at any moment. I couldn't risk that.

I tried to stand up but I was too dizzy. I fell back down holding my head, but I couldn't give up, not yet. I grabbed the sides of the cage and pulled myself up with the little strength I had left.

"Lloyd!" My mother yelled.

"I'm ok Mom." I lied. "How are you holding up?"

"I'd feel better if you sit down son." She told me. "You're hurt."

"I can't let her get away with this. She's going to bring him back. I can't fight him again Mom I just can't."

"Calm down son, I know."

"Don't worry mom, my friends will stop this." I said.

"You put too much faith in friends Lloyd." Harumi said to her.

"And you have too little." My mother said to her.

Harumi took a hair from my head and then my mother's. She explained how she needed them for the ritual to work.

"It won't work!" I yelled. "There is no way to bring him back, you're delusional."

"Prepare to eat those words green ninja." She smirked.

She walked over to the lever on the cages. She raised me up and lowered my mother dangerously close to the water below.

"Mom!" I screamed.

"I'm ok, but whatever happens you must not let her bring him back." Mom caught her breath.

"I won't let you get away with this!" I yelled.

She ignored me and started to preform the ceremony. She managed to open a vortex to the departed realm. I could hear his voice on the other side. It didn't sound like him, not the good him anyway.

I knew if I tried anything, she would drown my mother. I couldn't do anything to help. I was too hurt to escape on my own.

After a few minutes my friends finally arrived. It was hard, but in the end we defeated Harumi and stopped my father from being resurrected. I was relieved but at the same time I was thinking about what if she had brought him back? What if they were wrong and my father was good again? What if he just wanted to see me?

"Come here Lloyd, let's get you to a hospital so they can look at that leg and shoulder." My mother insisted.

"Mom, I'm fine. You need to go and make sure your ok." I said. I was concerned about her after she had been under water for so long.

"Lloyd you don't need to worry about me." Mom smiled.

"Here maybe I can help." Someone walked in on us. It was Kira.

"Kira." I smiled. "I'm so glad you're ok."

"Who is that?" Mom asked.

"It's ok Mom, she's a friend." I told her.

Kira knelt down and started to use her powers to heal my bleeding leg. Then when she was done she took a look a shoulder and set it back into place and used her power to help with the pain. I felt so much better, but Kira looked like she was going to pass out.

"Thank you. Are you alright?" I asked.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." She huffed. "That happens when I overuse my powers."

She dropped to the ground and my mother helped her up. I looked over and saw the police leading Harumi into the back of their van. I had to get my last words in.

"Mom, stay with her please. There's something I have to do."

My mother nodded and I went over to Harumi.

"Please." She begged. "You were right. This isn't me."

"Stop. Save it for someone who cares." I stated. "Looks like you were wrong. You weren't the one who got away."

She screamed and slammed the door shut. The truck drove away and it was over.

I looked back at my friends and they were all celebrating. We all decided to go Laughy's to celebrate our victory, but I didn't feel like celebrating.

I was standing by myself at the place listening to the others sing the Weekend Whip, I was too sad to join them. I just couldn't believe that she used me like that. I thought she loved me.

"You cared for her didn't you?" I heard my mother say.

"What does it matter?" I turned away.

"It mattered to you." Mom said. "Bruises go away, bones break and heal, but a broken heart. Take time to mourn, but don't let it destroy you. If you bury what's good about you beneath a hard shell, you'll turn out no better than Harumi."

I turned to face my mother and smiled. She was right, I had to be strong so I wouldn't end up like her.

Mom and I went back to relaxing and enjoying the others attempting to sing. I looked back for one second and noticed a TV turned to a news station. I had a bad feeling about it.

"Dareth cut the music!" I yelled.

The ninja groaned in disappointment, but then Dareth turned up the TV.

"Always good to my lovely Gayle Gossip." Dareth gushed.

"I'm just getting word there was a jail break." Gayle said. "A prisoner was freed from custody."

"Ok, maybe not always good." He frowned. "Hey didn't you guys just put the princess in jail? You don't think it's her do you?"

"Ok, I'm getting verification that the prisoner was the recently apprehended jade princess, Princess Harumi. Security footage caught the two on video."

They showed a video of Harumi running out of the prison followed by a shadowy figure... with four arms.

I froze in my tracks starring at the TV. I couldn't believe it, I didn't want to believe it.

"Hey that looks like..." Dareth looked at me and gasped. The others turned their heads in my direction.

"That's impossible." I said still in shock.

