Thank you all for staying with me through this book. This is the last chapter before the epilogue so, try not to cry.

Atop the Crystal Island, Reika and Garmadon stood facing Aria and Lloyd. Lloyd drew out his sword as Aria stayed sitting on her throne.

"I asked your sensei a question when he faced me as well," Aria says "so I'll ask you the same green ninja. What are you hoping to achieve here?"

"I'm going to stop you," Reika replies.

"How so?" Aria questions "Are you hoping to take my head?"

"No," Reika responds with a sad look in her eyes "nobody is dying here today, not us and not you either."

"The only way you'll be able to stop me is by doing just that." Aria tells her "You see I won't stop, not now, not ever. I don't hold the same morals as you, Reika, you're both dying here and now."

Aria stood up from her throne and stood beside Lloyd. Reika took a breath as Garmadon powered up his Oni form.

"You've always wanted to defeat the green ninja Lloyd," Aria nudges him "your day has come."

"Gladly," Lloyd responds as he powers up his Oni form.

"Escape is not allowed," Aria states as her power pulses through the air "Neither of you will live through this day," she flashes in front of Reika "so die."

Reika was knocked back by Aria, Garmadon went to help but was knocked away by Lloyd as well. The two stood on either side of the island, facing their opponent.

"It didn't have to be this way son," Garmadon says as he stood up.

"I thought you didn't have a son." Lloyd responds, raising his sword.

The two began fighting as Reika dodged a beam from Aria.

"This isn't really how you wanted it to be," Reika says. "You just wanted peace for your kingdom."

"That was my past life," Aria responds.

Reika shot a beam back at Aria, the two powers colliding, neither being overwhelmed until they disappeared.

"You're still the same person," Reika says.

"They took our heads!" Aria angrily flies above her, dodging Reika's attack.

"Because they were scared!" Reika replies "They didn't know what was going on, and you never told them!"

"It wasn't for them to know!" Aria shouts as she collected energy "They should've trusted me!"

"Your mother betrayed you!" Reika dodged Aria's beam "You were hurt by someone you loved the most! Your reaction was understandable Aria! But this can't be what you want!"

Reika's energy hit Aria and she was knocked to the ground. Reika walked towards her and looked out at the city.

"Aria, this can't be what you wanted." Reika says.

Aria glances out at the city, the ex-deltorians were running around afraid. They couldn't face themselves; they couldn't hide either.

"This isn't revenge," Reika says "these are you people, who were afraid to be themselves. In their home, they were safe, but then they felt that they couldn't even be themselves there. They had a ruler who didn't tell them what was going on, there was a barrier placed around them and they thought it was because of you."

"Shut up!" Aria shouts, sending a blast through the air.

Reika flew back and hit a crystal. On the other side, Garmadon was thrown through the air hitting a crystal with enough force to knock him out of his Oni form. Lloyd panted as he slowly turned to face the two girls, Aria's eyes turned into slits as she stared down Reika.

"This can't be the future you want for your children." Reika says with a pained voice "Everyone is scared Aria... even you. Your grandparents thought it was best to send Layla away for their tribe, your father thought it was best to reclaim the realm for a better life for you, you're... the same as them. You're all doing what you think is best for your children."

"You know nothing!" Aria shouts as her nails grow into dragon ones.

"You were wronged, but now you need to break the cycle." Reika holds her side in pain "Be better than them Aria, what's best for your children is not this. A world of chaos and fear, it's not safe. History will forever repeat, unless we stop it here and now..."

"SHUT UP" Aria screams.

Reika closes her eyes as Aria jumps at her, everything seemed to stop, until she heard a scream. Reika opened her eyes to see Lloyd in front of her, the scream was Aria. Reika sat in shock, watching blood fall down from Lloyd, before he fell to his knees in front of Aria.

"L-Lloyd..." Aria stares in shock as her hand trembled, looking down at Lloyd's blood on her hand.

"She's right..." Lloyd says as he shook in pain. "Aria."

"Lloyd!" Aria screams as he fell fully to the ground.

Aria began to cry as she got down and held onto Lloyd's body.

"No Lloyd! Please don't die!" Aria shouts.

"Why did you do that?" Reika asks with a trembling voice.

