•───•°•❀•°•───•

Lilinoe watched from a distance as her stepsister trained, her jealousy and longing distracting her from her task. She was so caught up in her wish to join her that she didn't even notice her stepfather approaching from behind her.

"Either you will behave yourself and join the rest of the Kabuki, or I can have Clouse dump you in the Factory. The choice is yours, Lilinoe."

"But-"

"Your mother isn't here to coddle you anymore," he snapped. "As your stepfather, you will obey me."

•───•°•❀•°•───•

Lilinoe sat alone in her room, still in a state of denial from what had just occurred the previous night. She'd known what was coming but it was still so hard to accept. Cole was out of the Tournament, her safety blanket ripped away. She felt a sort of numbness, completely crushed but unable to cry.

A knock on the door pulled her from her swirling thoughts of anxiety.

"Lilinoe, it's me," a voice whispered from the other side of the large wooden door.

The voice was familiar, and part of her was hopeful that was Cole, but that would've been impossible and it sounded nothing like him.

Forcing herself from the bed, Lilinoe carefully crept towards the door, confused about who her visitor could be. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she hesitantly pulled the door open, revealing the Blue Ninja on the other side. His face lifted upon seeing she had opened the door for him but quickly dropped when he saw her sad state.

"Are you alright?" he whispered.

Lilinoe snapped out of whatever daze she'd been in and quickly scanned the hall, looking around for anyone who could be watching. Upon seeing the halls empty, she opened the door wider and stepped to the side, making way for Jay to enter.

"Come," she ushered in a hushed voice. "Before someone sees you."

Jay did as he was told and quickly stepped inside, Lilinoe closing the door behind him. He looked around the misty periwinkle room before his gaze landed back on the girl before him, her anxious gaze willing him to speak.

"Oh, haha, right, uhm..." he stammered with a nervous laugh, remembering why he was there. "Look, Lilinoe, I'm really sorry for how I treated you before, it was totally unfair to you." His voice dropped to something sadder. "Before the match ended, I promised Cole that we'd look out for you, so that's exactly what we're gonna do. I just- I wish we would've stopped arguing for just one minute to actually come up with a plan. It wouldn't have had to end like that. Cole would still be here..."

"But that was his plan," Lilinoe spoke up.

"What?"

"I appreciate your apology, but don't beat yourself up about winning the match. Cole planned on losing the entire time."

"What?!" Jay repeated. "Why would he do that?! That's a stupid plan!"

"Keep your voice down," she warned in a hushed voice. "Divide, conquer, add. That's what he told me. He's splitting from you guys so you can divide and conquer. He's finding Zane and adding him to your whole."

"That's a pretty good plan..." he said slowly, nodding.

"I want to help. I wanna help you keep the whole, and get Zane and Cole back."

"We'll get them back, that's a Ninja guarantee," Jay said with a determined smile. "We should get going, the next fight is gonna start soon. Welcome to the whole, Lilinoe."

•───•°•❀•°•───•

"Skylor, Master of Amber, versus Jacob, Master of Sound!" Chen announced as the fight began. "Fight, Fight!"

Lilinoe sat between Garmadon and Jay with her hood pulled over her head, watching the redheaded girl intently as she methodically moved around the arena, avoiding being caught by the Master of Sound's echolocation. Then Kai decided to join the crowd, the groans and complaints of other Masters and their squished toes breaking Lilinoe's concentration.

Sorry, all these temples look the same," the boy in red complained as he took his seat on the other side of Jay. "Did I miss anything?"

By the looks of it, you didn't miss much," Jay scoffed, gesturing to the upset Elemental Masters Kai just passed by. "Maybe we shouldn't be sitting together. I mean, the more they think we're a team, the bigger targets we put on ourselves."

"Don't say that," Lloyd cut in, "We are a team. Sure we just lost Cole and still can't find Zane, but we're a team! Just smaller. All the more reason to stick together. Plus we've got Lilinoe now!"

"We didn't lose Cole," Jay corrected. "Lilinoe, tell them."

