CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN — TO THE FINISH LINE
ninjaball run — part one

"We'll find a way." — iris wu

IRIS HAD MANAGED TO GET THE MORNING OFF SO SHE WAS SPENDING IT HELPING WITH LLOYD'S TRAINING AT DARETH'S DOJO. Her Father had proposed the idea of the lesson of the importance of balance. With no other option in mind, Iris decided to go with his lesson plan which is how Lloyd ended up in a one-handed handstand with the other four ninja — as well as two Senseis — on top of him

Somehow the master of space managed to keep her calm as she felt her cousin tremble beneath them. This was not the safest activity her Father could have chosen to demonstrate the importance of balance. But, she had to admit, it seemed to be the most effective.

"Focus." The elder Sensei instructed his nephew as he poured a cup of steaming tea as his hat touched against the the ceiling. "In order to bear the fate of Ninjago on your shoulders... you must first learn to beat the weight of all of us." As their structure swayed, each ninja winced. "Focus."

A worried Jay spoke up. "Uh, Sensei Wu, I'm starting to think this was a bad idea."

"Yeah," Agreed Cole who glanced down at Lloyd with anxiety-filled eyes. "Sensei, he's just a kid."

"In order for him to succeed, we must all trust one another."

That was a lovely sentiment that made Iris relax. The ninja seemed to have hope for Lloyd despite their predicament. 

But then a wrecking ball burst through the window.

The impact scattered the ninja to the other side of the room, ruining the formation they had worked so hard on. Screams filled the air as they all landed against the dojo floor — some more harshly than others. Iris felt pain bloom over her body as she smacked against the ground. That was certainly going to bruise later.

"What was that?" Cole groaned.

As they pushed themselves to their feet, the ninja turned to find men with neon hardhats staring at them in shock. It seemed they had no expected them to be there when they decided to swing a giant concrete ball at them. What in Ninjago was going on?

Dareth rushed into the room, immediately protesting at what he saw. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" He headed straight for the contractors. "This wasn't supposed to happen until tomorrow!"

Wait... Dareth was losing his dojo. This was bad.

"Tomorrow?" Frowned the contractor before he turned to the builder beside him. "Let me see that order." He snatched the paper from the other man's hand and held it up to take a better look. "Oh, yeah, my bad."

Iris just blinked in utter disbelief. After almost killing them with a wrecking ball due to a mistake, that was all that he could say. "'Your bad'?" She echoed.

The contractor backed away slightly from the furious glare on her face. Then he forced himself to look at the dojo's owner. "Sorry 'bout that, we'll be back in the morning." So, he just turned around and left. It took everything Iris had not to go after him and give him a piece of her mind.

Dareth let out a sad groan as he took in the damage to his dojo as he knew it was just a precursor to what was to come. Something caught his eye and he picked down to pick it up, only for it to be one of his fake trophies, all bent and destroyed. They weren't real but they meant a lot to him, Iris knew that.

"Uh, Dareth, what is this all about?"

The man in question sighed deeply and then explained. "Well, I fell behind on some of my payments, and some developer named Darnagom Enterprises is buying the entire block to put in some stupid frisbee golf course." That's not even a thing, right? Iris dreaded to imagine what that would look like. "They say if I don't come up with 50,000 by tomorrow, the dojo is gone." He sobbed.

"But, we already lost the Bounty." Protested a saddened Jay. "We can't lose the dojo now!"

But they did not have that money. And as much as Cyrus Borg cared about her, there was no way he would give or lend her a sum of that size.

"My trophies." Dareth wailed. "All my fake trophies."

"Wait a minute." Suddenly Zane said which made all the ninja turn to him. "Darnagom." He tested the name on his tongue. "When you rearrange the letters, it spells—"

Jay frowned. "O Grandma?"

"No! Garmadon!"

