"But why does it say I have to fight Cole? It didn't say that before. I'm not ready to fight. It was supposed to be my day off." Jay whined.

"I tried to warn you, but you never listen. Talk, yes. Listen, not so much." Cole shot. The area started to clear out as the ninja were left to stare at this inconvenience.

"Is there a problem, Ninja?" Clouse asked.

"You cheated! You changed the brackets!" Cole shouted.

"Oopsie." Clouse laughed and walked away.

"What do we do? They can't fight each other. We came here to become whole, not fall further apart." Lloyd said as his dad walked forwards.

"Well, what can we do?" Morro asked.

"Unless we pull an elaborate trick up in here, that's what's gonna happen." He pointed to the brackets.

"You can't undo what's been done. My only advice is to be at peace with it." Garmadon said.

"Peace? One of us has to lose! Oh, my gosh. It's totally gonna be me. He's got super strength and what do I have? Quick, tell me! What do I have!?" Jay rambled.

"Lightning." Morro replied.

"Don't listen to my dad. Like Morro said, we just need to pull something here. We find Zane, then none of us have to battle. Your fight isn't until tonight so we still have time to figure out what Chen's up to and stop this." Lloyd said sounding all optimistic.

"I think I know just the person who can help. And I think he already knows." Kai said.

. . .

The ninja walked outside and into the courtyard. There was the master of mind meditating on a rock.

"We need your help, Neuro." Lloyd said.

"You think I can get close to Chen to read his mind, so you can find your robotic friend and not have to fight." Neuro replied.

"Don't forget--" Kai started.

"You still need to know what Chen's up to because he's hiding something." Neuro cut in.

"That's really impressive, Nerdo." Jay said.

"It's Neuro, Master of the Mind. And Cole thinks Jay won't last long in a fight." He turned to face the ninja.

"Pfft. You think that?" Jay scoffed.

"You just said it yourself." Cole said.

"But you didn't have to believe it." Jay replied.

"Don't be offended, Cole. Jay here thinks you're the least valuable Ninja." Neuro said.

"You don't say." Cole turned to Jay and the two started pushing each other around.

"Listen!" Morro pushed Jay and Cole apart and standing in between them.

"We need your help, you and need to stop making things worse." Morro galred at him.

"Why not just leave? You think this is a waste of time." Neuro said to Morro.

"Oh, we all knew that." Kai sighed.

"But why would I help? You're competition. The sooner you're out, the better for me." Neuro said.

"If you want what's best for you, just look into my head and you'll see what this tournament is all about." Lloyd stepped forwards.

Neurons placed his hands on his head and looked at Lloyd's thoughts. The memory of Karlof's power being taken away. Neuro opened his eyes in shock.

"It's only a matter of time before Chen steals your power too. So are you in?" Lloyd asked.

. . .

Zane pulled his arms forwards. The chains held him back against the wall.

"Zane, you're built differently. You have to search deep within yourself." Pixal said from the other side of the wall. Zane looked at his arm. A panel opened and out sprung a saw that started cutting at the chains.

"Yes, that's it! You're remembering!" Pixal exclaimed.

Zane heard voices approaching.

"What's that grinding sound?"

The nindroid shut off his functions and made it look like he was passed out until the voices left.

"It's not safe. I suggest you break out when everyone's at the big fight." Pixal advised.

"You mean, we must break out." Zane said hopeful.

"...Yes. Of course." Pixal hesitantly replied.

. . .

Neuro had made his way into the kabuki's changing room. A little weird, but oh well. Chen was being fitted into his robes just ahead at the other end of the room.

"This floor is restricted." Clouse walked up to Neuro making him jump.

"Clouse. I was just leaving." Neuro said.

"I saw you speaking with the Ninja. It'd be a shame if the other fighters were to find out you were...helping them." Clouse said leaning in a bit.

"

Of course not. I'm the Master of the Mind." Neuro brifely placed his hand on his head.

