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'Thoughts'
"Speech"
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(Author POV)
Morning light streamed into the Destiny's Bounty's dining room. Akira sat at the table, a delicate porcelain cup cradled in her hands, the steam from Wu's tea swirling gently around her face. Soon after, Lloyd bounded in, a half-eaten sandwich clutched in his small hands. He slid onto the bench beside her.
"Good morning, Akira," he chirped, crumbs dusting his chin.
Akira took a slow sip of her tea. "Good morning, Lloyd. Did you sleep well?" Her voice was soft, a melodic counterpoint to his youthful energy.
Lloyd nodded enthusiastically, taking another large bite of his sandwich before turning his gaze to her, his eyes alight with a secret. "Hey, Uncle Wu asked me to prank the ninja! He said it's to help him teach them some sort of lesson. Do you want to help?" The mischief in his tone was unmistakable, mirroring the playful glint in his green eyes. Akira set her empty teacup down and gracefully slithered over to the sink. The clinking of porcelain against metal punctuated the quiet morning. Turning back to Lloyd, a slow, knowing smile spread across her lips, her own amethyst eyes sparkling with amusement. She glided back to the table and gently ruffled his messy blonde hair.
"Hey! Stop that," Lloyd protested, though the wide smile he couldn't suppress betrayed his mock annoyance.
Akira chuckled softly, her tail giving a small, almost imperceptible wag from side to side. "Okay, let's do it. What delightful chaos have you and your uncle concocted?"
"I already threw in Kai's prized red ninja GI in the wash with Zane's pristine white one while Zane wasn't looking," Lloyd confessed with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "And," he added with a conspiratorial whisper as they walked through the hallway toward the entertainment room, "I may have added a special ingredient to the soup that Cole spent the last three days perfecting."
Once inside, Lloyd practically bounced over to the TV, flicked on the console with practiced ease, and snatched two controllers from the stand. He plopped down onto the couch, offering one to Akira as she gracefully settled beside him, her serpentine form a comfortable curve against the cushions.
"So, what's the digital battlefield?" Akira inquired, her amethyst eyes studying the controller with genuine curiosity as Lloyd navigated the game menu.
"Operation: Beat Kai's High Score in Fist to Face II is a go!" Lloyd announced, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "And phase two: replace all the save files with Cole's. He'll be blaming Cole for his lost progress!" The game loaded, revealing a character selection screen and five save slots, each labeled with the names of the four ninja and Lloyd himself.
"Ah, a virtual arena of fisticuffs, I presume?" Akira mused, a note of eager anticipation in her voice. "Enlighten me, young master, in the art of digital combat."
"Alright, listen up," Lloyd said, his fingers already flying across the buttons. "First things first, you gotta learn how to..." He launched into a detailed explanation of the game's controls and special moves.
For the next thirty minutes, the rhythmic tapping of buttons and the excited shouts of "Oof!" and "Gotcha!" filled the entertainment room. A surprising camaraderie formed as Akira, with Lloyd's enthusiastic guidance, proved to be a surprisingly adept virtual fighter. Eventually, with Kai's high score vanquished and Cole's name firmly planted on all save files, they headed outside, where Jay's latest, slightly temperamental, training robot stood waiting.
"Now we just need to mess with Jay's sparring bot. You can help with this, right? Since you did that whole vehicle-morphing thing with the Fangpyre to make the Shift-Wing," Lloyd asked as they approached the rather peculiar sparring bot. Akira responded with a low hum of affirmation.
Akira slithered closer to the metallic contraption, her hands beginning to glow with a soft, magenta light. She placed one hand deliberately on its cool surface, channeling her elemental power of technology to subtly rewrite its core programming. A vibrant magenta outline pulsed briefly around the robot's frame before fading into the morning air.
"What did you do to it? It looks exactly the same," Lloyd observed, giving one of the bamboo arms a tentative tap with his finger.
"Appearances can be deceiving, young Lloyd," Akira replied, a knowing smile curving her lips. "Its inner workings now operate on... inverted logic." With their final prank successfully executed, they turned and headed towards the command center, where they expected to find Sensei Wu.
(Scene break)
Meanwhile, Kai had wandered into the entertainment room. He spotted a controller, powered on the console and settled onto the couch.
"Finally," he muttered, "some quality time with Fist to Face II."
Just then, Lloyd appeared in the doorway. "Hey, Kai," he said with exaggerated innocence, a barely concealed smirk playing on his lips. "Heh. Saw Cole beat your high score. You should've seen it. Pretty spectacular."
Kai scoffed, and turned to Lloyd. "Uh, you must be talking about Sitar Legend. This is Fist to Face II. No one beats me on my game." He punctuated his arrogance by pumping his fist.
"Huh," Lloyd replied casually, holding back a laugh. "Could be wrong. See you." He then quickly retreated, leaving Kai alone.
Kai finally reached the game menu and selected his profile. Five save files appeared, each emblazoned with Cole's name and picture, along with a string of ridiculously high scores at the bottom.
"Huh?" Confusion quickly morphed into fury. "Cole!" he roared, his voice echoing through the ship.
(Scene break)
Meanwhile, in the relative peace of the kitchen, Cole hummed contentedly as he stirred his simmering soup.
"Mm, mm," he murmured to himself, savoring the aroma. "Violet-berry soup. My culinary achievement. If the recipe is not followed exactly—" He ladled a spoonful and tasted it, his face contorting in disgust. He nearly spat it out, forcing himself to swallow the vile concoction.
Just then, Lloyd appeared in the doorway, a picture of feigned innocence. "Oh, hey Cole," he said. "By the way, I saw Jay spice things up in here. I told him not to, but he said your cooking could use it. Bye Cole!" A barely contained grin flickered across his face before he disappeared.
Cole finally spat the remaining soup into the pot, coughing and gagging. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes blazing."Jay!" he bellowed, slamming his fists onto the kitchen counter, the force rattling the nearby utensils.
(Scene break)
Out on the main deck, bathed in the morning sun, Jay meticulously donned his training helmet, the remote for his sparring bot resting on a nearby table.