Iris smacked her hand against her bare forehead. "That's so stupid." The reason she hadn't noted it sooner was because she didn't think her Uncle could be so stupid when deciding a name for his fake company. "And I'm stupid for not seeing it."

A sheepish chuckle came from Jay as he scratched the back of his neck with embarrassment. "Right, that would make more sense."

After hearing the news, Llyod hung his head sadly. "My Dad is behind this?"

"I'm sorry, Little Monty." Whispered Iris as she went over and placed a kiss on his forehead and wrapped her arms over his shoulders. She knew how much it hurt him to hear his own Father was against him. But Iris knew her Uncle was just trying to prevent Lloyd from becoming the Green Ninja he was meant to be so that they wouldn't have to partake in the ultimate battle. Garmadon was doing this to save them.

Cole turned to Sensei Wu. "If he destroys the dojo, where will we train Lloyd?" He asked.

"Any chance you got 50,000 in that teapot of yours?"

The old Sensei knew his people were worried so he had to be their strength, their calm. "Worry not, Dareth." He tried to reassure the man. "You are not in this alone. We're all with you."

A familiar voice interjected from the doorway. "Did somebody say 50,000?" 

An excited gasp passed Jay. "You didn't happen to win the lottery?"

After sending a smile at the blue ninja, Nya shook her head. "No." She told them. "But I heard about Ninjaball Run."

"Ninjaball Run?"

At their shared query, Nya answered. "It's the biggest road race in Ninjago, with a prize of 100,000 big ones." That, that was more than enough. If they won that money, then the dojo was saved. "And, it's tomorrow!"

"That's perfect!" Grinned Iris.

But Dareth wasn't as enthusiastic as the others were. "I thank you, little lady fighter, but you're talking about the most dangerous race known to man." He hung his head solemnly and sighed. "Only the most serious of racers even stand a chance."

Kai turned to his sister. "But didn't you just do some upgrades on our Ultra Sonic Radar?" To confirm his words, Nya nodded. "Maybe we might stand a chance."

"And I can enter with my Dragon!" An eager Lloyd declared. "You did say I needed the practice."

Her Father seemed rather pleased with their plan. "So it is agreed." He said as he looked over each of his students. "You will all enter this Ninjaball Run to save the dojo."

Sounds of sobbing and falling tears made them all turn to Dareth who didn't even bother trying to hide his feelings. "Are you still crying?"

"Yes..." He nodded. "But these are happy tears."

The race was tomorrow so the ninja had to get ready. After all, they had a dojo to save.

WHEN THE SUN ROSE THE FOLLOWING MORNING, THE NINJA LEFT WITH PURPOSE IN THEIR STRIDE. They had to get to the race so they could win the prize and save Dareth's dojo. Nya and her Father sat in the stands with Dareth as they prepared to watch the race. And the ninja, they were at the start line with their vehicles — or, in Lloyd's case, a dragon.

"Welcome, everyone, to the 14th annual Ninjaball Run! The grand prix where it doesn't matter how you get there, as long as you get there first."

The ninja all glanced to each other as they made the last minute preparations to the sonic radar. "Well, let's take a look at the racers." One of the two presenters said.

"I see the starters' line. We have a few familiar faces...."

Then Lloyd brought down the Ultra-dragon, knocking the post man and his suped-up bike to the ground. Iris winced on the man's behalf, but then he went to insult her cousin. So, she took a deep breath and focused on their vehicle.

"You look nervous, Lloyd." Cole noted. Then he asked. "You okay?"

"Nervous?" Scoffed the young green ninja. He then let out a fake laugh. "Maybe for you guys."

As they finished with the radar, Nya had made her way down from the stands for a last-minute strategy talk. "Now, one final thing. I installed a pretty cool upgrade. So, if you're ever in a really tight spot, pull that lever, because what it does—"

Engines revving cut Nya off. 

The ninja tried to listen and Nya tried to repeat herself, but nothing was audible over the sounds of the massive mechanical parts all around them. 

