Before I write, special thanks to user98274023 for following me! And to BF_1352 for adding this book to Ninjago 3! Enjoy!!

The air crackled with the clash of metal and elemental fury. 

Cole, his movements swift, grappled with Zane. Nya, determination glistening in her eyes, unleashed a desperate torrent of water at Jay, who danced nimbly out of the way, his lightning crackling around him.

"Stop this!" Kai roared, his voice laced with a raw pain that mirrored Lloyd's own. "We're not enemies!"

" Yeah, listen to the hothead!" Lloyd added, rewarding him with a displeased look from Kai.

" But Zane stole my cake!" Cole roared.

" And Jay stole my watch!" Nya added.

"There has to be a reason for this!" Lloyd shouted, dodging a stray ice shard launched by Zane's Techno-Blade.

"Easy for you to say, Sparky!" Kai retorted, narrowly avoiding a wave of Nya's water. "Maybe they're under some kind of spell!"

"A spell?" Lloyd pondered, the idea sparking a flicker of hope. "But why would they be attacking each other?"

Suddenly, a booming voice filled the air. "Enough!"

Garmadon materialized in the center of the room, his eyes blazing with a power that seemed to crackle with dark energy. The ninja, momentarily stunned by his unexpected appearance, faltered in their attacks.

"What's going on here?" Garmadon demanded, his voice echoing with a terrifying authority.

The question hung heavy in the air. Cole, still clutching a mangled slice of cake, looked at Zane accusingly. Zane, circuits whirring erratically, pointed a shaky hand at Jay. Nya, her eyes narrowed, glared at Jay, who for once seemed speechless, his lightning flickering nervously around him.

Lloyd, seizing the opportunity, rushed towards Garmadon. "Father, I think they're under some kind of influence!"

Garmadon raised an eyebrow at him, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes. "You think, do you?" He turned his gaze back to the ninja, his voice softening slightly. "Tell me, children, what seems to be the problem?"

Hesitantly, Cole explained about the missing cake, Nya about her stolen watch, and Jay... well, Jay mumbled something about needing a new watch anyway. As they spoke, a strange glint faded from their eyes, replaced by their usual confusion.

Finally, Zane, his voice devoid of its usual monotone, spoke up. "I... I don't remember attacking Cole. I just felt a surge of anger... a possessiveness over something..."

The other ninja echoed his sentiment, their faces etched with a mixture of embarrassment and concern. Lloyd exchanged a worried glance with Garmadon. This wasn't a typical fight – it felt... manipulated.

"There's something wrong here," Lloyd declared, his voice firm. "Someone is trying to control them."

Garmadon nodded, a grim expression on his face. "Indeed. But who, and why?"

" Who cares?! Guys, did you hear?" Jay commented. " There's a sale on clothes! At the dollar shop."

" Oooooooh!" The others said dreamily.

" What? Guys, no time for-"

But before Lloyd could finish, the others were already on their way to the shop.

" O-kay." Lloyd groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "This is hopeless," he muttered to himself. Garmadon, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes, simply crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

Suddenly, a loud thump echoed through the room. Lloyd whirled around to see Zane, now sported a mismatched outfit – a bright pink tutu haphazardly paired with a pair of mismatched sandals and a pirate hat perched precariously on his head. The other ninja weren't much better. Nya sported a flowery dress several sizes too small, constricting her movements. Cole wore a shirt emblazoned with a picture of a giant cupcake, and Jay... well, Jay somehow managed to get himself tangled in a bright green boa constrictor costume, complete with a plastic top hat.

"We look fabulous, don't we?" Nya chirped, striking a rather awkward pose in her dress. Cole, despite his cupcake shirt, managed to scowl impressively.

"Uh... yeah," Lloyd stammered, unsure of how to respond to this fashion disaster. "But we have a bigger problem here."

"Problem?" Jay echoed, his voice muffled by the boa constrictor head. "There's no problem! Just amazing deals!"

