Chapter 11

Harumi and Vangelis were now left alone. They quickly got out of the room and into the hallway.

"We need to get up to the bridge!" Harumi yelled as their steps turned into a run.

They ran forward, and then noticed a small hole in the structure's wall. Harumi quickly peeked out, seeing the Geckle and Munce army fighting against the skeletons, Kai, Jay, Nya, Zane, Korgran and Fungus alongside them. No Cole. Or Vania.

Then Harumi heard a giant roar. The Grief Bringer.

"We might be too late!" Vangelis' voice feared.

"No, we can't be!" Harumi said, resuming her run, once again.

The pair ran onward, coming across a few skeletons they quickly hid from behind a wall.

"How will they ever manage to take all of them down?" Vangelis doubted.

Harumi didn't answer, only focused on getting where they needed to go. Then there was another hole in the cave wall. Harumi quickly ran to it, finally seeing the pair.

Two levels up from them, on the bridge. Cole still had the blades, Vania still had the skull.

Harumi had to make it, she had to.

A gasp left Harumi's lips, physically taking a step back.

"She destroyed the blades..." she said quietly.

"We're not going to make it!" Vangelis' voice pleaded.

"Not if we don't run!" Harumi quickly said and the two carried on running.

They had run up one flight of stairs, now looking for the next ones, when suddenly they heard an uproar of voices.

"What's going on?" Vangelis wondered and the pair quickly looked for another hole.

Harumi didn't know how it was possible, but she was glad all the same. Wu and the king's guard had arrived into the cave and were now joining the fight against the skeletons.

"How did they-" "They'll tell us later, but they're buying us time, let's go!" Harumi said, and the two continued running up.

They finally found the last flight of stairs and were now on the right level. Harumi felt a stab in her ribs every step she took, her legs threatening to give out under her. She was exhausted, Vangelis even more so. But the adrenaline in her veins kept her going, she had to keep going.

Finally Harumi could slow down as she saw an exit before her. Exit to the bridge. She walked closer to it, holding her ribs, trying to steady her breath. She collapsed right in front of the exit, seeing that she had made it.

Cole was still alive, Vania floating in front of him, the skull next to her.

"The blades were never magic..." Harumi then heard Cole's voice say.

He was on his hands and knees, on the ground.

"I told you that already!" Vania's demonic voice yelled.

"It was... it was her... It was all her... the power inside my mother, that was the spinjitzu burst..." His breathy voice said as he turned his head up.

"But you are not her, this is the end of the line for you," Vania's voice taunted.

"You're right, I'm not her. But I am her son. And I made her a promise, to stand up to tyrants like you. Always!" Cole's voice yelled.

Suddenly the ground beneath him started glowing orange, his lava arms activating.

Vangelis had just catched up with Harumi as it happened. Cole was lifted into the air.

"W-what are you doing! D-don't think you can defeat me with your little tricks!" Vania's voice started to hesitate, there was fear in her voice.

"What is-" "It's the burst..." Harumi answered Vangelis' question before he could even ask.

Harumi could do nothing else but just stare at him. In awe. A giant tornado formed around him, the tornado approaching Vania. Vania threw her skull toward the tornado, but Cole rose from the middle of it, catching the skull.

"NO!" Vania's demonic voice yelled.

Cole rose up and then threw the skull into the tornado.

A huge explosion followed, a wave of energy released. It pushed Harumi and Vangelis back. Harumi peeked to see all the skeletons falling into pieces, the Grief Bringer's bones plunging into the lava.

The tornado around Cole died down, and he floated back onto the bridge on his feet.

The dark sleeves of the Skull Sorcerer's outfit disappeared first, then the bat wings, then the rest of the outfit and finally the hat and mask.

Harumi stood up and walked to the bridge, Vangelis following her.

Cole collapsed to his feet, hands rising to cover his mouth.

"Vania?" Cole's mumbled words said as Harumi walked past him.

She was kneeled on the ground, her face down. She shivered slightly and Harumi knew she was crying.

"Vania?" Vangelis said softly, but the princess didn't move.

"B-but how... I thought..." Cole stuttered behind them.