With the presenter calling for the racers to prepare to begin, Nya trying to talk to them and the vehicles around them, the ninja understood nothing. Now they were about to start racing without knowing what the super cool advantage Nya had installed for them was. For the grace of the First Spinjitzu master, Iris hoped they wouldn't have to need.

"That's my cue, gotta go." Nya waved them goodbye as the start of the race was announced. "Good luck!"

And she left without any of them getting what she was trying to say.

As more participants pulled up, Cole noticed one in particular. "Look, it's my Dad." A smile appeared on Iris's lips at the familiar Blacksmith quartet. They truly were very talented. "They've entered too?"

But then came another familiar car to track. A car that belonged to Ed and Edna Walker — Jay's parents. Was it bring your parent to the race day or something?

At the sight of his eccentric and enthusiastic parents, Jay let out a defeated groan.

His Mother called out to him, waving  with everything she had. Her joy and love just made Iris long for her own dearly departed mother. She felt herself frowning a little as she thought about Leslie Cho. 

Letting out another groan, Jay turned to his fellow ninja. "Is there anyone we don't have to compete against?" And as if he jinxed it, a portal opened from out of nowhere and a skeleton vehicle soared through from the underworld. It seemed her Uncle's former minions had returned to Ninjago.

Iris sighed and smacked her palm against her forehead. "This can't be good."

She didn't even listen when the presenters explained the course — having studied it before she left. Now she was just trying to wrap her head around what they were going up against and who they were going up against. It wasn't going to be an easy race, that much was certain.

They had all hopped inside their vehicle as they prepared for the race to start. Iris gripped tightly to the controls at her sides, the anxiety of the situation washing over her like a wave. The stakes were high.

Knowing this was the case, Kai hung his head. "I don't know, guys, if we're going to save the dojo, we're gonna have to beat some pretty stiff competition."

"One final word: let's have a good clean race. So, good luck to everyone."

The light above the line flashed red which was the cue for everyone to prepare to launch into action. Taking a deep calming breath, Iris glanced at her ninja. "Good luck, boys. We can do this!"

The light flashed amber.

"On your mark.... Get set.... Njnjaball Go!"

With the green light appearing, it was their signal to start the race. The others sped ahead and Lloyd took to the skies. But within moments of starting, their right tyre tread broke from the ultra sonic radar and stopped them in their tracks.

They spun around on the road, causing some of the ninja to go a little dizzy before they stopped entirely. "What happened?!"

"We've been sabotaged!" Exclaimed Cole.

"Is everyone alright?" Iris immediately asked her boys. 

A defeated sigh passed Kai's lips as he replied. "I believe so, Sensei Iris. But not our chances of winning this race." He hung his head sadly.

"We can't think like that, Kai." Scolded Iris who then jumped out of the radar with Zane at her heels. The others too followed and soon they were at their wheel trying to fix it and get back into the race.

They had a dojo to save after all. And no matter how much she believed in Lloyd, Iris knew he had had not enough practice on the dragon yet. It was going to be tough but they had to get back into the fight. Especially considering it seemed a new racer had joined as the others zoomed by. 

This Ninjaball Run was insane.

"Oh, great!" Jay threw up his annoyed hands. "We're already out of the race!"

Turning from the radar, Cole glanced towards Jay. "We can't quit now! Not with everything that's on the line." He cast his eyes around to the other ninja. "Help me lift this thing!"

They all gathered around the radar. And, as a team, they lifted the heavy wheel of the radar and threaded the tread back around. With the tread in place, they clicked it together and secured it down. Then the radar was fixed and they could get back into the race. 

Now, they could get back in this race.

"Now, that's how this is gonna go."

Iris and the ninja leapt inside the radar and returned to their seats. With everyone inside and settled, it was time to play catch up. And there was a lot of ground to make up.

The Master of Space looked back and forward at her ninja. "Boys, we can do this!" She grinned beneath her mask encouragingly. 