"Look at my hat!" Zane exclaimed, his voice tinged with an uncharacteristic excitement. "It's a tricorne! Perfect for sailing the high seas... or perhaps attending a tea party?" He twirled the hat in his hand, nearly knocking over Nya in the process.

Lloyd pinched the bridge of his nose again. This was getting out of hand. He glanced at Garmadon, hoping for some kind of guidance.

"Well, they do seem to be enjoying themselves," Garmadon remarked, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. "Perhaps a little retail therapy is just what they needed to loosen up."

Lloyd stared at his father, dumbfounded. "Loosen up? We're in the middle of a crisis here! Someone is messing with their minds, and all you care about is..."

He trailed off, catching the mischievous glint in Garmadon's eyes. A horrible suspicion began to form in his mind. "Wait a minute... Father, you wouldn't..."

Garmadon uncrossed his arms, a playful smile spreading across his face. "Wouldn't what, Lloyd? Perhaps I decided to give them a little... nudge in the right direction. A taste of something they wouldn't normally indulge in."

Lloyd threw his hands up in exasperation. "You did this? You put some kind of spell on them to make them go crazy over a dollar store sale?!"

Garmadon chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound. "Let's just say, I employed a certain... persuasive influence. Consider it a bonding experience."

Lloyd looked at his team, each one lost in their own world of dollar store delights. Nya was trying (and failing) to squeeze into a pair of sparkly purple leggings. Cole was attempting to stack precariously balanced ice cream cone hats on his head. Jay, still tangled in the boa constrictor costume, was somehow managing to play a kazoo with his free hand.

"This is a disaster!" Lloyd groaned, burying his face in his hands. "How am I supposed to save Ninjago with a team obsessed with sparkly hats and plastic katanas?"

Garmadon, his amusement barely contained, clapped Lloyd on the shoulder. "Relax, son. A little fun never hurt anyone. Besides, it might just be the distraction they need to take their minds off... whatever darkness you're facing."

Lloyd wasn't convinced. In fact, he was pretty sure this whole situation had just become a whole lot more complicated. But with a sigh, he realized there was no point in arguing with his father. He just had to figure out a way to break the spell, get his team back to normal, and somehow, save Ninjago... all while surrounded by a sea of discount clothing and questionable fashion choices.

_______________________________________

The afternoon sun beat down on the park, casting dappled light through the leaves of the towering oak trees. The cacophony of the dollar store had been replaced by the gentle chirping of birds and the distant laughter of children playing on the swings. Lloyd, his head throbbing from the sensory overload of the shopping spree, watched his team with a mixture of exasperation and amusement.

Nya, finally free from the confines of the too-small dress, was attempting to teach Cole how to waltz, their movements more comical than graceful. Jay, minus the boa constrictor but sporting a bright orange afro wig, was chasing pigeons with a plastic sword, his kazoo forgotten on a park bench. Zane, the ever-logical one, seemed to be the most affected by the shopping spree. He sat rigidly on a park bench, meticulously arranging a collection of brightly colored plastic dinosaurs in a perfect line, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Lloyd sighed. At least they weren't fighting anymore. But how long would this bizarre spell last? And how were they supposed to focus on saving Ninjago while dressed like... well, like that?

Suddenly, a booming voice shattered the peaceful scene. "What in the name of Ninjago is going on here?!"

Garmadon, who had been leaning against a tree with a surprising amount of patience, straightened up with a look of mock horror on his face. "Well, this certainly wasn't in the script!"

Lloyd whirled around, his eyes widening in disbelief. Standing before them, arms crossed and a scowl etched on his face, was... Wu? But something was different. This Wu wore a pristine white gi, his beard neatly trimmed, and his eyes seemed to sparkle with a youthful vitality that the real Wu lacked.

"Master Wu?" Lloyd stammered, unsure of what to believe.

"Master Wu?" the younger-looking Wu echoed, his voice laced with amusement. "Please, call me... Wu-bert."

" Wu-bert?! Listen, Wu-" Garmaodn started, but Lloyd cut him off.