"Alright," he said to the silent robot, a confident smirk on his face. "Let's just ease our way into this. How about a nice, gentle level two, shall we?" He pressed the corresponding button on the remote. The sparring bot whirred to life, a shower of sparks briefly erupting from its joints, and the number nine glowed ominously on its display screen.
Just then, Lloyd strolled out onto the deck, a picture of casual indifference. "Hey, Jay," he said, pausing by the stairs. "Saw Zane tinkering with your sparring bot earlier. You know, trying to 'improve' it. Isn't that your expertise? Later, bro." He gave a nonchalant wave before heading back inside.
"Wait, what?" Jay exclaimed, his brow furrowing in confusion. He glanced back at the robot, which had begun to lumber towards him, its bamboo arms spinning with alarming speed. He frantically jabbed at the level buttons on the remote. "No. No! Zane!" he yelled, as the overzealous sparring bot began to relentlessly pummel him.
(Scene break)
At the front of the Destiny's Bounty, Zane was meticulously sorting laundry, placing a neatly folded stack beside the overflowing basket. Lloyd approached him, a seemingly innocent expression on his face.
"Hello, Lloyd," Zane said, pausing his task. "What brings you up here this fine morning?"
"Kai wanted me to grab his ninja suit," Lloyd replied, gesturing vaguely towards the basket. "He said he accidentally threw it in with your whites." He peered into the basket, feigning a search before plucking out the distinct red fabric. "Ah, here it is. Thanks, Zane!" He gave a cheerful wave and headed back towards the interior of the ship.
Zane watched him go, a flicker of confusion crossing his usually serene features. He returned to the basket, sifting through the remaining clothes. His fingers then pulled out a familiar fabric, but its once pristine white was now a distinct, embarrassing shade of pink. A slow frown spread across his face, his blue eyes widening slightly in dawning realization.
(Scene break)
Below deck, in the ninja's shared bedroom, the ninja were embroiled in a heated argument.
"You couldn't just be happy with the top score? You had to rub it in my face?" Kai accused Cole, his voice tight with anger over the game.
"You know how long it took me to make that soup? Three days! Three days!" Cole retorted at Jay, still simmering over his ruined culinary creation.
"It's an unwritten law, okay? You don't touch a man's robot!" Jay exclaimed at Zane, throwing his hands up in exasperation.
"How am I supposed to strike fear in this? It's pink." Zane questioned, holding up his now pink ninja suit with a bewildered frown.
Just as their voices reached a crescendo, Wu slid open the bathroom door, revealing a mischievous Lloyd amidst a collection of prank paraphernalia. Lloyd chuckled, a low rumble that quickly escalated into unrestrained laughter at the sight of the bewildered and angry ninja. The ninja gasped, their arguments abruptly cut short.
"Ah! You did this?" they exclaimed in unison, their accusatory gazes turning towards Lloyd.
"Alright, boys," Cole began, taking a menacing step towards Lloyd, cracking his knuckles. "I get first dibs on—"
"No dibs," Wu interrupted, a hint of amusement in his voice. "I put him up to this for today's lesson. I wanted you to show you the destructive power of rumors and that jumping to conclusions can only lead to trouble." Lloyd offered a small, mischievous smile, still occasionally snickering. "Did you ever think to find out if the accusations were true?"
"Uh, no offense, Sensei," Cole grumbled, his fists still clenched, "but let me jump to this conclusion: today's lesson is lame."
"Yeah," Jay chimed in, still smarting from his robotic pummeling. "Why can't you teach us something useful? Like how to paralyze your enemy with one finger? Or find out if a man is lying by the twitch of his nose?"
"Because not all lessons are about fighting," Wu countered calmly, his amusement fading into a more disciplining tone. "And," he added with a touch of awkwardness, scratching his beard, "I seem to have misplaced my lesson book."
Kai's gaze fell upon a familiar spine peeking out of Lloyd's pocket. He strode over and plucked it out. "You mean this lesson book?" Kai asked, his annoyance evident.
"It was the perfect plan," Lloyd began defensively, "until you guys had to show up and mess everything up!" He was cut off as Cole slid the bedroom door shut with a decisive thwack, wiping his hands together as if ridding himself of something unpleasant.
Just then, Nya's voice crackled over the intercom. "[On PA]: If you're done fooling around, we could use you guys on the bridge. We do still have a snake problem to attend to. Over and out."
Kai rolled his eyes. "It's one thing to let the son of your nemesis live with us, not to mention the serpentine that came with him, but having my sister here? I mean, come on, I thought this was a ninja headquarters." He grumbled to Wu.
"[On PA]: You... do know I can hear you," Nya's voice responded dryly, a hint of amusement in her tone. "Over and out." Kai's face flushed with embarrassment.
(Scene Break)
The bridge hummed with the low thrum of the Destiny's Bounty's engines as the ninja, Wu, and a pajama-clad Zane entered. Nya stood before the main screen, its expansive display showcasing a detailed map of a serpentine-shaped region of Ninjago. Beside her, Akira stood coiled, her gaze fixed on the intricate lines.
"Last we heard of Pythor," Nya began, her finger tracing a path on the screen, "he stole the Map of Dens from Lloyd and is now heading to open the last two Serpentine tombs." She zoomed in on two specific points highlighted on the map.
"Ugh. Don't remind me," Lloyd mumbled, scuffing his foot on the metal floor, still clearly smarting from his earlier loss.
Wu's voice was calm but carried an undercurrent of urgency. "Pythor's our most dangerous threat. If he finds those tombs before we do, with his intellect and all four tribes unleashed, there's no telling what he'll do."
"But those tombs could be anywhere!" Jay exclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration. "Without the Map of Dens, we might as well just throw darts at a map." He gestured wildly at the screen.
"Good idea. Why don't we?" Nya said with a glint in her eye. With a swift motion, she grabbed two darts from a nearby magnetic strip and hurled them at the screen. Kai yelped, narrowly avoiding one as it thudded into the display. "These are the two locations of the Hypnobrai and Fangpyre tombs." she stated, stepping closer to the interactive map.