Then they punched it.

They sped through the city, metal to the pedal. With no other competition close to them, they sailed cleanly through Ninjago City. Iris and the other ninja had hope they would reach the others and catch up with the race. They needed to win. At least they still had Lloyd ahead of them. 

When they approached the canyon, they could tell they were catching up with the rest of the group. As they entered the desert labyrinth, they past a crashed vehicle with pirates stumbling from the wreckage. They weren't out of this race after all.

"Ha, ha, ha!" Celebrated Jay as they sailed past the pirates. "We're no longer in last! Things are looking up."

But as those words exited his mouth, a shadow was cast over them.

A shadow created by the Black Bounty soaring over their heads. Her Uncle had arrived, it seemed. He wasn't going to let them save the dojo. The son of the Spinjitzu Master had come to stop them. 

"Oh, no!" Cried Cole as they all looked up at the vessel. "Garmadon!"

An annoyed Iris groaned. "Did Jay jinx us?"

The lightning ninja shot her an offended look.

Things got worse when the resurrected Bounty started to pull up beside them, drawing closer and closer to the ninjas' ride. Iris bit her lip anxiously, knowing that something was coming. She knew how her Uncle liked to think. They had to get away from him — and fast.

"Ah!" Exclaimed the panicked blue ninja. "We're sitting ducks! There's nowhere to run!"

Iris watched it from the corner of her eye, she could see it beginning to prepare to attack. But just before it could begin its assault, Lloyd swooped in with the ultra-dragon, knocking the Bounty from its path. Despite this, the cannon was still fired.

But with Lloyd knocking the flying ship off course, so was the cannon's trajectory. So, the ninja made it through safely. Perhaps a little covered in sand from the cannon ball impacting the ground before them, but they were otherwise unharmed. 

"Nice going, Lloyd!"

The collision knocked the young Green Ninja from his perch, the reins falling forwards onto the four necks of the ultra-dragon. He carefully attempted to retrieve it but was thrown forwards by the force of his dragon. Iris felt her breath hitch in her throat as she saw her cousin dangle in front of the ultra-sonic radar. Perhaps him entering the race wasn't such a good idea after all.

Cole grinned at the boy. "You saved us."

"I did?" He seemed confused for a moment but then he spotted Iris nodding at him. "I mean, I did!" A laugh bubbled in the boy's throat. "Hey, what do you say we work together?" 

"Yeah!" Agreed Jay determinedly. "I say let's show them what we Ninja are all about!"

A grin crossed Iris' face. "Let's do this, boys!" 

"Ninja, go!"

And so they continued to drive as fast as they could to head towards the lead of the race. Lloyd was flying above them, the team sticking together, as they exited the canyon and followed the path towards the snowy tundra. It was the next portion of the race and they were gaining ground. Despite their slow start, the ninja and their radar were doing rather well. They may have a chance after all.

Birchwood forest wasn't going to be an easy leg of the race. There would be a lot of manoeuvring and twists and turns involved. Once they entered the forest, they spotted the vehicle belonging to Cole's father and the rest of the quartet crashed into the snow. It seemed they had already fallen victim to the rough terrain of the cold wood. Cole winced when they passed.

"We'll never get through those trees to catch up." 

At Kai's observation, Lloyd then decided. "I'll find a shortcut." He turned to the dragon he was on. "Up, boy!" 

From inside the radar, Iris could witness as the ultra-dragon soared straight up into the air with Lloyd upon its back. But he quickly disappeared from view so she returned her sights to the path ahead. The windy, uneven snow path that threatened to topple them over. 

After a moment, Lloyd flew back down over their heads before he took the lead. "Follow me!" He announced and they did just that. 

The Green Ninja directed them off the main path and onto a shortcut to help them get the lead. Iris reconsidered her opinion about whether Lloyd should have entered the race because him and the incredible dragon he had proved to be very useful. Hopefully it would be enough to win them the race.

