December 30, 2022

ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ ▬ 9000

Happy soon-to-be New Year! :)

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Stars glittered in a deep indigo sky, blinking placidly down at the road through the Sea of Sand. The crescent moon, amid the stars, illuminated the crumbling pavement and old telephone lines.

A black bird perched on a line. Not any bird; a falcon, one that tilted its head and scared off a group of smaller birds that previously shared the line.

The falcon opened its beak, and it spoke.

"Wake up, Skylar," it said. "I know where you come from."

"Ow!"

Skylar jerked upright only to hit her head on the bunk above.

"It was just a dream," she muttered, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She glanced out the window; the waxing moon was pale in the early morning sky, and with a groan, she hauled herself out of bed. "The falcon can't actually speak, thank gods. What a fucking relief."

With a throbbing pain in her head, the white Ninja headed to the bridge of the Bounty. Morro and Wu were conversing in quieter tones, and the former perked up at the sight of the redhead.

"Looks like everyone's up early," Skylar remarked.

Wu smacked her shoulder with his staff. "A watchful eye never sleeps."

Morro nodded along with Wu. "As long as Ally and the Serpentine are out there, nobody in Zenjago is safe."

She fought down a yawn, instead choosing to brew coffee in the machine Zap had recently installed. "Where are the others?"

"Training on the upper deck," Wu hummed. "You're late. Go, catch up."

Mug of coffee in hand, Skylar left the bridge for the upper deck. The sounds of training filled the area-- clanking of metal, slams of armor against wood, hums of electricity from the Nunchucks-- yet she didn't see any of her teammates.

"Zap?" she called out, walking around, peering down to the lower deck. "Harper? Realm?"

A bird's cry sounded from right behind her, making the white ninja jolt. She spun around to see a navy-black falcon perched on the mast's mechanisms, peering at her with curious beady eyes.

"You were in my dream," she said, carefully approaching the bird and outstretching her empty hand. "Last time I saw you, you led us to the Bounty. Why are you back?"

The falcon chirruped at her, pecking at her hand lightly before flying away, drifting on the wind. Skylar watched it go for a moment, then she lifted the mug to her lips and turned to find the rest of the Ninja—

There was someone behind her. A shadow fell over the railing, and panic shot through her veins.

"Lord Garmadon," she hissed, spinning around to face the villain. "You were banished, how the fuck did you get back?"

A sharp grin spread across his inky face as he unsheathed two katanas. "Don't worry your pretty little head over it, Julien."

Skylar snarled at the name and lifted the Shurikens of Ice, leaping over Garmadon's katanas. He was significantly taller than when they last fought, for his ribcage held four arms. He didn't wield four weapons simultaneously, but she felt dread pool in her gut as she dodged his attacks. She was only matching him through dodges and avoidance—if he used all four arms, she would be done for.

"I have only returned for the Weapons of Spinjitzu," he said easily as if they were talking about the weather over tea. "Once I have the power to recreate Zenjago in my own image, you will never have to see me again. I heard the Departed Realm is a lovely vacation spot."

He charged at Skylar, narrowly missing once more as she weaved around his blows. Garmadon was good—too skilled for her to beat alone. While the Lord of Darkness had decades, perhaps centuries of experience, Skylar only had one year and a half under her belt.

They went back and forth for what felt like hours, Garmadon striking and Skylar trying to parry. It still wasn't enough, and she was quickly wearing down.

Garmadon scrutinized her defensive pose. "Every inch of you screams 'Wu's student'," he scoffed. "I know every move you have learned. Struggling is futile. Give me your Shurikens of Ice."

"You'll have to take them from my dead fucking body," she snapped back, hoping that he couldn't see her shaking. "Ninja-go!"

She spun the icy whirlwind of Spinjitzu, attempting to slam into her opponent. And somehow, he defied everything she had learned, and suddenly she was lifted by the throat. In a split second, he lifted her up and hurled her into a pile of training dummies. One of the Shurikens fell from her left hand in impact, but the other remained gripped tightly in her right.

Garmadon stepped closer, picking up the fallen Shuriken and spinning it easily. A mocking snarl was etched into his features as he hovered over her. "You have dug your own grave once more, Julien," he laughed. "So be it."

With one smooth slash, his katana cut through a rope, dropping a heavy box full of weapons down onto the ninja, too fast for her to escape.