Vania stood up slowly, Vangelis and Harumi a few steps away from her.

Her eyes were streaming with tears, her golden hair a mess. But her eyes.

They were now light grey, with a touch of blue.

"My dear Van-" "Don't come any closer!" Vania stopped her father in his tracks. She stepped back, toward the edge of the bridge. "I don't want to hurt you!" she yelled.

"Vania, you won't. I know yo-" "But I did! I locked you in that cage, I yelled at you until you cried!" Vania protested, taking another step toward the edge.

"Vania, listen to me. That wasn't you, it was the skull. You couldn't control yourself, so you can't blame yourself," Harumi said with a stern tone, but her expression was soft.

Vania shook her head, and hugged herself. She was sobbing. "I tricked all of you... I hurt all of you... I hurt all of them! For years, for years I've been enslaving them! I'm a monster!" she yelled, turning to look at the Geckle and Munce.

They were all now standing still, no one dared to move anymore.

"Vania, it wasn't you! The skull, it corrupted you and made you do all those things. You were a slave yourself," Harumi tried to reason with her.

"But I chose that path! I chose the skull! I chose to listen to its pretty words, they flattered me! I was weak, a coward. I couldn't resist the skull, even though I tried. I just... I gave up. Just let the skull control me, I just watched as I hurt countless innocents and everyone I've ever loved," Vania sobbed, taking another step and now stood at the edge of the bridge.

"Vania..." Harumi's voice wavered, as tears threatened to flood out. "I.. believe me, I know how you feel," Harumi said, taking a step forward. "I was... I was part of the Sons of Garmadon during Garmadon's reign. I was part of the bad guys. I was... I was a villain. I did things I haven't wanted to think about, things I've just wanted to forget. But they plague me. Every day my past plagues my present and my future," Harumi was now crying as well, she breathed out shakily. "I... I thought I wasn't worth anything. I wasn't worthy of happiness, I wasn't worthy of safety, I didn't even think I was worthy of death, it would've been too easy, to just forget everything. I... I stole from a poor family, I tortured a woman, I almost killed my own mother," Harumi's eyesight blurred from her tears. She let out a shaky breath. "Yet... I was saved. I was saved by the ninja. Because they saw something in me, I probably will never understand. They saw a good person forced into bad things," Harumi took another step toward Vania.

She was still crying, her cheeks wet and eyes red. "I..." she sighed. "You were forced into doing those things, but no one forced me to touch that skull. I chose to do it, I chose this destiny for myself," she sobbed.

"You were manipulated, for years! That skull was made of pure dark magic, it said anything it needed for you to trust it!" Harumi argued, letting out another shaky breath. "You are a good person, a trustworthy person, who was forced into bad things," Harumi said slowly, taking another step, now standing in front of the princess.

Tears flooded down Vania's cheeks. "I... I-I want to be..." she said, her hands holding onto her shoulders.

"You are, and you can make this all right again. You will smile again, you will laugh again. And I promise, you will be happy again," Harumi opened her arms, tears still flooding down her cheeks.

Vania looked at Harumi, and then collapsed into her arms. Harumi immediately took a step away from the edge, sitting down onto the bridge.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry!" she sobbed into Harumi's arms.

Harumi squeezed her tightly. Now was the first time she looked away from the princess. Vangelis was standing just a few steps away from them, Cole a few steps away from him. Guards had flown onto the bridge.

Vania lifted herself out of Harumi's arms, and looked up to see her father. She stumbled into his arms, and continued sobbing loudly.

Harumi stood up and walked to Cole, wiping away her tears, though they did not stop flowing.

"You did it," Harumi said to him.

Cole tore his eyes away from the royal family and to Harumi.

"Did I do the right thing? I don't quite understand what's happening," he said, his eyebrows furrowed together.

"You did... you saved all of them," Harumi smiled, turning to look at the Geckle and Munce and then back at Vania and Vangelis. "Every single one."