"Wow." Jay then chuckled. "He's getting the hang of it."

"And it looks like we've made up the lost time." Pointed out Cole who looked to their left and noted the other vehicles coming up beside them. Lloyd's shortcut had worked.

Iris noticed the skeletons preparing to fire the bone claw and went to warn Lloyd, but it was too late. It was fired up at the ultra-dragon, grabbing the scaly leg of their winged friend. Then it was yanked to the ground with Lloyd still on it. 

She felt her heart race inside her chest as she watched her cousin fall to the snow. Before she could even tell the boys what she was doing, she teleported out of the radar and to the impact zone. She had to make sure he was alright.

"Lloyd!" Called out the Yellow Ninja as she made her way through the snow. "Lloyd!" 

"I'm here." She heard a voice call back. Hearing him, it caused a wave of relief to wash over her. And when she followed the voice to find the small Green Ninja, she found him unharmed. "I'm okay, Iris." He reassured her.

Before she said anything else, the skeleton car had forgotten to detach the chain that had snatched the ultra-dragon from the sky. So, when it surpassed in the race, the chain tugged them back and tangled them around a tree. "The lesson there is: don't try and hurt kids." Then she turned to her cousin with a smile beneath her mask. "Especially those with dragons."

"You have to get back in the race, Iris." Lloyd told her as he stood up to comfort his dragon. "We'll be alright, here." 

Iris didn't want to leave him alone, but she also wanted to help her ninja save Dareth's dojo. She was conflicted. "Are you sure, Little Monty?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Go win and save the dojo."

She quickly surged towards him, lifting her mask slightly to place a small kiss to his forehead. "Okay. I'll see you when this is over."

So, she waved goodbye to her cousin before she replaced her mask and focused on where she wanted to go. It wasn't going to be easy with it moving, but she knew the inside the radar very well. And she knew the ninja in it. As she focused on that, she felt her power rise inside her, then a moment later, she poofed away in yellow smoke.

And she re-emerged in her seat inside the radar. She had done it.

"Iris!" She heard the boys call out her name.

"You're back." Zane stated and he felt his joints ease a little with her return. 

Then Cole asked. "Is Lloyd okay?"

Iris nodded. "Yeah. Both him and ultra-dragon are going to be just fine." The boys sighed in relief. "They took down the skeletons in the process."

"Let's win this thing!"

The Glacier Barrens was the next leg of the race and the Ninja kept driving as fast they could. They had to make Lloyd's sacrifice worth it. And they were finally getting ahead in it. Winning was starting to actually look like a real possibility. They could feel it.

"Finally!" Rejoiced Kai, noticing the multiple racers they had overtaken. "Nothing can stop us now!"

But they spoke too soon. 

The engines started to sputter and fail as their fuel was running out. They were so close to winning, this couldn't be the end. Losing the dojo would not be a good thing for them or Dareth and his students. So, they had to save it.

"Oh, no!" Cried Zane as he looked at the screen in front of him. "We've used up all our fuel!" He told the team. "We're not going to make it to the finish line."

"That's not good."

An annoyed groan escaped Jay as he leaned his head forwards against his screen. "Aw! I don't wanna say it, guys, but I think our goose is cooked."

It seemed fate, her grandfather, or whatever it was, was on their side. Because then they suddenly heard the horn of the Walker's peculiar vehicle which then proceeded to pull up beside them. Jay's parents to their rescue. "You guys look like you could use a hand there." Ed noticed. "We heard on the radio you're trying to save Dareth's dojo."

"Oh, we're so proud of you, son." Edna added, her voice raised so it could be heard over the roaring engines. 

"Thanks, Mom!" Jay was pleased they were proud of him, but it wasn't the right moment. "But we're out of gas!" 

Then the Walker woman generously offered. "Oh! Then take ours!" Jay's parents giving them their gas would mean they would be out of the race. It was incredibly kind of them to give up their spot to let the Ninja keep theirs. 