"It could be anyone." Kai shrugged.

"But he has four arms." Zane said, earning an elbowing from Kai.

"So does Mr. E." Jay said. "Who doesn't have four arms these days?"

I turned to my mother. "We stopped the ceremony didn't we?"

She just frowned and looked at me. She was afraid to tell me the truth.

"I'm telling you that's not him." Jay assured me. "If that's Lord Garmadon, then I'm Lord of the jig."

"...And that's when she said "kneel before Lord Garmadon."" A shaken up security guard said on the TV. He had his arm in a sling.

"Ok that's definitely him." Jay took off his party hat.

"Then you better start jigging." Cole said to Jay.

"Misako, Kira, can you guys get guys get Wu somewhere safe?" Nya picked up Wu and handed him to my mother.

"I've got a corner pad on the east side. You guys can make it your own." Dareth offered. "As long as you don't mind the underwear lying around."

"We'll take him there now." My mother nodded.

"Wait." Kira said. "I think it would be better if I stayed with you guys. Some of the officers looked like they had some pretty bad injuries. They might need my help."

"Are you sure Kira? I don't want to put you in anymore danger than we already have." I said.

"Positive." She stated. "You need all the help you can get, and I'm not one to sit on the sidelines."

"She's a keeper." Mom whispered in my ear.

"Mom!" I groaned and blushed a little bit.

All the others laughed and everyone except my mother went to the police station to see what we could find out.

Once there, Kira got to work on caring for the injured casualties from the fight. She was so kind to them and to think she was roped into this. At first I felt bad for roping her into this, but now I honestly don't think we could do this without her.

"There, you'll be alright now." Kira said healing the arm of an officer.

"Oh thank you. It feels so much better." He smiled while moving his arm up and down. "What was your name again?"

"Call me Kira." She smiled.

"Well thanks again Kira." He smiled.

"Of course. I'm happy to help."

"And you're sure it was Garmadon?" Zane asked the commissioner.

"Yes but he... wasn't the man I remember." He sighed. "This was someone else. It's like they only brought back the worst parts of him. Plenty of my officers tried to take him down but we couldn't stop him. I tried to reason with him but it's like there was nothing left inside to reason with."

"But you saw where they were going." Nya said. "He didn't just break Harumi out and disappear, they must've left a clue."

"All they left us with was broken glass, sore backsides, and a heavy dose of humility." He frowned. "Sorry we couldn't be of more help."

"You did what you could." I said. "Besides, this is my fight to bare."

"You sure you're up for this son?" He asked me.

"We all are." Kai put his hand on my shoulder. I flinched because it was still sore from earlier and Kai quickly took his hand away. "Oops. Sorry I forgot."

"You ok Lloyd?" Kira noticed me.

"It's fine. Just a little sore from earlier." I told her. It honestly didn't hurt nearly as much as before.

"And besides, it's just your father and Harumi." Cole said. "At least the other prisoners are locked away, right?"

And just like a news report came on TV to tell us that Harumi and my father now had total control of Kryptarian and everyone inside.

"At least you gotta admit, we've got a top notch news center." Cole said.

"And we now know where Harumi and Lord Garmadon are." Zane smiled.

"Let's get back to the bounty. We must regroup before going in." Pixal said.

"But we know where they are. We can stop them now." I insisted.

"Lloyd, we want to stop them too, but if Garmadon and Harumi alone can take out an entire police force, against the whole SOG we won't stand a chance." Nya said. "We'll have better luck if we think of a plan first."

"Fine." I reluctantly agreed. "But we have to be quick before he hurts someone."

They agreed and we all got back to the bounty. Kira insisted that I ice my shoulder for a few minutes until the pain died down a little, so I was looking at a photo of me of me and my father, the good version of him.

"This is not good. This is really not good." Cole panicked.

"We barely beat them last time." Pixal said.

"And that was with the help of the entire police force." Zane added.

"And now they have Lord Garmadon on their side." Nya added.

I starred at the photo. I knew what we had to do.

"We're going to Kryptarian Prison." I stated.

"Ok, so we take on Garmadon, Harumi, and her entire gang while their fortified in an impenetrable bunker. Not the best idea." Jay said flipping out. "Anyone have anything else?"

Silence.

"Ok, not all at once. One at a time please." He said sarcastically.

"I have to face him." I insisted. "I turned him once, I can turn him again."

"Sounds like a really bad idea." Kai said to me.

"And Kai knows bad ideas, his head's full of them." Cole pointed to him. Kai looked offended.