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"It began 23 years ago, when Vania was born. After her birth, Queen Vespera and I wanted to make Shintaro the best possible place for her to grow up. The mines had been untouched for a long time, as no one had quite dared to adventure deep into their depths. But Vespera was fearless, and that fearlessness rubbed off on me. We thought we were invincible on our quest. We ventured deep into the mines, discovering the Geckels and the Munce. We immersed ourselves in their customs and culture and promised them independent rights as their own tribes. But as we travelled deeper into the mountain, we came across something we shouldn't have," Vangelis let out a shaky breath.

"The Skull of Hazza D'ur was hidden behind a series of tricks and traps, in the darkest cave we had ever entered. We did not know what it was, and Vespera... being the braver, took the skull into her hands. The dark power consumed her immediately, turning her into a horrifying version of the woman I loved. She attacked me with the skull, shooting dark power at me, but I refused to lay my hands on her. Even though I wasn't certain anymore if my wife was even present. She continued on fighting me, and quickly got the upper hand, and then... I accidentally pushed her off a cliff and into her grave..." a tear rolled down Vangelis' cheek.

"I fled the scene at once, I was a... a coward. To the court I explained that an ancient evil had killed the queen, and that the mines shall never be entered again. Sometimes even I was convinced that is how it had happened, but the harsh reality was that I had killed the love of my life... I... I tried my best to stay sane, tried my best to raise Vania like Vespera would have wanted. But I was... I was weak. Vania looked too much like her, acted too similarly. I distanced myself from her, and put all my energy into leading this kingdom accordingly. Even back then I knew that I had made a mistake. Choosing the kingdom over my own daughter..."

"I only had inner demons to battle, until Vania turned 12. She started to speak of an imaginary friend, who looked like something from her storybooks. She told me that they spoke often, and I convinced her it had all been in her head. When in reality I was terrified. Terrified that the skull had escaped its tomb and was now coming for the only thing I had left in my life. My daughter. So I issued a summon, for adventurers to locate the skull and bring it to me, so I could destroy it for once and for all."

"That is when we first met," Fungus said with a small smile.

"Yes. We ventured deep in the mountain and discovered the skull. We brought skull back to Vangelis, but when we tried to destroy it, it didn't work," Korgran explained.

"Turns out, to destroy something so ancient and powerful, you needed equally powerful magic. Something I didn't have. I paid these honorable adventurers and locked the skull into my study, until I could find a way to destroy it. That was my faithful error. As years passed, the skull whispered to me. Called me, taunted me, tempted me and tortured me with its whispers. I was losing my sanity, until I decided to give up. For six years the skull had been in my study, for six years it had whispered to me. I feared that I might snap and give into the skull, letting it consume me as it had my wife. I accepted that I could never find a force powerful enough to destroy the skull, that I just needed to bury it deep enough into the mountain. I summoned the three adventurers back, and wished them to return the skull back into its tomb. But as I went to fetch the retched skull from my study, I found it missing. Then... I heard screams... surprised and horrified screams from the throne room...I ran in to find my... daughter, my precious Vania, holding the skull in her hands. Her eyes weren't hers anymore, she was someone else entirely..." Vangelis sighed deeply.

Vania took a step forward, the chains on her hands clinging. "M-my father thought only he had heard the skull's whispers. But it had been calling to me as well, for years... It had... taunted me with knowledge. Knowledge about my dead mother. I only had to take the skull out of the cabinet it was in, I only had to touch it. And I did..." Vania breathed out shakily, a tear rolling down her cheek. "I still remember the feeling... when it corroded my own skin away, when the skull locked me into my own mind. I couldn't control myself anymore, it was as if I was just a puppet someone else was controlling..." Vania sighed. "I forced my father to obey my- the skull's every command. The skull used my feelings of abandonment against him, shaming my father because he had been distant and that he had killed my mother," tears rolled down Vania's cheeks.

Vangelis cleared his throat, another tear rolling down his cheek. "I agreed... I would uphold the kingdom, act like nothing had changed. I did all I could to cover up anything the skull made my daughter do, down in the mines."