"Show off," Kai muttered, rubbing his neck. Nya smirked and tossed a third dart.
"And this is Pythor's tomb." She tapped the screen. "Before I wasted hours ruminating on why the tombs were placed in these three precise locations, Akira pointed out a rather obvious connection." She gestured towards the serpentine figure dominating the map.
Akira slithered forward, her movements fluid and graceful. She picked up a flashlight, its lens emblazoned with the stylized Ninjago serpent symbol, and flicked it on, the beam illuminating the map.
"Observe," Akira said, her voice steady. "the location of the tombs are in line with the Ninjago symbol for serpent, exactly like the Map of Dens." Jay stepped closer, his eyes wide.
"So, the last two must be... here and here?" Jay pointed to two corresponding curves on the serpentine map, mirroring the locations already marked. Akira nodded.
"Precisely. Those are the approximate locations of the remaining tombs," she confirmed, placing the flashlight back down.
Wu nodded decisively. "There's little time. Kai and Jay, you head to the Vemomari Tomb." He gestured towards a point on the screen. "Cole and Zane," Wu continued, his gaze shifting, "you take the Constrictai Tomb. And take this. You might need it if you run into Pythor." He handed Cole the ancient instrument. "Good luck, ninja."
"What am I gonna do?" Nya asked, her disappointment palpable.
"Yeah, what are we going to do?" Lloyd echoed, looking up at Wu with wide, hopeful eyes. Nya shot him a look of disbelief.
"Nya, I need you here to make sure Lloyd doesn't get into any more trouble." Wu replied, a knowing glance at Lloyd. Lloyd's shoulders slumped.
"But Akira usually... well, you know," Nya began, looking at Akira with a questioning raise of her eyebrow. "Is she not accompanying them?"
"While Akira's insight has proven valuable," Wu said, his gaze sweeping over the ninja, "trust is earned, not given. The others are not yet comfortable relying on her completely. And I, too, remain... cautious." The ninja exchanged uneasy glances with Akira, who merely shrugged, her expression unreadable. Nya sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly.
"Yes, Sensei," she replied, her voice lacking its usual enthusiasm.
"Let's go, boys." Cole boomed, hefting the flute. "We got some snakes to club." Kai and Jay cheered, already heading towards the exit. Zane, still looking slightly bewildered in his pajamas, followed. Wu watched them go, a shadow of concern crossing his face.
"Where are you, Pythor?" he murmured, his gaze fixed on the map. "What are you up to?"
(Scene break)
Cole and Zane sped towards the jagged silhouette of the Mountain of a Million Steps, the roar of Cole's Tread Assault Vehicle cutting through the morning air.
As the mountain loomed before them, Cole hit a sharp incline. The Tread Assault Vehicle bucked, a brownish-green energy enveloping it before it vanished, the Scythe of Quakes materializing in Cole's hand as he landed with a solid thud.
Zane followed swiftly, his Snowmobile dissolving in a flash of bluish-white light, the Shurikens of Ice appearing in his grip. He landed gracefully, a sigh escaping his lips as he glanced down at his still-pink ninja suit.
"Well," Cole said, holstering his scythe, "looks like our vehicles won't traverse the steps. We go the rest of the way on foot."
"But this is the Mountain of a Million Steps." Zane noted, his gaze rising to the seemingly endless staircase carved into the mountainside. "Aren't we pressed for time?"
"Then we'll take a shortcut." Cole replied with a grin, already striding towards a less conventional path.
(Scene Break)
Cole, grunting with exertion, scaled the sheer rock face, Zane clinging tightly to his back. Loose pebbles rained down as Cole hauled himself up to the next precarious ledge.
"Am I holding on too tight?" Zane asked, his voice slightly strained.
"Light as a feather, Pinky," Cole quipped, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Almost there." He then leaped over a startled hiker slowly ascending the steps, sending a cascade of small stones tumbling down. The hiker bellowed in surprise and annoyance.
Cole finally reached the summit, collapsing onto the rocky outcrop, panting heavily. Zane slid off his back, surveying the cirque below them, where the dark, gaping entrance to the Constrictai Tomb lay open like a maw.
"Looks like Pythor was already here. Perhaps we should investigate." Zane said.
"Give me a second. Phew." Cole said, catching his breath, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. "Go on and start without me."
Zane grabbed the thick rope and slid down onto a circular stone table in the center of the chamber. He then ignited a torch from a sconce on the wall, the flickering light revealing ancient, slightly faded paintings adorning the stone surfaces. Cole descended the rope moments later.
"Huh. Didn't Momma Snake ever tell them not to draw on the wall?" Cole quipped.
"These images describe a legend about one tribe uniting them all." Zane said, gesturing to a depiction of a distinguished general from each of the five serpentine tribes standing in a unified circle.
"Well those snakes had been at war with each other for centuries." Cole added.
"Well, it says here," Zane continued, his fingers tracing the faded symbols, "once they unite, they can find the four Silver Fang Blades that will unleash the Great Devourer, an evil that will consume all of the land, turning day into night."
"You get all that from those little pictures?" Cole questioned, a hint of disbelief in his voice, oblivious to the subtle tremor that ran through the ground beneath their feet, kicking up small puffs of dust.
"This gives me deep concern. If Pythor's not here, and unites all the tribes together before Kai and Jay find him—" Zane began.
"Relax, Zane. They're a bunch of dumb snakes who believe in fairy tales." Cole said, waving a dismissive hand. "If anything, we've got all the— Did you feel that?" He cut himself off, his eyes narrowing as he sensed the distinct vibration.
"What?" Zane asked, shrugging in confusion, turning his attention to Cole.
"There's something in the ground." Cole answered, his stance becoming cautious, his hand instinctively reaching for his scythe. "Don't move."
Suddenly, the ground erupted, and the formidable form of Skalidor, the Constrictai General, burst forth. His dark grey scales shimmered in the torchlight, the orange markings along his powerful torso contracting as his massive coils lashed out, wrapping tightly around Zane. Sharp, bony protrusions jutted from his head, and his yellow eyes with their vertical black pupils fixed on the Ice Ninja. Cole leaped backward, caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the imposing Serpentine.