And Skylar let out a shout, hoping it would alert one of the Ninja or Wu, hoping that her death wouldn't be in vain. Yet right as she accepted her fate, a flash of green fabric flitted across her vision, and the box was knocked to the side, crumbling as it hit the deck.

She sat upright as her savior landed on the wood. Two golden katanas sheathed in a leather cross on their back, yet they didn't reach for the weapons, instead lifting gloved hands as they faced Garmadon. A hood obscured their face under a dark green bandana, tied around their head. Their robes were embroidered with gold, the fabric itself shimmering from mint to forest green.

Green.

"Oh holy shit, that's the Green Ninja," Skylar whispered. "The legend's true."

Skylar was forgotten in the pile of training dummies as the Green Ninja and Lord Garmadon fell into a dance of battle. One would charge at the other, only to be dodged; the Green Ninja was certainly winning, however, as they were getting the most strikes in while Garmadon struggled to stop them.

The Green Ninja was pinned against the mast at one point, unable to run in either direction. Garmadon hurled both of his katanas at them, only for them to easily dodge it and Spinjitzu into a glowing green tornado crackling with power.

The tornado slammed Garmadon into the railing. He tried to get up, but they slammed their fists against the deck, sending a shock rippling through the wood like an earthquake and making the Dark Lord fall once more. They then reached behind their back and brandished... the Nunchucks of Lightning?

Zap? Skylar thought, but as the deadly dance continued, her speculations fell from her mind. The Nunchucks struck the Lord of Darkness, and a sharp kick to Garmadon's jaw threw him over the side of the deck.

Skylar swore, staring at the Green Ninja and hesitantly stepping closer to see them better. They wore dark green robes adorned with gold, and as they turned to face her, she could practically feel the energy radiating from their body. A green fire burned in their eyes, dancing at their fingertips and lighting upon their hair. "Harper? Is that you?"

The falcon swooped back into the scene, perching on the Green Ninja's shoulder and chirping at her. Emerald hues of fire crackled in wisps around their body, raging yet somehow not burning them.

Skylar took another step closer to the Green Ninja, and several Falcons sprouted from the sky, flying around her until she could no longer see the Green Ninja.

"What's going on?!" she yelled, failing to breach the hurricane of birds. "Who are you?"

A young girl's giggles filled the air.

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Skylar woke up with a loud gasp—and smacked her head on the bunk above.

Zap poked their head out of the bathroom and down the hallway. Around their toothbrush, they cheered, "Finally, you're awake now!"

Harper swung down from her bunk up top, nearly banging her head into Skylar's as she hung upside-down. "Glad to see you're up, sleeping beauty. You're going to be late for training!"

The white Ninja groaned, rubbing the spot on her head that slammed into the bunk and glanced at the time on the clock with a jolt. "It's seven o'clock— why didn't anyone wake me up?!"

Morro swung down from Harper's bunk as well, this time smashing his head into Skylar's. She yelped, falling backward dramatically, while he giggled, unfazed. "We didn't think you wanted us to. You looked like you were having some dream. Or something."

She carefully stood up, avoiding the siblings' upside-down bodies and rummaging through her drawer under the bed. "How do I know this isn't a dream—"

A pillow slammed into her face. "Does that feel like a dream?" Realm teased.

"That felt like a pillow to the face, that's what. First Master, you guys suck," she complained, fighting down a smile. "Thanks for the help."

After the team was ready and suited up, they headed to the upper deck to train. Skylar's eyes flitted to the stack of dummies in the corner, then up to the box of weapons tied by a rope.

"We should probably move the box somewhere more secure," she muttered.

Harper elbowed her, teasing, "Another slow day, I take it? Remember, we don't have to clean up until the afternoon." Dropping her voice to a whisper, she asked, "Hey, everything okay? What exactly did you dream about?"

Wu led them through stretches, the Ninja taking their usual spots to warm up.

"I saw the Falcon again," Skylar whispered, shaking out the nerves in her arms.

"Woah," Zap gasped, standing to her right. "Hang on, Sky, every time you see that bird, something big happens. First, it leads you to Ally's secret tree house-"

Realm poked her head over from Zap's right. "Then it lead you to the Bounty."

"Stretches," Wu said pointedly. "Not talking. First, the Swooping Crane."

As their sensei turned away to demonstrate the stretch, Skylar whispered again, "Yes, exactly! And this time, it showed me the Green Ninja."

Zap, Harper, and Realm all gasped. Wu spun around at the sound, and the four froze in various random stretches.

