#hes gold because zane is silver and Echo is bronze

[cowerandprey]

I've basically OC-ified Mr. E.... He wears the helmet all the time to me but I wanted to design a face or him.

[silver-ninja-of-the-tides]

Silver and Gold

Chapter 20--Guardian of Earth and Wind

(AO3 ver.)

(Prologue Tumblr ver.; AO3 ver.)

Lloyd's POV

The wolf was the same size as the cheetah, maybe even a little bigger, and it seemed to blend in with the silver torches on either side of it.

Suddenly its ears straightened and its head snapped up. Intense blue eyes stared into us as we stared right back, and I kind of felt a little intimidated just by its gaze.

“This is no ordinary creature, is it?” Zane inquired.

“Now that it’s been turned to silver, no.” Misako replied.

The wolf growled at us for a minute before stopping, laying its eyes on the cheetah. Sensei was nudged forward by the cat, and the wolf lowered its head to sniff him. Once again, he remained calm as he tilted his head up at the canine.

“What is it about Sensei that they like so much?” Jay asked in a whisper.

The wolf pulled at the restraints again, and Kai stepped forward only to be snarled at. He slowly reached for his Fire Sword, and the wolf sniffed his sleeve. Seconds later, it whimpered.

“You must have something to do with who he’s looking for,” Misako said.

“Well who’s he—”

The wolf growled, leading Kai to roll his eyes.

“Who’s she looking for?” “We’ll find out once we get her out of here,” Nya said. Just as Kai was about to cut the chains, low thuds shook the ground.

“That—does not sound good,” Jay said.

The thumping continued, gradually getting louder and louder. As an enormous figure emerged, we all backed up as the Eastern Guardian stalked out of the shadows. Its own massive shadow seemed to swallow up any light we had, but its steel wings trimmed with bronze still glinted in the fire. The tip of the slim tail was titanium as well as its talons and claws. Its lion legs had a bronze pelt, and the beak was a shiny gold. Black eyes almost identical to the Northern Guardian’s eyed us with a livid gaze, and I couldn’t help but wonder if we had bitten off more than we could chew.

Flapping its wings, it clawed the ground as its laugh echoed within my mind.

These are your heroes?! it mocked, her powerful voice almost too much for my head.

The cheetah snarled at the guardian, causing the creature to look down at her.

I had you in my grasp, right where I wanted you, but your companion sacrificed herself to take your place. Such a brave deed, yet none of you petty beings will escape. The hybrid looked to Cole. Earth—one of my elements. You will be my next prisoner, youngling.

“I don’t think so, guardian!” Cole shot.

The cheetah lunged at the guardian, and the guys and I slipped our hoods on before splitting up. I helped Kai cut the chains off the wolf as Nya and Misako had our backs. The guys fired their elements, but Cole’s earth was just absorbed by the guardian.

“Aw seriously?! What gives?!”

Your earth is useless against me, youngling!

“Keep fighting! Ninjas never quit!” I encouraged.

The guardian flapped her huge wings, and the torches swelled as sharpened bones flew toward us. The team was thrown back as Misako and Nya pulled Kai and me down.

“Why won’t they cut?!” Kai asked impatiently. “It’s like they're made out of steel!” “That's because they are!” Nya answered.

Kai set his sword on fire and slowly began to cut through the metal, the wolf’s hackles and ears raised as she eyed the fight. The right chain dropped just as mine did, but an eagle’s cry merged with a lion’s roar rang out. We all covered our ears while the cheetah pawed at her ears, the wolf barking in distress and flattening her ears.

Jay's POV

“How you guys doing?!” I called. “Halfway there!” Lloyd called back.

I shot lightning at the guardian’s torso, making it screech again in pain. “Ha! How’s that for a shocking sensation?!”

You will never defeat me, urchins! she yelled. She swung her heavy tail under us and swept us all off our feet. (Hah. Good one, Jay.)

“Ninjaa-GO!” Cole shouted. The second he made contact with her eagle leg, she flicked him away. His sword slipped out of his hand as he slid down the wall. “Okay . . . That went better in my head . . ."

A fierce growl cut through the air as the wolf joined the battle, chomping and munching on the left wing of the guardian. She shrieked again and tried to claw at the wolf, but the cheetah jumped onto the beast and bit her head. Sensei and Garmadon performed Spinjitzu as Kai, Zane, Cole, Lloyd, and I all shot at the Eastern Guardian’s chest. She soared into the wall of the room and slammed her wings against it, but the cheetah was still holding on to the head.

“Hah! How’s that for some urchins?” Kai taunted.

Enraged, the guardian’s feathers ruffled up. ENOUGH!

We gripped our heads as the griffin shook the cheetah off of her. She heaved herself to her feet as we tried to get ourselves together.

YOU WILL NOT DEFEAT ME! NONE OF YOU WILL! YOU WILL ALL BE MY PRISONERS!

“She’s overloading my system!” Zane shouted.

“She’s overloading all our systems!” I exclaimed.

“We need to leave this place . . .” Sensei grunted. “Now!”

We pulled ourselves to our feet as the wolf practically threw Kai and Nya onto her back. The guardian was about to extent her wings when she yowled, slowly tucking her wings in.

“Her wings! She can’t fly!” Kai exclaimed.

“That should buy us some time,” Garmadon stated. "Quickly!"

Lloyd was scooped up by the cheetah as Garmadon placed Misako on her, and we all darted off as fast as we could.

The guardian’s distorted scream slowed us down, and her giant footsteps echoed throughout the hall.

“She may not be able to fly, but she can still run!” Cole exclaimed. “Run for it!”

Zane dared to glance over his shoulder at the doorway. “Just because she can run, it doesn’t necessarily mean that she can reach us.”

“Of course she can!” Jay yelled.

“The doorway’s too small for her.”

THUD!

“Ohh but that’s not stopping her!” Nya warned.

“Someone open the door!” Kai shouted.

The Ultra Dragon’s roar was heard from outside as the thuds from behind us just got louder and louder. The doors took their time opening up, and I had to squint at the light from outside.

“Hurry up hurry up hurry up!” I yelled.

By the time we were barreling toward them they were open just enough for us to go single file. The falcon cawed twice as the wolf easily jumped onto the dragon’s back. As everyone soared up to the saddle, the cheetah leapt on, and Lloyd flew to the reigns.

The dragon took off within a heartbeat, and the guardian’s enraged scream could still be heard even as we were flying above the trees.

“That was a close one,” Zane said.

“Yeah. Way too close,” Kai said, plopping back.

“You’re telling me,” Jay added.

“I hope we never have to come back here,” Lloyd said.

“Yeah. I doubt we’ll have a welcoming party if we do,” Cole said.

“At least we can focus on what we really came for now.”

“Next stop—the Dark Island!” Nya announced.

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