"I've been wait'n for you. Pythor sends his regards." Skalidor hissed, his voice carrying a guttural accent, his forked tongue flicking out.
"Did you stay behind just to tell us that? Pathetic." Zane grunted as Skalidor's constricting grip tightened, squeezing the air from his lungs.
"Look who's callin' who pathetic, Pinky." Skalidor retorted, flicking his serpentine tongue towards Zane's pink gi.
"Only I can call him Pinky!" Cole roared, brandishing his Scythe of Quakes and slamming its blade into the stone floor, causing a tremor to ripple through the chamber.
Forced to release Zane momentarily, Skalidor immediately burrowed back into the ground, the stone table shaking violently.
"Zane, go for the rope!" Cole shouted, scrambling towards the hanging lifeline. Just as Zane jumped onto the stone table and grabbed the rope, Cole yelled again as Skalidor's tail, thick as a tree trunk, snaked out and dragged him down into the earth, his scythe clattering to the stone floor.
"Cole?!" Zane exclaimed in alarm as Cole was launched back out of the ground, screaming, landing hard on the stone with a heavy thud.
Skalidor burrowed through the ground around them, the rocky floor rumbling ominously as he moved swiftly towards the downed Earth Ninja, the plates of his armored shoulders shifting beneath the earth.
Cole scrambled backward, pushing himself up, and frantically pulled out the Sacred Flute, its polished surface gleaming in the torchlight. He put it to his lips and began to play its haunting melody.
"No!" Skalidor shrieked, recoiling as the flute's magic assaulted his serpentine senses. He was forced out of the ground, his clawed hands flying to cover his prominent ear holes. However, he still managed to lash out, his powerful tail wrapping around Cole's torso, tightening relentlessly. Cole gasped, struggling for breath, his face contorted in pain. "Zane... Zane..." He choked out, his voice strained as Skalidor's grip intensified, forcing him to drop the flute.
"Ninja, go!" Zane exclaimed, spinning into a pink-tinged Spinjitzu vortex, swiftly moving to the fallen flute and snatching it up.
Just as Zane began to play the flute, Skalidor's free hand shot out, his sharp claws digging into Zane's throat. Zane, however, with incredible focus, lifted his hood and continued playing the flute, his breath growing ragged but the melody unwavering. He took a deep, shuddering breath and finished the tune. Skalidor roared in agony, releasing them both to clutch at his ears in a desperate attempt to block the flute's piercing rhythm.
Cole, seizing the opportunity, grabbing the Scythe of Quakes. "Wrap your head around this!" he exclaimed, swinging the blunt end of his weapon and delivering a powerful blow to Skalidor's head, knocking the imposing Constrictai General unconscious with a heavy thud.
"Ah... good one," Zane breathed out, clutching his throat.
"Thanks. But if he was expecting us, I think Kai and Jay are walking into a trap." Cole noted grimly. "Come on. Let's get out of here." He said, scrambling towards the rope.
(Scene breaks)
Meanwhile, Kai and Jay were traveling through the Toxic Bogs. Jay expertly navigated the treacherous terrain in his Storm Fighter, weaving between the grotesque, bulbous trees that dotted the landscape. Kai followed suit on the ground, his Blade Cycle spitting mud and fumes as he maneuvered through the sickly green puddles and gnarled roots.
With synchronized flashes of blue and red light, their vehicles vanished as they landed on relatively solid ground near the base of an enormous, decaying tree.
"Ew." Jay said, wrinkling his nose beneath his hood. "Hey, it's not me. We're in the Toxic Bogs. This stuff will eat through you worse than Cole's chili." Kai retorted, plucking a thin, forked twig from a nearby bush. He cautiously dipped it into a sluggish, green river, pulling it out almost instantly to reveal the melted, smoking tip. "Definitely not for swimming."
They began leaping across patches of firmer ground and the occasional moss-covered log, the air thick with a humid, acrid stench. Vines, slick with a viscous, green substance, hung like macabre decorations, which Jay occasionally used to swing across wider stretches of the toxic waterways. Finally, they reached the base of a colossal, ancient tree, its roots forming a tangled mass around a dark, ominous gate door– the entrance to the Venomari Tomb.
They walked up to the gate door. Jay pressed a button, and with a wheezing hiss, it opened, releasing a cloud of smelly, but harmless gas. "P-yew!" Jay commented, his voice echoing slightly within the tomb's entrance, as he and Kai instinctively covered their noses. Jay chuckled, the sound bouncing off the damp stone.
"Let's just make this quick before Pythor gets here." Kai said hurriedly, pausing at the threshold as Jay stepped a few feet inside the shadowy opening. "What—?" Intrigued by a subtle rustling sound coming from around the massive tree trunk, Kai moved to investigate, circling its gnarled base. "This place looks empty. We must have just missed them." Jay noted, his voice carrying from just inside the tomb. "Check this out." He added, turning back towards the interior.
"They say you're the Green Ninja, but I say I am." Jay said, cupping his hands around his mouth, his voice echoing eerily from within the tomb. "[voice echoing]: I am. I am." He repeated, chuckling at his own joke. "I am! [voice echoing]: I am! I am!"
As Jay's playful echoes faded, Kai, now on the opposite side of the colossal tree, heard a sudden, loud croak. A large, purple bog frog leaped from the murky edge of the swampy ground, causing Kai to gasp and instinctively brandish his sword of fire. "Oh. You shouldn't sneak up on people like that." Kai muttered at the frog, which then landed on a dark green and yellow triangular object partially submerged in a stagnant pool near the tree roots. "Heh, if I wasn't such a well-trained nin—"
His brief moment of bravado was shattered as a tusk-less Venomari warrior erupted from the stagnant pool right beside the tree, hissing menacingly. The startled frog leaped away as the snake spat a stream of glowing green venom directly into Kai's face. Kai cried out, his eyes instantly burning, turning a sickly, luminescent green.
Kai's vision swam, the Venomari warrior before him twisting and distorting. "Jay? Jay!" He called out, his voice strained, turning clumsily back towards the tomb entrance, his movements already unsteady.