"That looks like the Shocked Monkey," he reprimanded, smacking each Ninja with the staff. "I need to see better form, more focus."

They followed Wu through the next couple of stretches, whispering between them. Zap nudged Skylar's side. "You can't just drop a bomb like that and move on! What about the Green Ninja?"

"Yeah, what else did you see?" Harper inquired. She perfectly mimicked Wu's poses, in stark contrast to Skylar stumbling through the exercises.

"They were fighting Lord Garmadon. Saved me from becoming an ice pancake."

Realm nodded. "That's what the prophecy said: the Green Ninja will defeat the Dark Lord. Did you have a chance to see which one of us it was?"

The others cast equally curious looks her way, but Skylar shook her head. "I couldn't tell. They seemed to have all of our abilities, somehow."

"Now, Pinching Crab," Wu announced. The team followed his pose.

Zap started getting excited, their voice rising from a whisper as they held the stretch. "But still, tell us everything! And don't spare any of the details. There has to be a clue that tells us which one of us is gonna be the Green Nin—"

They yelped as Wu smacked them on the shoulder. "Zap. What was more important than my lesson?"

"Nothing, Sensei," she blurted.

Harper chimed in, "It really was nothing."

"Yeah, we don't talk while you teach," Realm agreed. "Everyone was paying attention."

Wu narrowed his eyes, not falling for it. "You are just like... ah, nevermind. Since you all share a lack of focus, you can all share the punishment."

"What?!"

Zap gasped. "Punishment?"

"I was just answering their questions," Skylar tried. It was futile, and the Ninja could tell Wu had already made up his mind.

"No free time. No video games. The rest of the day can be used for training. And tomorrow, for that matter."

Harper sighed, undoing her hair and ruffling it so it fell over her eyes. "More training? For how long?"

Sensei Wu stroked his beard in thought for a moment, then gave the blonde a side-eyed look. "You will train until you can answer this simple riddle: What is the best way to defeat an enemy?"

Pausing from re-tying her hair, Harper spat a lock of wavy hair from her mouth and scoffed, "Easy. With a sword and a shit ton of skill."

"Language. Maybe Spinjitzu?" Realm offered.

Zap suggested, "Fists and ninja power!"

"Guys, it's obvious," Skylar piped in, "the Tornado of Creation!"

The disappointed expression on Wu's face told the team that none of them guessed right.

"Pace yourselves," Wu sighed. "You have a lot of training ahead of you. Focus on sharpening your mind, not just only Spinjitzu."

As their sensei left the deck, Realm turned to her team. "'What's the best way to defeat an enemy'? That could be anything!"

"We can figure it out!" Zap flipped their hood up and settled into a fighting stance, gesturing for Skylar to mimic their pose. The moment the white Ninja fell into position, she swung. They dodged, and in a flash, knocked her down with a roundhouse kick.

Zap lay on the ground for a moment longer, eyes shut against the sun. Skylar leaned over, reaching out a hand with a giggle. "Maybe a bit of training won't be too bad, after all." They took his hand and pulled themselves up, and for a moment, their hands remained entwined.

And then it was as if it didn't happen—Skylar resumed a fighting stance, her reddened ears the only evidence of anything before. "Let's go again. Come on, guys, we're smart. We can figure this out. It's just a riddle, right?"

Harper had no true intention of training. She pretended to invest her attention in a punching bag, but the moment Wu closed the door to the cabin, she dropped the act and turned to Sky. "Forget the riddle, let's hear more about this dream."

A grin lit up the white Ninja's face and they fell out of position; the others gathered closer, sensing a good story. "Okay. Let me just say, the Green Ninja is fucking awesome."

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"So this is power!"

The Fangpyre tribe stormed up a snowy mountain, pressing through the waves of snow hitting the army. Scaly vehicles flanked the marching Serpentine, approaching the tomb entrance Ally remembered all too well.

She rode with the General, sitting in shotgun of the wrecking ball as it led the dozens of red and white warriors. General Fangtom drove the vehicle while she sat beside her, the Serpentine's long tail wrapped around the girl protectively. Snow whipped in her face and stung her eyes but gods, it felt amazing. She, Ally Garmadon, was ruling the Fangpyre tribe alone. She was leading them once more, this time to both victory and revenge. If that didn't make her father proud, she didn't know what would!

"This is it!" she crowed. "Dad will finally accept me as his right-hand man, and you and your army will get some honors or something for helping me!"

Fangtom's left head turned to give her a side-eye. "Little girl, we don't need honorsss in thanksss. Freedom and revenge is enough pay in itssself."