"I'm smarter than that." He said leaving.

. . .

T

he time of the fight came. The battle ground was like an amphitheater. Cole and Jay we're in small rooms, on either side of the stadium. Kai and Morro stood by Jay's and Lloyd stood by Cole.

Jay punched a sparing back with Cole's face on it.

"Thinks it'll be an easy fight. Well, I'll show him! Haha!" He electrocuted the sparing bag, mailing the sand inside poor out. Jay looked at Cole's picture on the sand pile. He paused for a moment.

Cole was with his own sparing bad with Jay's face on it. He punched it, but then it launched into the bars separating his room from the stadium. Cole activated his spinjitzu and destroyed the sparing bag. He stared at the picture of Jay that lay on the floor. Reluctantly.

Neuro ran over to Kai.

"You're cutting it close. So did you see into his head?" Kai asked.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't get past Clouse." Neuro replied.

"Good. Then we can finally put our feud to rest. Gladiator style!" Jay grabbed the metal bar.

"That's not what we want. Did you at least get anything?" Morro asked.

"I did see something. For a brief moment, I saw inside Clouse's mind. The powers he's collecting, they are for a spell." Neuro imformed.

"

A spell for what?" Kai asked.

"I don't know. But it's in his spellbook on page 149. I'm sorry it's not enough to stop the fight. I wish I could've done more." Neuro apologized.

"No need, you did what you could." Morro said.

Kai looked over at Lloyd and shook his head. Lloyd sighed and turned to Cole.

"You don't have to say it. It was inevitable we were gonna have to face each other. May as well be Jay. This fight's been a long time coming." Cole said.

"Well, I'm not at peace with this, but that doesn't mean you still can't find peace with each other." Lloyd grabbed the bars.

"We don't have control when we fight, but we do have control how we fight. Jay's not the enemy, Chen is. Remember that." Lloyd pointed.

"Wu once said the best way to defeat your enemy is to make him your friend, but how are you supposed to defeat your friend?" Cole asked.

Lloyd turned around from a breeze blowing past him. Morro motioned for them to leave the stage. Lloyd stepped back as the bars lowered and Cole pulled up his mask. The battle had begun.

"You tried your best, the rest is up to them." Garmadon said as the ninja made it to the seats.

"I hope they can see that too." Lloyd said as the trumpet announcement played.

"Let the tournament continue!" Chen yelled.

"Jay, Master of Lightning, versus Cole, Master of--"

Jay and Cole started fighting before the announcement was over. Jay threw lightning as Cole dodged and slammed his fists down, creating a wave of earth headed for his blue opponent. Jay flipped back and laghed.

"Haha! That's all you got?" He teased.

"Least valuable ninja!"

"Eat dirt, bluebell!!" Cole yelled. Cole summoned large chunkc of earth to sent towards Jay, making a shield when the blue ninja would counter attack.

Chen clapped ecstaticly.

"Oh, Clouse, go get me popcorn. This is turning out better than I anticipated!" Chen cheered.

Zane cut though his chains and had just finished cutting the barred window to Pixal's cell.

"Hurry, Zane! Before they come back!" Pixal said. Zane made haste and jumped into Pixal's cell.

"I'm through! Now, let's get out of here--..." Zane looked around the room. A box of wires and parts then a table with a monitor and computer.

"Pixal...you're...you're...!" Zane walked up to the monitor to see his love's face.

"Scrapped." Pixal finished.

"I know, but I couldn't tell you. Not when you needed to get out of here. Sadly, this is where my journey ends, but not for you." Pixal said. Zane grabbed Pixal's arm that lay on the table.

"Zane, you must go alone. Find your friends. Stop Chen. I know you have it in you and don't worry about me. I will always be a part of you." The female nindroid smiled.

"You're right. You will always be a part of me." Zane said taking out Pixal's memory dive from the computer.

"Zane, what are you--"

The nindeoid implanted the dive into his head.