"I did extensive research on anything that could destroy the skull. That could destroy me. As the skull was created deep in the mountains, only something, or someone, with a connection with said mountains, could destroy it. That is when I came across the legend of "Milly" and "Gilly". The legendary elemental master of earth, Lilly, who had saved the Geckle and Munce once before. Then I knew. I had come across the one thing that could destroy me. Destroy the skull. But as I came to find out, Lilly had passed. But she had a son, Cole," Vania shot an apologetic look toward him. Cole shifted uncomfortably. "This next part... I'm afraid I don't remember as well. It was during the time I tried to fight against the skull, against its powers. It made blanks in my memory, made me black out. But I do remember that Harumi was a crucial part of the skull's plan..." Vania said with a sad look.

"While I was in the cage, the skull... it wanted me to tell what... what I've seen. If I... needed a trigger, or if I saw them in my dreams?" Harumi prompted, taking a step forward.

A tear rolled down Vania's cheek. "I do remember that... I do remember that it wanted to find a trigger... to trigger them... But I don't... I don't remember what they were, or what it wanted you to see... I'm sorry..."

"It's alright, they weren't your thoughts anyway," Harumi said with a small smile.

"Can you please tell us about the vengestone buyer?" Lloyd said, the royal pairs attention turning to him.

Vania sighed. "They used an alias. Called themself "Bat". We met once. Or the skull and they met. They used a mask, a blue and white kabuki mask. They also had a voice modifier, and black clothes and a cape with a hood. I have no clue on their identity, but I do know they bought Vengestone, and a lot of it." she explained.

"Thanks," Lloyd said simply, a small smile on his lips.

"Do you have any other questions?" General Hailmar asked.

Lloyd looked at his team members, they all shook their heads. "We have no more questions," Wu declared.

"Munce have nothing more to ask," Murtessa, the former, and now restored, queen of the Munce said.

"Neither do the Geckles," the current Geckle chancellor, Gulch, announced.

"That was a pretty thorough explanation, no more questions from the Upply," Plundar said.

The general nodded. "In that case, what does the council see fit as the next steps for this kingdom," he turned toward the makeshift council they had gathered together for this specific meeting. It consisted of the Geckles, Munce and Shintarians.

They whispered among themselves for a while, before one shintarian nodded sharply. "Princess Vania shall be stripped of her royal title. She will be placed under house arrest for four years, not allowed to leave the confines of this castle. But... after her sentence has been completed, she may regain her royal title. We will decide about it, when the time comes," a shintarian elderly woman spoke.

"King Vangelis will also be placed under house arrest for a year, but he will not be stripped of his title. He still needs to prove he is worthy of this title and worthy of the trust his citizens have placed in him for two decades. He will give the Geckles and Munce anything they need for the rebuilding of their home caves and their home mountain. We will inform all citizens of Shintaro of what has happened and what has been decided here today. This council will take care of external affairs for the kingdom, while the king is under house arrest. This council will represent the Kingdom of Shintaro, until the king is ready to rise up to his title once again," a Geckle declared.

"The Upply, consisting of Korgran of Metalonia, Plundar the Thief and Fungus the Sorcerer, will be appointed knights and can visit Shintaro whenever they want. They will receive payment as compensation for their wrongful imprisonment. The ninja will also receive payment for their heroism and bravery, freeing this mountain from the Skull Sorcerer's reign," A Munce explained.

"And the whole council has agreed to these terms?" General Hailmar asked.

They all nodded and Hailmar turned his attention back to the ninja and the Upply.

"Then I can declare this meeting to be over. Guards, would you escort Ms. Vania back into her chambers, as well as Mr. Vangelis," he commanded.

Lloyd felt like he could finally breathe. He let out a long breath, following as the royal pair were escorted out of the throne room, the throne now empty.

Hailmar approached the group.

"I wish to thank you personally, as I'm sure many wish to," he started, a small smile on his lips. "Thank you ninja, for saving us, for saving the mountain, and for saving our future," he bowed down.

"This is what my students excel at, saving the day," a warm smile on Wu's lips as he looked at his students.

"Says the guy who convinced a whole army that their king wasn't what they thought he was and convinced them to attack him," Jay snickered.

Lloyd shot a stern look toward him.

"Okay, sorry, too early..." he quickly corrected himself.