"No, I'm the real Jay! [voice echoing]: No, I'm the real Jay!" Jay continued his playful echoing from inside the tomb, still unaware of Kai's predicament.
From the acidic rivers of the Toxic Bogs, more Venomari warriors emerged, their four eyes gleaming malevolently. Simultaneously, several Constrictai warriors burst from the cracked ground near the base of the tree, hissing as they began to surround the disoriented red ninja.
In Kai's rapidly deteriorating vision, the serpentine figures around him began to morph into grotesque elves and menacing gingerbread people, their forms flickering and unsettling. "Oh, this is not good." Kai stammered, erratically swinging his flaming sword, narrowly missing one of the hallucinated gingerbread men that seemed to be emerging from the tree roots. "Jay! Jay!" He called out again, his voice laced with fear, finally catching Jay's attention as the blue ninja poked his head cautiously around the tree trunk from the tomb's entrance.
"There's so many." Kai said, his voice trembling, the sword of fire wavering in his grip before clattering to the damp ground near the tree. "Elves and gingerbread people everywhere."
"Okay, I don't know what you're seeing, but this is no time to lose yourself. I need you, partner." Jay said, brandishing his nunchucks, spinning them over his head as he slowly moved towards Kai, his expression a mixture of concern and confusion as he stepped fully out of the tomb entrance. "I've never fought little people before. We're toast." Kai mumbled, backing away from the encroaching serpentine-turned-pastry-and-folklore-creatures near the base of the massive tree.
Suddenly, the ground nearby rumbled. With twin flashes of brown and white light, Cole and Zane arrived, leaping from their vanished vehicles and landing in front of the Venomari Tomb entrance, their weapons raised and ready.
"Anyone order a little kick butt? [voice echoing]: Butt... butt." Cole quipped, his voice echoing within the humid air around the tomb. Jay snickered.
Suddenly, the shadows at the tomb's entrance shifted, and Pythor slithered out. "Boo!" he hissed. "Aah!" Jay yelped, a high-pitched sound escaping him as he stumbled back, startled by Pythor's sudden appearance. The four ninja instinctively drew closer, finding themselves encircled – Pythor blocking their path forward, the assembled serpentine a menacing wall behind them.
Zane, ever the pragmatist, swiftly lifted his hood, his fingers moving to the mouthpiece of the sacred flute. The initial notes of the melody began to drift through the air, but before the melody could take hold, Pythor's tail lashed out with surprising speed, snatching the instrument from Zane's grasp. "No, let's not let music ruin things, hmm?" Pythor hissed, a sly smile playing on his serpentine lips as his forked tongue flickered.
With coordinated movements, the serpentine pressed the ninja backward, forcing them onto a large, waterlogged tree trunk that floated precariously on the acidic river. Their combined weight caused the decaying wood to groan and sink lower, the corrosive liquid beginning to bubble and eat away at its edges. "I've got a sinking feeling," Pythor chuckled, his voice laced with manic glee as he twirled the sacred flute in his clawed hand, "that this may be the last I see of you four." The tree trunk slowly drifted away from the shore.
"That's it. I used to hate dragons, but now I officially hate snakes." Cole grumbled, frustration evident in his voice. Kai, his eyes still glazed and unfocused, pointed a shaky finger. "Wait, do you see that? A magic floating rope. We can climb to safety." He took a wobbly step towards the edge of the log, but Jay grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "Boy, that Venomari venom is some powerful stuff." Jay muttered, watching as the log continued to sink, the serpentine surrounding them erupting in mocking laughter.
A thick rope suddenly snaked down from above, dangling just in front of them. "Hey, what?" Cole questioned, a bewildered look on his face. "The magic rope! Ha!" Kai exclaimed, still lost in his hallucinations. "Quick. Everyone, climb over." Jay urged, grabbing for the rope.
Pythor stared at the inexplicably appearing rope, disbelief etched on his face. His attention was then abruptly drawn upwards by the distinct, powerful whine of jet engines. His eyes widened in surprise as a red, black, and gold samurai-themed mech descended rapidly, landing with a ground-shaking thud behind him.
The mech's left arm snapped forward, launching a net that ensnared two nearby Constrictai. With startled hisses, they burrowed frantically into the ground to escape. The Venomari, equally surprised, dove en masse into the relative safety of the acidic river.
The mech, its arm still extended, took a deliberate step forward. The intricate plating on its chest split open with a mechanical hiss, revealing an armored samurai figure within, their face obscured by a sleek face-plate and glowing goggles. Pythor recoiled slightly, his eyes darting nervously. "Pythor target confirmed," Samurai X announced in a synthesized, robotic tone. "Time to bag, and tag."
With swift precision, Samurai X raised their right arm, firing a small dart that struck Pythor squarely in his rear. Pythor cried out, clutching his tail as he fled with surprising speed into the surrounding bogs.
The four ninja, now cautiously stepping onto the solid ground the rope had led them to, turned towards their mysterious savior as the samurai gracefully hopped out of the open cockpit of the mech. "Who are you?" Cole demanded, suspicion in his voice. "How about the coolest thing I've ever seen?" Jay exclaimed, awe replacing his earlier fear. "Santa?" Kai mumbled, his delirium unwavering. Zane, however, approached the armored figure with a more measured curiosity.
"Thank you, mysterious warrior. I owe you my life for saving— Ugh!" Zane began gratefully, only to be cut short as Samurai X swiftly raised their arm again, releasing a silent cloud of sleeping gas. Zane's eyes widened in surprise before he slumped unconscious to the ground.
"Now that wasn't nice!" Jay protested before he, Kai, and Cole were similarly enveloped by the gas, their protests fading as they too succumbed, Jay emitting a soft snore as he fell.
Samurai X pressed a button on their right arm. A thin cable, extending from their back, whirred as it rapidly retracted, pulling them back into the open chest cavity of the Samurai mech. With another mechanical hiss, the chest-plate closed, and the powerful jets roared to life once more, lifting the impressive machine into the air and away into the twilight.