"But how?" Inquired the lightning ninja. "If we stop, we'll lose the lead." That was also true.

"Then we'll just have to do this the hard way, son." Stated Ed as he pulled out a hose to channel the fuel through.

The two vehicles descended the steep slope at the end of the Glacier Barrens, side by side as they prepared to transfer the fuel from one to the other. It wasn't going to be easy. But then again, nothing good ever was. Still, Iris had faith that they'd be able to pull it off.

Ed Walker clambered over his car to reach the back where he plugged in the hose. Following his lead, Jay leapt out of the radar and climbed across the roof to where their fuel port was. "Take this end, son." 

But they were on uneven terrain. So the radar shook and wobbled as Jay tried to find a stable footing somewhere.

"Keep it steady!"

They were certainly trying but it wasn't easy. 

Somehow, the two Walker men managed to accomplish the feat. With the ninja in the radar and Edna in the Walker car, they carefully closed the distance between them which would make it easier for the fuel to travel. They then watched on the screens as the fuel levels started to increase. And they were maintaining their lead in the race. 

In the rear view mirrors, the ninja spotted objects falling from the deck of the Black Bounty. And it only took them a moment to realise that the falling objects were in fact Serpentine that Garmadon had kicked off. Instead of staying down in the snow, the Serpentine started to advance towards them. Her Uncle really wanted them to lose.

"We've got company." Announced Cole who popped his head out of the radar to get a better look. 

Two jumped onto the radar beside Jay, making their way towards him. Immediately, the lightning ninja leapt into action. "Ninja, go!" He cried and spun, using spinjitzu to knock the Serpentine far away from the radar. "Need some help, guys."

That was when Iris, Zane and Cole exited and climbed on top of their moving vehicle.

"We've got your back." Nodded Zane. "Ninja, go!" He smacked into incoming attackers.

Cole went next, striking the Fangpyre that was aiming for the fuel hose between their radar and the Walker's car. It was knocked clean off. 

"Ninja, go!" Yelled Iris as she spun into a yellow blur and struck a Constrictai in front of it. It vanished into the snow below.

Jay leapt onto his parents' car, keeping the Serpentine off of it. But they kept coming. One Hypnobrai tried to use its powers on Zane who then spun his head half the way around to avoid its gaze. It worked and to add to it all, it grossed out his foe. With it distracted, Iris kicked and her blow landed on its scaly chest. The snake propelled from the radar. But instead of landing behind in the snow like the others, this one flew over onto the Walker's car. And it grabbed the wheel.

The car swerved, taking the ninja's radar along with it. They tumbled down the mountain slope, spinning as they went. Iris reached out and grabbed the nearest thing to her as they fell. Snow flooded her gaze so she closed her eyes and waited for them to slow. But they were tail spinning out of control — not only were they taking out Ed and Edna as well as the Serpentine bus, but the remaining contestants as well. It was a mess. And there was nothing they could do to stop it.

By the time the ultra-sonic radar had stopped spinning, Iris was dizzy.

They all got out of the car and stared at the mess before them. "Is everyone alright?" Called out Iris. The boys responded with faint hums or slight pained groans which let her know they were all alive.

Their gazes were fixed on the other cars behind them, fallen into a heap, covered with smoke. Iris gasped at the sight. 

As Cole went to fix the radar to get it moving again, Jay piped up. "Wait! Stop!" He left where the ninja had been gathering to check on his parents. Fortunately, they were just fine. It was just their poor car who had gotten the brunt of that impact.

When Jay returned, he was carrying a piece of his parents' car with him. If the Walker car wasn't going to cross the finish line, then at least a piece of it would. It was a lovely sentiment and it brought hope and determination to Iris's heart.

By the time he had fixed the part of his parents' car to their radar, it was all ready to go. So, the blue ninja hopped inside, replaced his mask and stared at the road ahead. "Let's go." He nodded. "We've got a dojo to save."