"Cole lost the match on purpose," she explained. "He's splitting up to make reaching your goals easier, to find Zane and add him to your whole. Divide, conquer, add."

"Now that he's out of the tournament, he's seeing a different side to things," Jay said.

"A side that might have Zane on it..." Lloyd concluded.

"Skylor's fighting?" Kai interrupted, catching sight of the girl in the arena as she sent a fireball at the Master of Sound.

"What has him so excited?" Garmadon asked.

Jay turned to the old man with an amused expression. "He had a crush on her until he found out they might be related," he laughed.

"Her element isn't fire," Lilinoe said with the soft sake of her head. "She's the Master of Amber, power of absorption. She can emulate the power of anyone she's touched."

"You're telling me we're not related?" Kai asked excitedly as he turned to Lilinoe.

"Oh boy, here we go again," Jay sighed.

Lilinoe couldn't help but let out a small giggle as the group returned their attention to the fight just as Skylor got the Jade blade.

"Winner!" Chen announced. "And loser." A trap door opened below the Master of Sound, causing Lilinoe to grimace as he fell into the dungeon below. "I hope the Tournament of Elements has entertained you as much as it has me," Chen continued. "To thank you, I wanted to give everyone fancy jewels and untold shiny things. But then in yesterday's battle, Master Jay and Cole tried to undermine me by teaming up and refusing to fight each other. And that made me very upset." Lilinoe's brow pulled tight as she glared at her stepfather, worried about what unfair treatment this was leading to. "For their insubordination, all of your fancy quarters will be taken away, and tonight everyone must sleep together in the chow house. That is all. Thanks! You can go."

The other Elemental Masters all groaned and murmured insults to the Ninja as they left the arena, Jay and Kai starting bickering of their own.

"Nice one, Jay," Kai sneered at the boy in blue.

"Woah, easy, Romeo," Jay glared back.

"Don't worry about them. We aren't here to make friends, just save ours," Lloyd said, putting an end to the brewing argument.

Lilinoe let out a sigh, trying to ignore how she suddenly felt out of place. They still didn't get it...

"Yes, but your exclusion of others has only made enemies," Garmadon informed. "Be aware of how you treat those around you, for they will treat you the same."

•───•°•❀•°•───•

Lilinoe tossed and turned in the uncomfortable bed in the chow house, kept awake by her anxiety. She was worried about Cole, knowing where he had probably ended up since it was a place she'd spent a lot of time at as a child. Was he ok? Did he get hurt in the fall from the trap door? What would Chen do to him and the other Elemental Masters? What was her stepfather up to? What would he do if he found out it was really her, and not the Master of Mist? Was there even such a thing as an Elemental Master of Mist?

She didn't know. She wasn't an Elemental Master. She wasn't even invited, she just needed to find out what Chen was up to and stop him. But why did she think she could do that? She's weak and afraid. Cole was the only one who kept that feeling away. When he was around, she felt something foreign and new, something that made her heart race. But now... Now he was gone... Where is he? Is he ok? What about-

The lights flicked on, followed by the crash of a gong, breaking Lilinoe's cycle of anxious thoughts before they could repeat once more. In walked Clouse, followed by a slew of Chen's goons, smug grins plastered on their faces. The other Elemental Masters began to wake with more crashes of the gong.

"Good morning fighters," Clouse announced. "Oh, that's right, it's the middle of the night."

The workers went around to each Master, handing out rollerblades and forcing them to put them on. Lilinoe carefully rose to her feet, clutching a nearby pillar tightly for support. She didn't want to fall and embarrass herself in front of everyone again. Although Kai, who was unable to skate either, rolled passed her and promptly wiped out beside Skylor, almost taking her down with him.

"Lemme guess," Lloyd began with a glare, "Another one of Chen's impromptu battles?"

Jay, on the other hand, seemed rather excited as he rolled over to the blonde. "Oh, roller skates. I love roller skates!"

"We should be getting used to this by now," Lloyd said, finishing his thought while ignoring Jay.

"Did I ever mention I once placed first in the Mother-Son Skate-Off?" the Blue Ninja continued with a giggle. "I never should have admitted that..."

