- What do you mean she's gone!!!?

A furious roar from the Crystal King rang throughout the Temple. He sat on his throne and tightened his grip on it, staring at his council with blatant rage.

Everyone went limp at his gaze, being on their knees in front of the ruler the whole time.

- Idiots!!! You had one, one such simple task!!! To catch some lizard!!! WAS IT SO DIFFICULT!!!?

- Peacebreaker was taken over. The ninjas captured her and took her over to their side. We're sorry... we let you down, Your Highness. - Harumi said.

- I KNOW IT!!! You have failed me and disregarded me! And me! One does not underestimate me!!! Is that understood!!?

- Yes, your majesty. - They replied in chorus, cowering in fear.

- Peacebreaker is no longer here... You must, in return for this defeat, find someone to replace her. Her battalion stands unattended, and this cannot be. - He ordered already gently, but did not change his gaze.

- Yes, it is. We will do what we can. - Pythor replied.

- I even know someone who would also like to join your revenge, my lord. He's crazy and... sneaky. Just in time. - said the Mechanic, stammering slightly.

- Very well... NO stuttering in my presence!!! - he roared.

He grunted and relaxed, looking disdainfully at his subjects.

- You may leave. Harumi, you stay. - The king waved his hand for them, to get out of his sight.

The other council members quickly ran to the exit of the throne room. Harumi approached the king and faced him.

- My beloved... Somewhere in the east, I sensed a powerful energy. Near the Labyrinth. Some powerful source of power has been stimulated, I have a suspicion, that these ninjas and the High Princess's entourage are planning something. Your task is to gather your campaign and find this power source.

- Does this mean a confrontation with a ninja? With the Son of Garmadon? - She asked in a worried voice, staring into his eyes.

Harumi's eyes shone with a pink light, like a marionette listening to, what the king, who helped her was saying.

- It's not out of the question. They are building something. Weapons or campaigns or resistance. What's more, I sense a familiar presence. Some ruler has descended from the throne and is among us. I suspect the queen. You are to find her, capture her and bring her to me. I will finish her off. Myself.

- I understand. Your wish is a command to me. I will not fail you. - she saluted like a little soldier, which, by the way, she was.

The king smiled contentedly and nodded.

- I know, I count on you very much. You have a debt to me that you must pay... otherwise... - he lowered his tone of voice and brought his face closer to hers in intimidation.

- Yes, I know. Have this task completed.

- Perfectly. You can leave now.

Harumi nodded and started to walk away from the room, when the king called out to her.

- And remember...! About our deal. Sacrifice is always rewarded. - said the king with a slight smile.

Harumi glanced over her shoulder at him before nodding her head appreciatively and leaving the room. The king smiled sinisterly and giggled amused.

- This child is too gullible.... I never keep my word. - The king sneered to himself and spread out on his obsidian throne.

Meanwhile, Pythor and Aspheera sat at a table in the Great Hall, talking to each other. As time passed and they worked together, their relationship warmed. It turned out, they had a lot in common.

- Do you think Queen Aya has really returned? - Aspheera asked.

Pythor thought for a moment, before nodding. 

- I was given the opportunity to meet Aya before, and I'm sure for my diamond on my head, that she did. She showed up, when something threatened (Y/N) or her family.

- And... what is she like?

- Well... she is... brave, as befits a ruler... - he began, but Aspheera quickly interrupted him.

- No, not Aya. She. (Y/N).

Pythor looked at her confused, before looking at his hands.

- Well... she is brave, kind and friendly to everyone she meets. She is always ready to give someone a second chance. She has already given it to me twice. A nice companion for conversation and tea. But try to get on her bad side, and you'll bitterly regret it... which we already did.

Aspheera nodded her head. - Yes... like when... I cast an incendiary spell on her knight... the green one.

Pythor sighed and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. -Yes, she got some kind of frenzy, like.... some evil spirit entered her. But then, when you confessed, (Y/N), she was more than ready to rush to Aaron's rescue.

Aspheera sighed and lowered her gaze to her hands on the table.

- And if you only heard this... scream. The one, she made, when... well... and then, when she looked at me with lust for murder in her eyes... she turned into a wild animal. If it wasn't for that Wu scroll, I would have had no way to defend myself.

- So I don't know, who of us is worse... I led the evil army twice and betrayed her... also twice. - he said after a moment's thought.

- Both of us. We are both equally guilty. In the end... no! She is the one who made the monastery burn down, what am I saying. But with this army you are right. I resurrected my subjects to be their empress and carry out revenge on Wu for what he did to me. And anyway... it jumped as usual.

- Yeah... it's so strange, that we never managed to win completely. Okay, maybe there were one-off actions, where we won, but immediately afterwards we lost it. Because...

- We felt too confident. This led us astray. - finished Aspheera in realization.

The two Serpentines looked at each other surprised. They finally agreed on something!

- Ninjas act the same way we do! We are no different. - Pythor said.

- We are the same. In one respect.

They smiled cheerfully at each other, before their smiles faded and they grunted awkwardly when their noses met.

- Yes... don't take this as a sign of friendship. - hissed Aspheera after a moment of silence.

- Yes, and don't expect me to feel anything for you. Because I don't. Not even in a million years. - Pythor hissed.

- Same with me, Anacondrai. I hate you. And I feel like to kill you, while you sleep.

- Uuuuu! I'm already afraid...! I will never be afraid of some inferior Hypnobrai.

- Inferior!? You are the one who is pathetic!!! You ate your tribe!!! Instead of dying, as a proud warrior of your tribe!!! You could have done the world a favor!!!

- Oh yeah!!? I'm not the one, who resurrected my bandaged and locked in old-fashioned coffins mates, to catch some old man!!

- Old-fashioned!!!? For your information, they were made of pure gold and expensive wood!!

- Yes, which burned in the lava, as you flooded your entire palace!!

- Shut up, you wicked snake!!!

- Make me do it, dear!!

And so, the so far getting along Serpentine, began once again to shout insults and taunt each other across the hall.

Riot walking down the corridor in front of the hall, hearing those screams and chair-throwing muffled by the door rolled his eyes.

- I swear that these two, at some point, will end up with each other.

He laughed at his thought, holding the blade in his hand and continuing his patrol, before he heard the shout.

- Expulso!!!

This was followed by a shout and the banging of something against the tables. Aspheera began to laugh, as Pythor began moaning in pain and shouting unintelligible insults at her.