Then they tore off down the remainder of the mountain.

It wasn't much further that they exited the snowy terrain and entered drier sand as they reapproached Ninjago City. They were so close now. The finish line was practically in their sights. Iris could practically feel it.

They finally turned back onto concrete. Onto real road. Now they were definitely reaching the city. But so was Lord Garmadon in the Dark Bounty above.

The two were neck a neck.

"Looks like it's just us and Garmadon." Noted Cole.

Then Kai added. "This time, let's make sure the good guys don't finish last." 

Nodding, Iris added as she narrowed her eyes at her Uncle's copy of their ship. "We win this — for Dareth and for Lloyd." Her boys cheered in agreement as Kai pushed the accelerator.

With that added firepower, the ultra-sonic radar passed the Bounty and sped on its course to the finish line. They were never going to give up. Because ninja never quit. Today was not going to be the day that they started.

They were ahead of her Uncle and were gaining distance. Things were looking good. It was looking like they might actually win.

But then the ground split in two.

The road was torn apart as a perpendicular rip appeared before them and shredded the surrounding ground. It widened and deepened. It became so large that there was no way of crossing it. This had to be the work of her Uncle and his 'mega-weapon' for what else had the power to reshape Ninjago. 

The second they spotted the chasm ahead, the ninja stamped on the brakes. And their tyres screeched and smoked as they skidded to a stop directly in front of the abyss before them. They landed parallel to the tear in the earth, the edge too close for comfort. But they were safe for the moment.

Pulling away from the chasm, the ninja glared in anger as they watched the Black Bounty dart above them. It sped past and headed towards the finish line in the city. But they could not let her Uncle win. And they al gathered Iris crossing the line alone — without the car — would not count. So, they would have to find a way across.

"Argh!" An annoyed Jay huffed. "That's totally cheating!" He exclaimed. 

"Guys, it's impossible to cross that divide." Stated Zane who had already calculated the distance across. 

But Iris was not giving up. "We'll find a way." She said rather certainly. She had faith in her boys. They usually thought of something.

As the radar came to a stop some distance from the chasm, Kai sighed. "Aw, we're not going to win now." Then he paused. And Iris could tell the cogs were turning in his mind. He was coming up with a plan. "Wait a minute. This ain't over." What did he have planned. "Everybody... hang on!"

Then, the radar charged.

Kai aimed their vehicle directly at the chasm with no intention of steering away. He was going faster, giving it everything they had. A worried Iris clutched the dash in front of her until her knuckles whitened. She hoped Kai had a good plan because she couldn't teleport them out of here. Despite her fear, she trusted him. 

"Uh, you do know we're aiming straight for that cliff, right? You sure that's a good idea?"

Shaking his head, kai replied. "I haven't had time to think it through." 

That wasn't very reassuring. 

"Oh, what was it that Sensei said?" He tried to recall as they were about to drive into a chasm. "You gotta have trust." Well, at least he was listening.

Not pleased by his answer, Cole interjected. "—Yeah! In each other, not in miracles!"

The red ninja took a deep breath. He was trying to calm himself, preparing for what was about to come. "Nya," He sighed. "don't fail us now. All right. Now!"

Wait... he was going to use the lever?! The lever they didn't know what it did?! He really was hoping for a miracle.

A miracle it was.

The moment Kai yanked the lever, the top of the radar detached from the bottom. They were no longer just in a car with tough treads, but now they were jumping onto the flying front of their vehicle directed at Ninjago City. Nya had really pulled through for them. She had saved them and the dojo.

"Ninja, go!"

Then Iris let out a sigh of relief as they flew over the giant whole in the ground and not falling to their deaths inside. She held on tight to the metal exterior, not daring to lose her grip for a moment. Not only did they catch up with Lord Garmadon and the Black Bounty, but they passed it again. Perhaps they were going to win after all.