"Master Chen wants everyone in the Royal Arena. I wouldn't be late if I were you," Clouse announced to the Masters.

"If most of us have already fought, why are we all in skates?" Skylor asked.

"Only two of you will be fighting," the older man replied. "but the rest of you will have a chance to affect the outcome."

"Who's fighting? Tell us now!" the Master of Speed chimed up.

"The Green Ninja versus Master of Form." And with that information, Clouse and the men made their exit.

Lilinoe made her wobbly way over to Lloyd just as Jay and Kai gathered around too, the Master of Fire falling once again. She looked up at the sound of a smug laugh to see a second Kai a short ways away, the duplicate's voice raising to a feminine pitch.

"Watch your back, Green Ninja," Chamille, Master of Form, sneered as she fizzled back to her regular form.

•───•°•❀•°•───•

"I don't like the look of this," Lloyd murmured to his team and Lilinoe as they made their way to the arena with the rest of the Masters.

"Don't worry, we got your back," Kai reassured, followed by a yelp as he hit the ground once again.

Lilinoe wobbled as the sudden movement disturbed her balance. She grasped Jay's arm as he offered it to her to keep steady. "Sorry," she said softly with a small nervous smile. "I can't skate."

"You're still better than Kai!" the boy in blue chimed in an effort to raise her spirits. Thankfully, it worked, and a small giggle escaped her mouth as Kai yelled in offense.

They exited the tunnel they were in through a large hatch that led up a ramp and into the arena, conveniently set up as an oval roller rink. To the side sat a rack of helmets, orange and green to signal two different teams. With a spotlight on himself and roller skates of his own, Chen skated his way over to the Elemental Masters.

"Welcome to my favorite event. Thunderblade!" he announced.

"Hey I know this game," the Master of Speed began, "It's just like-"

"No! It's not like that!" Chen cut him off. "This is my game, I made it up! Fully original! A Jade Blade for you, Lloyd, Master of Power." He pulled out a Jade Blade, tossing it to Lloyd as well as a green helmet. "And another for Chamille, Master of Form. Where-? Where are you? Oh, there you are." Chen tossed a Jade Blade to her as well, along with an orange helmet. He continued. "Rules are simple. Each lap you complete with your blade in possession, a point. Most points before time expires, you win."

"Woah woah woah, what about us?" Master of Speed asked. "Are we supposed to just stand here?"

"You get to help anyone you wish, or hurt for that matter," Chen answered. "You're free to choose sides. I'm not a dictator."

This couldn't end well for Lloyd. All the other Elemental Masters began gathering their helmets, orange for Chamille's team, then gathered into a small huddle.

Lilinoe hovered by the helmet rack, unsure of which side to choose as she felt the stare of the Ninja on her. Then, with careful hands, she lifted a green helmet from its stand, placing it on her head and then sending Lloyd an encouraging smile. Well, as encouraging of a smile that she could muster through her nerves.

"What was that you said about having targets on our backs?" Lloyd whispered to Jay.

"Don't worry," Kai began as he tried to roll his way over to where they stood, "we're still a team."

Jay let out a heavy sigh as Kai fell again. "I gotta be honest, this doesn't look good."

Lloyd and Chamille lined up at the starting line, and the rest of the Masters lined up a little ways behind them. Chen began his usual little announcement he did at the start of each fight.

"Lloyd, Master of Power versus Chamille, Master of Form! Most laps with their Jade Blade when time runs out wins, loser is out! Thunderbladers on your mark, get set, good luck to everyone. But mostly Chamille because we all want the Green Ninja out. Now go!"

A loud horn blared with the start of the race, Lloyd and Chamille taking off down the track. Lilinoe carefully pulled a periwinkle mask up over her face, extra protection of her identity in case her hood happened to fall during the race. While they waited for their start, Jay leaned over to her.

"You can hold on to me to keep steady," he said to the nervous girl. "I'll stay close for now, till things start getting hairy."