Not long after, a focused beam of light pierced the darkness, illuminating the four unconscious ninja on the muddy ground. High above, the sleek silhouette of the Shift-wing could be seen slowly descending.
(Scene break)
"So then, just when we were gonna bite it, this huge mechanical robot—" Jay exclaimed, his hands gesturing wildly as he recounted their near-demise to Nya, Wu, Lloyd, and Akira at the dinner table.
"Samurai. It was Samurai," Zane corrected with his usual precise tone, still slightly bewildered by the encounter.
"A sama-what now?" Lloyd asked, tilting his head in confusion.
"Samurai. Highest level of your human warrior class." Akira explained, taking a slow, elegant sip of her tea as Wu nodded in agreement. "They would protect nobility and serve with honor on the battlefield." He added.
"He was a hundred feet high, with weapons coming out every part of him." Kai exaggerated, the lingering effects of the Venomari venom clearly skewing his perception. The others exchanged weary glances. "Look at Sensei's beard," Kai whispered to Cole, his eyes wide. "It's moving like snakes."
"When is this Venomari spit supposed to wear off? It's starting to get annoying." Nya exclaimed, rubbing her temples. Kai then unceremoniously slapped his food onto his own face, prompting Nya to shake her head in exasperation while Lloyd, Jay, and Zane stared in a mixture of disbelief and amusement.
"Okay don't let this mysterious samurai cloud what's really important: All the Serpentine are out," Cole interjected, trying to steer the conversation back to the urgent matter. "and if Pythor can unite them, the legend states some Great Devourer is gonna consume the land and..." He trailed off, taking a breath.
"Great Devourer?" Nya questioned, a hint of apprehension in her voice.
"Whatever it is, it's a can of worms I don't wanna see open." Cole concluded grimly.
"Ugh, it's all my fault," Lloyd mumbled, his earlier excitement replaced with guilt. "If I hadn't opened the first hatch, none of this would've happened." Akira gently ruffled his blonde hair.
"It is alright, young hatchling. Part of growing up is learning from our missteps," Akira said soothingly, offering him a warm smile. "We cannot change the past, but we can affect the future. At least we have the Sacred Flute in our possession, so—" Wu began, only to be interrupted by Jay's sheepish tone.
"Yeah. Ahem. About that..." Jay started awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. "Pythor sort of... stole it," Zane finished, mirroring Jay's uncomfortable gesture. Wu's eyes widened in disbelief and worry. "The last Sacred Flute... gone?" he said, his voice a low murmur before he sighed heavily. "You four are Ninjago's last hope." Just then, the ship's alarm blared through the dining room.
"Cold-vision must have caught something. That means the Serpentine are near." Nya said, rising quickly from the table.
"Oh, no! Ninjago City?" Cole exclaimed, as everyone, a sense of urgency gripping them, rushed towards the bridge.
"How many are there?" Jay asked, his eyes fixed on the main screen as the projector displayed a 3D hologram of a small section of the city, dotted with the telltale cold-vision signatures of the Serpentine.
"Looks like... all of them," Kai answered, the last vestiges of the Venomari venom seemingly fading as his focus sharpened.
"Pythor must be trying to unite them." Zane noted, his voice filled with concern. "Go. We mustn't let the five tribes unite." Wu exclaimed, his tone urgent as the ninja surged out of the bridge, Akira, to the surprise of some, following closely behind.
"Ninja, go!" The four ninja shouted in unison, launching into their Spinjitzu. Vibrant tornadoes of their respective elements swirled around them, transforming their casual attire into their ninja suits in a flash. Zane, however, emerged from his icy vortex still clad in his embarrassing pink gi, and he sighed dramatically. "Ah. I must get this taken care of." he muttered to himself.
Kai's red Spinjitzu was still wobbly, and as it dissipated, he swayed unsteadily before collapsing onto the floor in a dizzy heap. "Don't worry. It'll wear off soon," Jay reassured him, helping Kai to his feet. "For now, you're coming with me."
"I am joining you as well," Akira affirmed, her serpentine form gliding smoothly as she held her Naginata with a determined glint in her amethyst eyes.
"Uh, are you sure?" Cole asked hesitantly. "I mean... you might not exactly fit comfortably in any of our vehicles." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"What Cole means is, your considerable size will prohibit you from fitting in our vehicles comfortably." Zane clarified diplomatically.
"Do not concern yourselves with my mode of transport," Akira replied, a hint of amusement in her amethyst eyes. "I possess my own means of swift travel, and I would not miss this... grand assembly of theirs for all the tea in Ninjago." With that, she slithered gracefully ahead of them towards the main deck, her Naginata held ready.
Not long after reaching the main deck, the ninja and Akira leaped into the pre-dawn air. Kai's terrified scream echoed as Jay gripped his arm, a stark contrast to the whoops and laughter of the other ninja embracing the freefall.
With a practiced spin, Jay's nunchucks blazed with electric blue energy, solidifying into the sleek form of his jet. Kai, eyes wide with a mixture of fear and grudging trust, was now his passenger as they angled towards the glittering cityscape below.
"Ah. I love the smell of land hurtling towards you in the middle of the night." Cole bellowed, relishing the wind whipping past him as he, Zane, and Akira plummeted. Pulling out his scythe, it erupted in a flash of earthy brown, solidifying into the treads of his assault vehicle. Zane followed suit, his shurikens crystallizing into his agile snowmobile in a burst of icy white. Akira, however, remained a streamlined silhouette against the city lights, a silent promise of a unique landing.
Zane expertly steered his snowmobile down the sheer glass face of a skyscraper, the vehicle launching off the edge before landing on the rain-slicked concrete with a dramatic, tire-screeching slide. Cole's tread assault vehicle landed with a ground-shaking thud, the metallic groan echoing through the deserted streets before his vehicle dissolved back into his scythe in a flash of brown light.
Jay expertly maneuvered his jet sideways through a narrow alleyway, the aircraft vanishing in a burst of blue just as he and a still-shaken Kai executed a synchronized front-flip, landing in a controlled slide on the grimy asphalt. "Where's Akira?" Jay asked, his gaze sweeping the deserted alley. As if in answer, Akira descended silently between them, striking a classic superhero landing pose, a subtle ripple of harmless purple energy radiating outwards, the silent testament to her controlled impact.