They reached Ninjago City and raced through the streets, following the outlined track to the letter. Garmadon was on their heels, so close behind them Iris was afraid the bowsprit was going to knock at least one of them off. But, they all managed to keep their grips as they twisted and turned and somehow maintained their lead on Garmadon.

The finish line was within their sights now — it really was this time — and Iris tried to focus on it and not the shadow cast over them by her Uncle's ship. Cool wind brushed her cheeks as she flew on the side of the mini jet from the radar, tugging at her mask. But they were so close to the finish line that she ignored it. 

Garmadon was right above them, the two practically in the same space.

The finish line approached.

The two ships crossed the line.

And the ninja won. 

Or, at least, they certainly had in the eyes on the citizens of Ninjago City. For, once they had crashed down past the line, they were helped out by the audience in the stands. Before Iris knew what was happening, she felt herself being lifted up onto someone's shoulders. They were all cheering for the ninja, celebrating a victory they weren't even certain of yet. After all, they had crossed the line at the same time. But the people didn't care and instead celebrated their heroes and their cause.

A grin spread across Iris' face and she let out a joyous laugh. The sound made Zane turn and he would have sworn he had butterflies again as he watched Iris remove her yellow mask and show the world the grin that brightened up her beautiful face. He liked seeing her happy.

Garmadon landed the Black Bounty, insisting it was in fact he who had won the race. But the people of Ninjago City and Ninjaball Run weren't having that.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! We have a winner!"

The eyes of everyone around turned to the screens in anticipation. Here it was. The fate of the dojo.

"The Ninja!" Their smiles brightened, their laughs deepened. They had won. It had all been worth it. "The Ninja have won it!" 

They showed an image from the finish line and Iris noted the piece that had won them the race was from Jay's parents' car. The part he added for them was what gave them the extra length in front to beat Garmadon. So it was really the Walkers who had won the race. And Iris was perfectly happy with that.

Jay grinned as he removed it from the jet. "Yeah!" He cheered. "I knew it would bring us luck."

It certainly had.

Suddenly they heard Lloyd's voice boom behind them. "Your ship?" He raised a blonde brow and they all turned around to see the young Green Ninja stood on top of the Bounty, the Ultra-dragon looming over him as they all glared at Garmadon.

The Bounty had been reclaimed. The dojo was saved. It was a good day for the ninja.

"I believe that this belongs to us."

Iris smiled proudly at her cousin as he stood up to his father. The sore loser wailed in protest. He had lost the Bounty and his hold over the ninja. The ninja had won and he had lost. 

But when the police went to take him into custody, the Serpentine bus from the race pulled up and Garmadon jumped inside. And, within moments, he was gone. 

"Somehow, Sensei, I don't think that will be the last we are gonna see of him." 

Beside them, Dareth was celebrating their victory and the saving of his home. "We did it! We did it!" He cheered as they were brought the cup containing the money. "Whoo-hoo! We saved the dojo!" His joy over the protection of his home made it all worth it. "Look what I can do! Cannonball!" 

Then he jumped into the oversized trophy and sat amongst the bank notes.

Today they had saved the dojo but had lost Garmadon. But this wasn't over by a long shot. The battle had been won... but the war... the war had yet to arrive.

Chapter 27 and episode 4 is now complete!!! So close to 30 chapters and so close to mine and dorkiest_nerd 's girls reuniting. I'm so excited for Loralynn to come into the picture, you all have no idea. If you haven't already checked out Katie's fic, go take a look! It's already gorgeous!

So, this took longer than I hoped because I got stuck half way through and then went and worked on all my other fics. Blame me and my friends watching the LEGO movie for me getting back into the Ninjago zone. 

Hopefully I'll write some more soon. I just love Iris and her boys. And Zane is starting to feel something for Iris. They've always had a connection but now feelings are starting. She makes his nindroid heart race. FSM, I love them.

Thank you for reading!

Sincerely Rosie aka Winter326