A second horn blared, signaling the rest of the Elemental Masters to begin. They took off strong, Jay pulling Lilinoe along, but she managed to keep up.

"See, you're doing it!" Jay cheered in encouragement, getting a small laugh and a hidden smile from Lilinoe. "It's us against the world. If Lloyd has any chance of moving forward it's up to us."

Kai fell once again, just as Lloyd and Chamille made their first lap, one point going up on the scoreboard for both of them. A few other Masters took to targeting Jay and Lilinoe, pushing and fighting and trying to trip them up. Lilinoe almost went down, but Jay lugged her back up just as the attackers ceased their shoving.

"We have to get him room," Jay called to Kai, who was back on his feet and nearby.

"And just how are we supposed to do that?" the Master of Fire retorted.

"I got an idea. Don't touch anyone!" Jay pulled away from Lilinoe and Kai, both who were using him as support.

"Then who am I supposed to hold onto!?" Kai cried as he wobbled, but Jay was already ahead.

The Master of Lightning zapped a few Masters on the opposing team, slowing them down and making room to get past them. Kai and Lilinoe passed through the group and up to Lloyd, just for Kai to run into the blonde and take all three of them down.

"Use your power!" Kai called to Lloyd.

"On roller skates? Are you crazy? I'd never stay on the track!" Lloyd called back, swiftly getting to his feet and taking off again.

Chamille was now way ahead. Jay rolled over to Kai and Lilinoe, helping the girl back up and leaving Kai to help himself.

"You're supposed to be helping, not hurting his chances!" Jay yelled, scolding Kai for knocking Lloyd down.

"Thanks for the tip, but I can't skate!"

The race continued just as intense as it started, if not more so due to the decreasing time. It also didn't help that Chen was once again playing with the buttons on his throne, popping up ramps onto the track. They only really tripped up Kai and Lilinoe, being the only two without previous skating experience.

Jay flung Lloyd forward, using all his strength to get him more distance faster. It seemed as though the trick had worked in getting him a point, just for Lloyd's form to fizzle out into Chamille.

The Master of Shadow appeared behind the real Lloyd a moment later, shoving him to the ground and causing him to lose his Jade Blade. It was picked up by another Master, who was elbowed and shoved aside by Jay, resulting in him gaining the blade.

"You didn't learn that in your Mother-Son Skate-Off, did you?" Lloyd teased from beside him.

"It was a fierce competition, Lloyd," Jay retorted, "and this isn't the time to judge." He handed the Jade blade back to the Green Ninja. "It's the time to skate faster!"

Kai's poor skating led to a small crash, and the small crash led to a bit of a pile-up, tripping more of the others. Then, with the press of a button, Chen released a snake-themed buggy onto the track. They managed to duck out of its way just in time, the buggy barreling through with Chamille holding onto the back.

"She has the lead and she gets a lift?" Lloyd cried. "I know Chen wants me out, but this is getting ridiculous!"

All of it was getting to be too much, the shoving, the yelling, the roaring engine of the buggy... Lilinoe was overwhelmed and feeling useless to her team as she fought to shove an opponent off of herself.

Just then, Kai flew past her, using his powers as a boost. He grabbed onto Chamille and pulled her from the back of the buggy, causing her to drop her blade and the buggy to spin out. Lilinoe sped past, snatching the lost blade.

The Master of Form was hot on her tail and very, very angry. In a panic, she called out to Jay, tossing the blade to him just as Chamille lunged for it and took both them down, as well as a few others who had given chase to Lilinoe. It was a rather painful pile-up, wheels and elbows being jabbed into sides and limbs, but the cheer from Jay was all she needed to pull herself out and back to her feet. She regrouped with Kai and Jay.

"Lloyd's closing the gap, but the clock is against us," the boy in blue grumbled.

"So is everyone else," Kai pointed out. "Garmadon's right, the more we exclude everyone, the more they gang up on us."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, why don't we tell them about Chen? Lilinoe gave us the push, Cole gave us the plan. We divide, conquer, and add. Build an alliance with the other Masters." Kai explained. "If others knew what this tournament was really about, maybe they'd help us. We need them on our side!"