" Dad! Maybe he can help!"

" Help?! He's an imposter, pretending to be MY brother! Not going to happen." Garmadon raised his hand, and his Oni magic appeared.

" Dad, if we talk about this calmly...."

" Lloyd! Don't you see? He's the imposter!"

" What?" Lloyd was confused.

The situation spiraled into chaos. Garmadon, his eyes blazing with Oni power, lunged at the youthful Wu-bert. Lloyd, caught off guard by his father's aggression, instinctively stepped in front of the bewildered Wu-bert.

"Dad, stop!" Lloyd yelled, channeling his own green energy to form a defensive barrier. "He doesn't seem like an enemy!"

Garmadon's attack faltered, his hand inches from Lloyd's barrier. A flicker of confusion crossed his face, warring with the simmering anger. "But... he's an imposter! A mockery of my brother!"

Wu-bert, still trying to take in the bizarre scene unfolding before him, raised his hands placatingly. "There seems to be some misunderstanding here. Who are you two, and why is this gentleman threatening me with... glowing purple hands?"

Lloyd, momentarily stunned, lowered his barrier. "We're the ninja," he explained, gesturing towards his bewildered team who had stopped their park activities to watch the commotion. "And this is... well, it's a complicated story."

He glanced at Garmadon, hoping for some backup in explaining the situation, but his father remained silent, a dark scowl plastered on his face. Lloyd sighed. This was going to take some explaining.

"Look, Wu-bert," Lloyd began, deciding to address the newcomer directly. "We don't know who you are, or why you look like Master Wu, but we're facing a problem. Someone is manipulating our minds, and..."

He gestured towards his team, each still sporting their ridiculous dollar store purchases. Jay, still sporting the orange afro wig, tilted his head curiously at Wu-bert. "You look like Wu, but shorter."

Nya, arms crossed, looked unimpressed. "And younger. Less wise."

Lloyd winced. He needed to focus. "The point is," he continued, his voice firming up, "we need your help. Do you know anything about mind control spells, or...?"

Before he could finish, a gasp escaped Wu-bert's lips. His eyes darted to a small, worn book peeking out of Cole's pocket. "The Book of Forgetfulness!" he exclaimed, his voice laced with a mixture of shock and realization.

Cole, who had been absentmindedly stacking plastic dinosaurs on his head, blinked in confusion. "This book? I found it at the dollar store. It was buy one, get one free."

Wu-bert snatched the book from Cole's grasp, his youthful facade momentarily replaced by a look of grim determination. "This isn't a book of forgetfulness," he declared, his voice low and urgent. "It's a book of twisted desires! Someone is using it to warp your minds, to distract you from your true purpose!"

Lloyd's heart sank. This wasn't just some harmless prank by Garmadon. This was a deliberate attempt to sabotage them! He exchanged a worried glance with his team.

"Who would do this?" Nya demanded, her eyes flashing with anger.

Wu-bert, his brow furrowed in concentration, flipped through the book's pages. "There are faint traces of dark magic here," he muttered. "But the signature... it's masked. I can't identify the culprit."

A tense silence descended upon the park. The weight of the situation settled on Lloyd's shoulders. They were being manipulated, their focus broken, and they didn't even know who their enemy was. He looked at his team, each one still sporting their ridiculous attire, a flicker of doubt creeping into his mind. Could they even fight in this state?

Suddenly, Garmadon's voice cut through the silence. "If someone wants to distract us with dollar store delights," he said, a dangerous glint in his eyes, "then let's give them a show they won't forget."

Lloyd stared at his father, unsure of what he meant. But from the mischievous glint in Garmadon's eyes, he knew one thing – whatever plan his father had in mind, it wouldn't be tame.

" But, we don't even know where the person might be!" Lloyd protested.

" Yes, we do." Garmadon replied.

" Do we? Well, that's a tad bit fast to-"

" No time! Let's go!" Garmadon turned and ran, and the other hypnotized ninja followed.

" Oh, boy." Lloyd sighed. " It's gonna be a long day."