"43 bottles of milk on the wall 43 bottles of milk, take one down pass it around 42 bottles of milk on the wall"

The ninja walked along a path covering their ears, trying to block out Jay's endless so called singing. Ari has put on a mask to help hide her face from others in the timeline.

"I know this is a dumb question, but is your Jay just as annoying as ours?" Cole asks Ari

Ari giggles "of course, but over the years I've learned to go with his jokes, it's just Jay being Jay after all"

"See, Ari gets it" Jay comments

"You've been singing that same stupid song for hours" Kai looks at him

"100 bottles of milk on the wall is a classic time passer" Jay shrugs

Ari looks ahead at Lloyd who was leading them quietly. She walks a bit faster to catch up to him. When she walks beside him he turns his head to look at her.

"Whatcha doin?" Ari asks

"Focusing" Lloyd replies looking back at the map

"hm" Ari looks up "you don't like looking at me long.. is it cause I remind you of her, your Aria"

"...I really like.. liked her" Lloyd admits

Ari smiles "I know you love her, cause I am her, and I fell in love with my Lloyd too"

"She doesn't love me" Lloyd looks at her "anymore"

"Did she tell you that?" Ari asks

"Y-" Lloyd stops and looks ahead in thought

"She didn't" Ari hums amused "Until you actually hear her say it, don't ever think it's over"

"Thanks" Lloyd sighs "but we still have to stop her"

"well-"

"hey guys"

The two look over at the ninja who were ahead of them now. They catch up and look ahead into the clearing, there was a giant brown thing in front of the bridge the needed to cross.

"It looks like a rock" Kai says approaching it

Zane scans it before gasping "that's not-"

"Who dares approach me!"

Kai jumps back to the group as the brown rock-like thing suddenly stands revealing a medium sized giant, it looked strong. It held a large sword in it's hand and was glaring at the group.

"Woah" Cole says

"Ari, what's that?" Lloyd asks

"Well.. it's obviously the guardian of the bridge" Ari replies "probably put here by Gorgias"

"and who's that?" Kai asks

"Evil sorcerer" Ari replies

"huh, well thank goodness we already know how to fight one of those" Jay says

The giant growls and tries to strike them with his sword, the ninja jump out of the way.

"I am the Giant placed here to guard the bridge until truth and lies are one" the giant says

"Uh any ideas how to get past!?" Kai shouts to the others "Zane?"

"There are often tales of trolls guarding a bridge, travelers could only pass by solving a riddle!" Zane answers "perhaps that is the answer"

Ari approaches the giant "we're not here to fight you, isn't their some way to cross the bridge?"

"hmph" the giant stabbed his sword into the ground in front of him "very well.. you will solve my riddle then"

"No problem" Ari replies with a smile

"Not for all of us" Cole mutters glancing at Jay

"Hey" Jay complains "I heard that"

"You will make one statement" the Giant tells them "If what you say is true, I will strangle you with my bare hands. If it is false then I will use my sword. What do you say?"

"What that's it!?" the ninja shout

"You've gotta be kidding me" Lloyd says

"It's worse then Sensei Wu's riddles" Jay comments

"Yeah no joke" Cole agrees

"If it's true, he'll strangle us with his bare hands, but if it is false then he'll use his sword?" Zane recites "I have never heard of this before"

"hm.." Ari looks up 'until truth and lies are one'

"I wish sensei Wu was here" Kai sighs "what are we-"

"You will use your sword" Ari answers pointing to the giant's sword

"Ari!" Lloyd shouts "what are you doing, we needed to discuss this"

"Did you hear me?" Ari ignored Lloyd "I said, you will use your sword"

The giant stares at her growling, black aura emitting from him.

"What's happening?" Kai asks

"I don't know" Lloyd looks confused

"...I have analyzed it and I believe Ari gave the correct answer" Zane looks at the ninja "She has answered with he will use his sword. If the giant uses his sword, the statement will be true, which will mean that the giant must use his hands, but if the giant uses his hands then he must use his sword for the false statement. This makes truth and lies one."

The giant shrieks and Ari steps back as he is covered in black before transforming into a bird. The bird sets off flying.

"It was.. a bird?" Kai questions

"A bird cursed by the evil sorcerer Gorgias" Ari turns to the ninja "Gorgias hates anything that is beautiful and living happily in this world, he serves this timeline's Aria and the Lake of Tear's is part of his territory, we must be careful"

The ninja look at each other and nod before they follow Ari across the bridge.

-

"This is our city!"

"You're not welcome here!"

In the center of Ninjago City stood many angrily citizens arguing with the creatures of the shadowlands along with ghosts. Since Darkness has risen they were free to roam Ninjago but if the citizens have learned anything from the ninja, it's that they must help protect their city.

"Stop it all of you!" Aria lands between the two groups

"Enough!" Aria shouts at her creatures before facing the Ninjago citizens "fighting back is useless, all of you go back home, before you get hurt"

"You can't rule this land forever!"

"The ninja will return!"

"I AM THE EMPRESS" Aria's eyes glow purple "I don't need anyone's permission to run my kingdom how I want!"

The citizens of Ninjago run away in fear.

"..." Aria sighs and her eyes turn back to green, she faces her creatures "please return back to what you all were doing"

"They can't die they'll just come back like how I've designed the realm" Aria smiles "just give them a little time to adjust"

The creatures all nod to their ruler before dispersing off to return to what they were doing.

"Hanabusa, Kaname" Aria speaks

"What is it your highness?" Hanabusa asks

"I fear a war might break out between the two sides" Aria tells them "have the guard watch the streets"

"Consider it done" Kaname replies before looking around "my Lord.. there has been a disturbance in Gorgias's land near the Lake of Tears"

"Hm?" Aria looks at him "what would anyone want at the Lake of Tears? The elemental fans placed there by my father had been retrieved by my master years ago"

"We're not exactly sure" Hanabusa tells her "but we think it is the Ninja"

Aria sighs before walking off "let's pay the ninja and old man Wu a visit at the monastery then, shall we?"