"Your ship has been repaired and is ready for takeoff, whenever you are," Hailmar nodded and then flew away.

Everyone had been exhausted after the fight yesterday. They all ascended back up to the surface, and decided that a "council meeting" would be held first thing in the morning. First they had all visited the hospital, where Lloyd's ribs were finally corrected and their wounds attended. Lloyd had blacked out like a light once he got into his bed. In the morning, they had all packed their belongings and left for the meeting. Now they took their belongings and headed out to the docks.

Seeing Bounty was a comforting sight. There were a few people there, few Munce, few Geckles and the Upply of course.

"What are you going to do next?" Lloyd asked as reached the Upply.

"I think we all wish to visit home first, but after that..." Fungus trailed off.

"The sky's the limit!" Korgran said excitedly.

"Can we call you, in case we need an excellent group of adventurers/knights of Shintaro?" Lloyd smiled.

"Of course, if there's a reward," Plundar winked.

Adam chirped next to him. "Oh, and flies. Adam wants flies," Plundar added.

Lloyd chuckled. "Of course, I'll make sure of that," he nodded and then walked up into the ship.

As everyone finished their goodbyes, and the Bounty rocked forward, creaking in that comforting way it always did, Lloyd let himself breathe.

He heard familiar steps approach him, a small smile on his face.

"I feel like I didn't see you at all during this trip," Lloyd said as he turned to face his uncle.

"You didn't, but you still fared quite well," he said, a small smile on his lips as well.

Lloyd's smile dropped to a more timid one, he turned his gaze toward the horizon. He was quiet for a moment, his failures returning to him. "My father..." he started. "How did he... how did he live with himself? Knowing all the bad choices he made?" Lloyd turned back to look at his uncle, tears welling behind his eyes.

Wu turned to look at the horizon as well. He still held the same smile on his lips. "He lived knowing that even though he had made many mistakes, many wrong choices, they had all led to you. If not for those choices, you wouldn't be here today," Wu turned back to look at Lloyd. "You were the thing he loved most. Not power, not evil. You. It is not as if his past didn't burden him, but when all else was stripped away from him, you were the only thing left in his life. And who could regret that?"

A tear escaped his eye. And then another. And when the third one pushed out, Lloyd chuckled and looked toward the rising sun. For a while they were quiet. Let the wind be their music.

"I have reached a conclusion," Wu then said, Lloyd turning his attention back to him.

"About what?"

"About me," he answered simply, the same warm smile on his lips.

"And what is that conclusion? Did you finally get out of your funk?" Lloyd smiled.

Wu chuckled. "In a way, I did. When you all were down there, when you all were risking your lives. And when I was up in the castle, not knowing how you were doing, I was surprised that I didn't find myself worried."

"Ouch," Lloyd commented.

Wu rolled his eyes. "I mean, I didn't find myself wishing that I had left with you. Because I knew to trust you. I trusted that whatever you were facing, you would survive it yourselves. I trusted that you would come to me, if you needed help. And then you did," he turned his attention toward Cole. He was quiet for a moment. "Before this trip, I felt stuck. As I grew through all my life phases in the matter of two weeks, I couldn't help but feel like there wasn't anything more for me to see."

"Wu, you can't be serious, there is still so-" "Let me finish," Wu simply said, stopping Lloyd.

"Sorry," Lloyd said and Wu continued.

"And I realized, there isn't. There isn't anything more for me. In this stage of my life. For five and half years I have been honored to guide you and your team to the paths you've needed. But now I feel I must do something for myself. Guide myself to the next stage in my life."

"Which is?" Lloyd prompted.

"Retirement," Wu answered simply.

Lloyd couldn't help but chuckle. "You? Retiring?" He said with an amused tone.

"For now. I'm sure you will be more than glad to break me out of retirement, when the time comes," Wu smiled softly.

Lloyd felt this warm feeling, spreading in his chest.

"I have also decided something else," Wu added. "But for that I need your permission."

Lloyd looked at him, confused. "What on earth could you need my permission for," Lloyd chuckled.

Wu sighed out, as if he was nervous. "I wish to propose to Misako," he revealed.