"I agree, it's too dangerous. That's exactly what he wants." Zane said. "I believe in this instance, your past may be clouding your judgment Lloyd."

"Yeah maybe you should sit this one out." Nya suggested.

"What? No way!" I yelled. "This is my fight, not yours. This was all my fault and if my father hurt any one of you than I would never forgive myself."

"I'm sorry Lloyd, but we've made up our minds." Kai said sternly. "You're not going on this mission and that's final."

"Who made you the leader?" I snapped.

"It's not about ranks, it's about the numbers." Kai said.

"It's nothing personal, we just want what's best for you Lloyd." Nya said.

"Well if you guys aren't going to Kryptarian, then what are you going to do? Because if you're here you're not helping anybody."

The room fell silent.

"See? Face it, going there is our only option." I pointed out. "All we're doing is wasting time."

"We're strategizing." Zane said.

"Well when you come up with a plan, let me know." I said.

I ran to my bedroom and slammed the door shut. I couldn't speak to my friends right now. I started to look at the picture again. The day we took that picture was the day right after I unlocked my true potential by defeating the overlord. We had taken a hike up Mount Ninjago and reconnected with each other. He taught me a lot of valuable lessons on that trip and I was so happy to have him back to his old self.

I missed this version of my father, the good version. I was looking forward to reuniting with him in the departed realm someday, but thanks to Harumi I might never see my father like that again. Maybe if I could just get through to him I could get him to snap out of it and it would make this all worth it.

I heard someone knocking on the door.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"It's me, Kira." Kira said. "Can you please let me in so I can make sure you're healing properly?"

I opened the door and let her in. I set on the bed and stood in front of me. I was still holding the picture.

"How does the shoulder feel now?" She asked looking at it.

"Much better, thank you." I said.

"Is that your father?" She asked pointing to the picture.

"Yeah." I sighed. "Back then he was a different person than he is today. He sent himself to the departed realm to save Ninjago, and I don't care what anyone says, my father isn't a monster."

"I'm sure he was a good man." Kira said.

"He still is, he just needs a little reminder. He's under the influence of Harumi and if I can get him to listen to me than maybe I can get him back to the way he was." I looked back at the picture. "I could have a father again."

"But if it doesn't work..."

"I know, but I have to try." I stated. "He's my father, I just got him back and I don't want to lose him again."

"That man is not your father Lloyd." Kira frowned. "You have to remember that."

"I know." I sighed. "I just wish there was something I could do."

"My powers don't work for emotional pain, but sometimes a hug can help."

Kira smiled and wrapped her arms around me, being careful not to touch my shoulder. I hugged her back and it actually got me to smile a little. That was nice of her to try and cheer me up.

"Thanks." I gave a her a little smile.

"See, I told you it would help." She giggled.

"You know, I would never tell all this stuff to the others." I said awkwardly. "It kind of feels good to get it off my chest."

"Why not? I thought they were your best friends."

"They're like family to me, but they always expect me to be so strong and brave like the green ninja should be. If I told them how I felt about this, they'd just think I was weak and pathetic."

"My grandmother always said, it takes a strong man to admit when he's wrong, but it takes an even stronger man to admit when he's sad." Kira said.

"Sounds like something my uncle would say." I laughed.

"Oh yes, your friends told me about Master Wu. I believe Jay described him as a... walking fortune cookie?"

"That's Jay for you. And to be honest he's not wrong." I laughed and so did Kira. "Thanks Kira, I feel a lot better now."

"I'm glad. Now I better let you get some rest, it's been a long day." She smiled. "And next time, try not to hide your feelings. If you ever need to talk again, let me know."

"I'll keep that in mind." I smiled and winked.

She left the room and I looked back at the photo. I felt a lot better after Kira and I talked, but I couldn't get over the fact that my father was still working with Harumi. She took advantage of me, I couldn't let get to him too.

With that it was decided, I had to face my father. I didn't want Kira to worry, so I left her a note on my nightstand and put the bandana she gave me next to it. (And yes I washed it.) If I was going to die, then I at least wanted to tell her how I really felt about her. She may have just walked into our lives, but she's been so helpful to me and the team. I can't explain it, but there was something about her that made me feel... happy. I was gonna miss her.

I snuck out onto the deck and grabbed my photo and a parachute. I parachuted off the bounty into my car and drove to Kryptarian. I knew my friends wouldn't approve of this but someone had to do something, and they weren't going to do anything. If I couldn't change my father, I'd rather die trying than to never have tried at all.