"I thought you had a vehicle?" Cole questioned, staring at her in mild disbelief. Akira simply shrugged, a knowing smile gracing her lips. "I do. But this was far more... entertaining." She countered, gesturing for them to follow as she moved towards the alleyway's mouth, the ninja pausing to gaze in awe at the towering buildings of Ninjago City.
"Ninjago City. Amazing," Kai breathed out, his earlier fear momentarily forgotten. "Always heard stories of this place."
"Biggest city in all of Ninjago," Jay noted, his eyes wide with wonder at the neon glow. "Always wanted to come here."
"Yeah, I always dreamed of one day being on a billboard here," Cole added wistfully, his gaze drifting upwards. "You too?" Jay questioned. "Yeah, I did too," Kai affirmed, still taking in the sheer scale of the city.
"I've been here on several occasions. It bears a certain resemblance to some of the larger serpentine settlements I visited before the wars," Akira remarked with a dismissive shrug, her perspective clearly different.
"Uh, but may I remind you, where are the snakes?" Zane said, gesturing to the seemingly empty streets, "We should be standing in the middle of a massive Serpentine gathering."
Akira's gaze then settled on a nearby manhole cover. "If they are not congregating above ground, the logical conclusion is that they are... below." She pointed out as they approached the heavy metal disc.
"I hate snakes. No offense, Akira." Cole groaned, his initial excitement fading. "None taken," she replied smoothly, her gaze already fixed on the manhole.
(Scene break)
In the echoing depths of an abandoned subway station, the assembled serpentine tribes, the absence of their generals a subtle unease, murmured amongst themselves. Pythor, ever the narcissist, used the grimy window of a decaying, flat-nosed locomotive as a makeshift mirror, preening with self-satisfaction.
"You'll have to use more than words to bring the Serpentine together." Skales observed, his tone laced with skepticism as Pythor finally turned.
"My dear Skales," Pythor purred, a sly smile playing on his lips. "All I have to do is show them the way."
"They're ready for you, Pythor." Acidicus affirmed with a low, venomous undertone.
"Excellent," Pythor hissed, his eyes gleaming. "Showtime." He slithered up a splintered wooden ramp, ascending atop the rusted train car as the mass of serpentine warriors and even a few nervous civilians continued their restless clamoring, a low, sibilant hum that gradually subsided as Pythor gained their attention.
"Friends, enemies... and enemies who pretend to be friends." Pythor began, his playful jab rippling through the crowd in a wave of serpentine laughter. "I welcome you."
"That's a lot of snakes." Cole muttered quietly, the ninja having positioned themselves on the shadowed second floor of the abandoned subway, overlooking the seething mass below.
"What are we gonna do?" Jay whispered, his nunchucks held ready. "I have an idea. Follow my lead." Kai replied with a confident smirk, leading them towards a crumbling set of stairs.
"And what is it with the Constrictai and their vice-like grip?" Pythor continued, exaggerating a shudder with a theatrical smile. "Let it go, already!" He waved a dismissive claw, eliciting another round of hearty serpentine laughter.
"It's funny because it's so true." a Fangpyre chuckled, his Transylvanian accent thick with amusement.
"Heh, but in all seriousness, the reason why I called this gathering is because." Pythor began, drawing a dramatic breath, "The good people of Ninjago imprisoned us in those insidious tombs, and I want to return the favor." A venomous cheer surged through the assembled serpentine.
With a sudden, silent descent, Kai slid down a thick rope from the grimy ceiling, interrupting Pythor's inflammatory speech. "That sounds like a great plan," he drawled sarcastically, his voice cutting through the cheers, "but you know the Hypnobrai will screw it up."
"Who said that?!" a Hypnobrai warrior hissed, his hood flaring in anger, and the tribes immediately erupted into a cacophony of accusations and hisses, Kai swiftly ascending the rope, unnoticed in the ensuing chaos.
"Those buck teeth can bite my rear end." Jay muttered with a mocking tone behind a few oblivious, hissing Fangpyre, before melting back into the shadows. "Huh?" a Venomari guard hissed, his four eyes swiveling in confusion.
"I bet they're drinking their own venom." Cole quipped from behind a crumbling pillar, quickly retreating before being spotted. "All that digging must have given them dirt for brains." Zane added dryly from a precarious perch above a knot of arguing serpentine.
Akira, cloaked in her element of light, slithered sinuously into the throng, subtly nudging and tripping several serpentine with a devious flicker of her amethyst eyes. The resulting stumbles and angry hisses further escalated the burgeoning infighting.
"What's going on? Why am I losing them?" Pythor hissed, turning to a bewildered Skales, his composure finally cracking with confused frustration. Skales merely shrugged his scaled shoulders, before a flicker of movement caught his eye. Looking up at the second-floor mezzanine, he spotted Cole making a hasty retreat. "Ninja!" Skales hissed, pointing his staff accusingly. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it." He affirmed, slithering away with a predatory gleam in his reptilian eyes.
Cole, who had been observing the escalating pandemonium from the relative safety of the mezzanine balcony, was suddenly yanked downwards with a startled yelp, vanishing into the cracked earth.
Kai, cautiously peeking around a corner, attempting to locate Cole, was likewise snatched from view, disappearing into the rumbling ground. Jay and Zane, witnessing the sudden disappearances, exchanged worried glances and backed away as a telltale trail of fractured, vibrating concrete snaked towards them. They turned and sprinted.
As they fled, three hulking Constrictai warriors erupted from the ground directly in their path, effectively cutting off Jay from Zane and ensnaring the blue ninja in their powerful coils. "Run!" Jay yelled, struggling against their constricting grip.
The pink-clad ninja hesitated for a crucial moment, stepping forward in a futile attempt to fight off the snakes binding Jay, before being forced to retreat further into the labyrinthine subway as three more Constrictai burst from the earth, their menacing hisses echoing through the tunnels.