"Zane, you've taken my neural drive and inputted it into your processor. You're ingenious!" Pixal exclaimed.

"Not ingenious. Upgraded." Zane smiled at the image of Pixal in his vision.

"I'm sure there will be other surprises about me we'll find out together, but until then, let's both get out of--"

"Zane, behind you! Initiate evasive--"

Zane blacked out. Clouse had tasked Zane into a shut down.

"Next time, maybe it would be best to tie up the Nindroid with chains thick enough that he couldn't cut through." Clouse advised the warrior behind him.

. . .

It was a blast clash. Cole pushing his wart against Jay who fired his lightning forwards.

"Stronger than you thought, eh? That's your betrayal flowing through my veins." Jay said.

"I'm looking forward to the peace and quiet when you're out of the tournament." Cole taunted. The earth ninja overpowered Jay and the blue ninja was down.

Cole stopped.

"Ah,What are we doing? I don't want you out. You're not my enemy, Chen is." Cole said.

"Oh, sure, lower my guard by pretending to be my friend, then swoop in to steal the prize. Typical Cole maneuver." Jay exclaimed. He got up and sparks flew from his hands.

"I never meant to hurt you, Jay. If I knew it would destroy our friendship, I'd take it all back." Cole said.

"Well, if we're being honest, I was upset about losing Nya, but I take blame for that. I was more upset about losing you. We used to be good friends." Jay sighed.

"The best! Right?" Cole said.

"We should've been honest with each other instead of bottling this up."

"Agreed. But how are we supposed to stop fighting? We can't both win." Jay said.

"Well, maybe we can draw it out till they call it a tie. Quick, attack me. But not hard." Cole suggested. Jay and Cole ran at each other, not using their powers, constantly dodging each other's punches and kicks.

"Ah, what is this? Pattycake? I'm bored. Release the Condrai Crushers!" Chen yelled. Four vehicles came out with blades attached to the front.

"I got your back!" Cole said.

"And I've got yours." Jay said in return.

"Ninja-go!!" The two spinjitzu's twirled around and dodged a crusher just before it hit.

"Ah, they fight together. Good work, son." Garmadon said.

"Yeah, I do listen to you every once in a while." Lloyd chuckled.

Cole made a ramp that put one vehicle into the air. He grabbed it then spun it around with his strength, crashing it into another one.

One crusher left. It sped right at Jay. Jay jumped up and over, landing on it and electrocuting the guy driving. It stopped just as it reached Cole.

The two ninja grabbed hands and nodded.

"Enough! I know what you are trying to do. If neither of you will win, then both of you will lose!" Chen started spamming his buttons, making the whole floor begin to drop in pieces

"We can't both lose. Chen's right, there can only be one." Cole said junping around to avoid the abyss.

"And it should be you. You and I both know I'm lucky to have even made it this far. You take the Jadeblade!" Jay exclaimed. Cole nodded and climbed up the wooden pole that housed the jadeblade.

The ninia stared at the jadeblade then threw it to Jay on the ground. Jay caught it, with a confused look.

"Winner! Loser! Master of Lightning moves on." Chen yelled.

Cole climbed down the pole.

"She's yours, Jay. I should've bowed out long ago. Win this thing." Cole smirked. He looked down and fell into a trapdoor. Jay stood starstruck at the blade and the pit Cole fell into.

"About time. Phew." Chen sighed.

"Cole may be gone, but he did not lose. Let what he did here today be a lesson for us all: know thine enemy, but more importantly, know thy friend. He fought like a true Ninja." Garmadon informed. The others sighed.

. . .

Nya drove in the flat plains. She had been following Zane's falcon who had appeared.

"Why did you call me here?" Nya asked. The falcon landed on the portable base and screeched.

"Zane's beacon. Coming from somewhere off the coast. But that's impossible." Nya said looking at her radar.

"Sensei Wu, come in. This is Nya, do you read? I think I may have found the Ninja."