Garmadon sat staring at the scene, completely in shock as well. Aria screams as Lloyd held onto Aria's hand weakly.

"Our boys deserve better," Lloyd says.

"Don't talk!" Aria shouts as she held his face in her lap.

"No, Aria." Lloyd looks up at her "Listen to me," Aria sobbed loudly as he smiles up at her weakly "our parents always thought what they wanted was best for us. For once, our children should decide for themselves what is best for them. So, trust them... not ourselves."

"You can't leave me," Aria cries as she laid her forehead against his. "I don't know.. how to do that."

"I know you can," Lloyd tells her as the light in his eyes dimmed "you're my Aria."

Lloyd's eyes closed as Aria screamed into the sky, the middle crystal glowed violently and sent pulses through the city. Making the crystal structures shake violently.

"The city!" Reika panics.

Aria put her head over Lloyd's and cried as the violent shakes continued getting worse. Garmadon made his way over and helped Reika to her feet.

"Reika," Aria mutters.

"Y-yes?" Reika looks over at her.

"My boys, they're in the safe room under my palace." Aria mutters.

"Why... are you telling me?" Reika asks with a quiver in her voice. "We can go get them together-"

"No," Aria looks up at Reika with tears running down her face, her eyes back to green "please, take care of them."

"Aria-"

"I know what's best for my boys," Aria declares "as long as I'm around I will always create trouble for them. They need to decide for themselves... what's best for them."

"No!" Reika shouts with tears in her eyes "They need you Aria, you can't leave them."

"I cannot live without him," Aria squeezes Lloyd's hand "he's everything to me Reika. Please, I'm begging you, help my boys grow up to be splendid ninja..."

"Aria," Reika began to cry.

"I'll make sure the blast never reaches the city," Aria says "I promise, you need to leave now."

"No!" Reika shouts "I promised I would protect you guys!" I'm not leaving-"

"We need to go," Garmadon looks away and drags Reika.

"No!" Reika screams "Aria don't do this!"

Aria smiles sadly as she pulls Lloyd's lifeless body to her. Garmadon quickly forcing Reika away from the crystal island.

"A fitting end for the Princess of Evil," Aria mutters "don't you think, my knight."

The crystal in the center of the island reaches max power as Aria hugs Lloyd's body, a shield forming around the island.

"I'll see you soon," Aria puts her head against Lloyd's forehead "my love."

Back on the ground everyone stood together.

"There they are!" Kai points out as Reika and Garmadon reached the ground using a dragonoid.

Reika falls on the ground in tears as the ninja all run up to her worriedly.

"What happened?!" Wu asks as he pushes everyone aside.

"They're gone..." Reika cries as she grabs onto Wu and cries "I couldn't save them."

Wu rubs her back comfortingly as the temple explodes above them. A glitter of purple falls upon the people of Ninjago as the descendants of Del were freed from their forms and hugged each other. The ninja looked around as the glitter began ascending into the sky.

A female nearby begins to cry as she puts her hand over her wrist.

"It's gone," they hear her say as she cried "the mark of Del."

The descendants of Del began to cheer and cry all around.

"Why are they crying?" Jay asks sadly.

"They are relieved to know they are free from Del after all this time," Garmadon explains as he stares up at the sky "but it is a sad thing as well... for their home is gone."

-

The ninja all stood together in the kingdom of Del, behind the castle where there were eleven marked graves. The citizens of Del, even the ex-ones, stood behind them holding lanterns. Reika shed tears as she looked down at the two young boys standing beside her, holding her hands looking confused.

"For all the shit you put me through," Cole looked down at Aria's grave as tears filled his eyes "I loved you cuz. Rest in peace."

The other ninja were holding back tears as Reika's began to fall. The people of del, even the old ones, released their lanterns into the air as many wept. Wu put his arm around Reika comfortingly.

"Wherever they are Reika," Wu says "they're together."

A field of gold surrounded Aria as she rolled over.

"Hey!"

Aria looks over to see Lloyd with the white knights behind him.

"Come on empress!" Hanabusa shouts with a smile.

"You gonna sleep forever?" Shiki questions.

Lloyd runs over and holds his hand out to her "We still got more adventures to go on!"