(Scene break)
(Akira POV/third POV)
Akira, still cloaked with the element of light, observed the three ninja being roughly tied up and shoved into a dusty janitor closet, leaving a single, bored-looking Hypnobrai warrior as their guard.
She slithered silently towards the dilapidated locomotive where Pythor was still struggling to quell the agitated serpentine crowd as Skales rejoined him atop the train car.
"Did you take care of them?" Pythor asked with ill-concealed urgency, turning his head towards Skales.
"All but one," Skales hissed, pointing his staff towards the oblivious Hypnobrai guard, who nodded smugly before opening the janitor's closet, revealing the three struggling, captive ninja to Pythor.
"Search every crevice! If he's a ninja, he'll be lurking where you least expect it," Pythor ordered, his voice sharp with command.
"Look! A pink ninja!" a Constrictai shouted, spotting Zane swinging precariously on the rope Kai had used earlier.
"Go, pink ninja, go!" the captured ninja yelled in unison, their voices muffled by the cramped space.
Zane swung with surprising agility, his feet connecting with Fangtom and Acidicus, knocking them off the rusting locomotive with startled hisses, before he propelled himself towards the janitor's closet to free his teammates.
Before Skales and Pythor could react, Akira casually lifted the heavy locomotive with one arm, the metal groaning under the strain. With a swift, almost nonchalant movement, she flipped it horizontally. Pythor and Skales shrieked as they tumbled off, and the surrounding serpentine scattered frantically before the train crashed down with a deafening thud.
"Akira!" Zane yelled over the ensuing chaos of scattering snakes, in response, she turned to see that he had freed the others. "We have to leave!" he exclaimed, as they all used the remaining ropes to swing upwards towards the relative safety of the second-floor mezzanine tunnel where they had entered earlier, Akira unleashing a focused shockwave from her tail to propel herself effortlessly into the tunnel.
Before the pursuing serpentine could reach the tunnel entrance, Akira's amethyst eyes flared with a chaotic red light. The tip of her tail pulsed with crimson energy as she slammed it against the ground twice. Then, she began to spin, the movement mirroring Spinjitzu but twisted with a sinister energy. Instead of her usual vibrant silver, purple, and gold tornado, a dark, malevolent vortex of shattered red and black formed around her, humming with raw chaotic power, causing the concrete around her to crack and crumble.
The tunnel above them began to groan and collapse under the force, the ninja, further inside, staring back at her in stunned shock.
Once the terrifying Shatterspin tornado dissipated, Akira quickly slithered towards them, her movements now urgent. "Come on! That won't hold them for long," she urged, gliding past the still-reeling ninja, who scrambled to follow her.
After a frantic sprint through the tunnel, Zane swiftly pulled out his Shurikens of Ice. With a focused throw, they embedded themselves in the tunnel walls ahead, and with a flash of icy light, transformed into his agile snowmobile, the narrow passage barely accommodating Kai, Cole, and Jay as they piled on.
Akira, surprising them once again, followed suit. She drew her Naginata, a glowing magenta outline forming around the silver blade with its subtle gold and purple scale-like accents. With a powerful throw, it shot forward, flashing with intense magenta light before solidifying into a sleek, high-tech hover-bike. The vehicle was primarily silver, with intricate gold and purple scale patterns tracing its aerodynamic frame, and it hummed with contained elemental energy. A protective cockpit enclosed her.
"Whoa! How come you didn't use that earlier?" Jay asked, his awe evident.
"As I mentioned before," Akira replied with a sharp grin, the cockpit of her hover-bike closing with a soft hiss, "I didn't need to. Besides, the looks on your faces were priceless." She revved the engine, the silver hover-bike lifting slightly off the ground, the gold and purple accents catching the dim tunnel light, before accelerating towards the tunnel exit. Zane revved his snowmobile, following closely behind just as the first of the serpentine broke through the icy rubble.
(Scene break)
Back on the Destiny's Bounty, the warm atmosphere of the dining room was filled with the contented sounds of everyone enjoying the dinner Zane had prepared. Akira, abandoning her usual tea, devoured the food with undisguised glee.
"You know," Cole began, mid-chew, grabbing another generous portion, "whether it was in a lesson book or not, we used the destructive power of rumors to our advantage."
"And now the Serpentine are further away than ever from getting their act together." Kai added with a satisfied nod.
"You know," Jay chimed in, watching Akira enthusiastically tackle a plate of desserts, "I don't think we would've gotten out of there if it wasn't for Zane and Akira."
Zane smiled. "Don't thank me; thank Lloyd. If it hadn't been for his 'laundry skills,' I would've been found as well." A wave of laughter rippled around the table, Akira letting out an amused snort between bites of cake.
Soon after, Lloyd entered the kitchen, holding Zane's ninja suit, now restored to its pristine white. "Well," he announced proudly, "it took me twenty loads, but your suit's no longer pink." He then turned to Cole, a picture of innocent remorse. "And to show that I'm sorry, Cole, I got you a can of nuts." He held out a sealed can with a wide, seemingly genuine smile, though Akira's keen eyes caught the familiar glint of mischief within his green irises.
Cole eyed the can suspiciously, a wary chuckle escaping him. "Uh, ha-ha, yeah. Don't think I don't know what this is. When I open this, a bunch of snakes are gonna pop out, right? Yeah. No, thank you." He laughed it off, turning towards the refrigerator. As he pulled the door open, a veritable explosion of rubber snakes launched outwards, hitting him squarely in the face. He yelled in comical surprise, stumbling backward and landing on the floor in a heap of faux reptiles.
The dining room erupted in laughter once more, Cole looking utterly bewildered for a moment before a slow grin spread across his face, and he joined in the merriment.
——————————-
Finally done, sorry that it took so long.
From now on, I don't think that I will continue to write a whole episode in one chapter unless I have Akira be in the entire episode. Yes, that means the chapters will be a bit shorter but, that way I can get them out a little faster.
My books from now on will be in third POV, but will follow Akira. Which means that if I were to write this chapter in mind. I would not have included the segments with the ninja going to the separate tombs and instead write a scene of Akira spending time with Lloyd and/or training him.