"Worth a try, but time's running out and Lloyd's got a lot of ground to make up," Jay replied.

Just as Lilinoe was about to ask what was going on and why it took them so long to understand she'd been telling them, Chamille jabbed an elbow into Jay, causing him to drop the Jade Blade back into her hold. Kai spun out again, grabbing onto Skylor who didn't look very pleased about it. He began whispering something to her as Jay pulled Lilinoe close.

"Lilinoe, I know you already said it but you're right, Chen's the real enemy here," he began in a hushed, almost panicked voice. "He doesn't care about who wins, he just wants to steal our powers so that he can perform some sort of spell."

Lilinoe's eyes widened in fear of what that meant for Cole, but another voice spoke up before she could voice her worries.

"A spell? What kind of spell?" Mr. Pale, Master of Light, asked.

"I don't know, but we have to stay in the tournament to find out," Kai answered, having rejoined the group after informing Skylor. More Elemental Masters began to gather.

"This isn't about Lloyd winning," Jay chimed in. "It's about all of us stopping Chen."

"And why are you telling me this now?" Griffin Turner, Master of Speed, asked.

"Because it's never too late to do the right thing," Lloyd replied as he too joined the group.

Neruo knocked away the Master of Poison before she could take out Lloyd. "He's telling the truth. I know."

"Then why have you now decided to help?" Jay asked annoyed.

"I'd rather be on the winning team."

"Then let's win this thing!" Lloyd cheered, getting a boost from Neruo whipping him forward.

More chaos ensued. Kai stole the buggy from the driver, pulling it up beside Lloyd to let him hop in and take the wheel. Displeased with the action, Chen mashed more buttons, popping up more ramps and other obstacles. However, Lloyd managed to dodge and maneuver through them perfectly. That is until he made the mistake of trying to get Chamille on his side, reaching a hand out to her.

"We don't have to keep fighting each other," Lloyd called to her. "We can all win."

"All of us?" she asked with a pleasant smile.

"United."

The Master of Form took his hand, yanking him from the buggy with a laugh. "Only one can remain."

Lloyd stumbled to his feet and took off again. He used a ramp as a speed boost, swiftly catching up to Chamille who began to fight him with her Jade Blade.

The workers keeping track of the score started unfairly changing the score on Chen's command. He was unhappy that Lloyd was winning.

"He's rigging the match!" Kai cried, summoning his power. "I'll stop him-"

"Let me," Skylor cut him off, using her absorbed power from the Master of Gravity to lift the men into the air.

In the meantime, Lloyd and Chamille continued fighting and shoving, racing to get just one more point in before the timer ran out. Their blades clinked as they spun, tripping and falling to the ground. Both quickly got back to their feet, continuing their fight.

Five seconds left to go...

Chamille crossed the line first just as the clock hit zero, worry and disappointment spreading amongst the other Masters. But then Lloyd lifted his blade, and Chamille was empty-handed; she'd lost the blade during her last fall. Cheers erupted from the Elemental Masters at the realization of Lloyd's victory.

"No. No! No!" Chen yelled. "He cheated! Lloyd loses!"

"No way," Griffin piped up, "Lloyd won fair and square. You were the one who cheated!"

"My tournament! My rules!"

"And just what rules are those?" Mr. Pale asked. "If Lloyd's out, then so am I."

"Me too," Kai declared.

"Me three," Jay added.

"You can't kick us all out," Lilinoe chimed in to show her support.

"What kind of tournament will you have then?" Skylor added.

"Fine have it your way!" Chen yelled, "Form loses!"

With the press of a button, Chamille was dropped down through a trap door, and the remaining Masters cheered for Lloyd once again.

A relieved smile spread across Lilinoe's face as she stood with the celebrating Masters, but her mind wandered elsewhere, all her anxieties resurfacing. If what the Ninja said was true, then they were playing a dangerous game here. Her fear for Cole's well-being only skyrocketed, but at least she knew he'd been right. She could trust his friends.

•───•°•❀•°•───•