A dark line appeared over the horizon. Fangtom handed Ally a telescope. "Look ahead, darling. Isss that our enemy?"

Ally held it to her eye and squinted. She saw Skales leading his army, and a sick feeling churned in her gut. The Hypnobrai General saw the black-robed girl and a sharp grin crossed his face. He lifted his staff with a shout, his army yelling in unison, and they charged forward. She put the telescope down, gulping down her fear, and covered it up with a cheer. "It's the Hypnobrai! We must be near their tomb. Go, General, go! Let's teach them a lesson for betraying Ally Garmadon!"

Fangtom turned to her army and lifted her staff. "Fangpyre, now isss the time! Attack!"

With a charged shout, the Fangpyre army forged ahead, wielding their weapons and shields and a hunger for battle thrumming among the ranks. As they reached the Hypnobrai army, Fangtom suddenly cut the power to the vehicle and leapt off from the cockpit.

The general, instead of attacking, instead drove her staff into the ground and faced the Hypnobrai general. "Ssskalesss? My old friend?"

"What? No!" Ally cried. "What happened to attacking? Guys, attack!" she shouted, turning to the army behind her, but they paid her no attention.

Fangtom slithered up to Skales. "I didn't think I would be fighting you," he hummed. "Moved up in the world, have we?"

The Hypnobrai general smiled slyly. "Well, well, if it isssn't the Fangpyre. Of all the cold-blooded to creep up on usss, I'm glad it isss a friend."

Friend?

"Wait!" Ally shouted, jumping down from the cockpit. She fell in the snow, but jumped back up and stormed up to General Skales. "I thought you were enemies, not friends!"

Fangtom shrugged. "That was decadesss ago. Thingsss change. Ssseeing that Ssskalesss isss now leading them, well, I don't see why we can't be comradesss."

"Have you releasssed the Conssstrictai, the Venomari, or heaven forbid the Anacondrai, then we would've had a tussle," Skales laughed. "You have made a grave missstake in your alliesss, child."

"A tussle? A tussle?! But I'm Ally Garmadon! Bringer of evil! Daughter of Lord Garmadon! And I am not a child!"

Skales snickered. "Oh, you are funny. What should we do with her?" he asked Fangtom. Around them, the two armies fell out of formation and began to mingle, sparking conversations and leaving their weapons in the snow.

The Fangpyre General's left head cut off the right from speaking. "Easssily, I could turn her into one of usss."

"No, the little tyke is ussselesss. Sssave your venom for sssomeone more worth it."

"What if you hypnotize her and make her think she's a pig?"

"That would be very funny."

"Can you imagine?"

Skales turned around to capture the child, but there was nothing but footprints in the snow.

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"-and their fist was on fire, but it was literally green."

The team chorused their gasps of wonder.

"So that means me, I'm the Green Ninja," Harper concluded.

"Uh, I don't think so," Realm interrupted. "They caused an earthquake with just their bare hands! Plus, they could move that huge box, and we all know how heavy that thing is. It's got to be me."

Zap crossed their arms. "Did all of you miss the part of the story where they pulled out nunchucks? I have nunchucks! None of you can even touch the Nunchucks of Lightning without getting shocked. It has to be me!"

"Well, it's definitely not me, since I was watching the Green Ninja do their thing. Thank the First Master," Sky sighed. "I've rethought this whole 'Green Ninja' stuff, I don't think I should be trusted with that responsibility."

"Suit yourself," Zap said. "I'd love to be the Green Ninja. I think it'd teach me to be responsible, having to be solely responsible for saving the world and all that. Anyway, I think we can cross Realm off the list. Harper is ripped too, she could've lifted ten times—"

Realm gasped in mock offense. "Whoa, cross me off the list? Anyone can hold nunchucks, Zap!"

"But my Nunchucks?"

"They're not yours, didn't the First Master make them?"

Someone clicked their tongue in disapproval. "This is not training."

The team snapped to attention at the sound of Wu's voice. He stood at the top of the bridge overlooking the deck, and his disapproving expression seemed to be permanently etched into his features. "You must have already found the answer to my riddle. What is the best way to defeat your enemy?"

Harper raised her hand. "The best way to defeat your enemy is to train, isn't it, Sensei?"

"Feeble and incorrect." Harper's expression remained stone-cold, but to those paying attention, they would have seen a flicker of hurt in her eyes. "Maybe more training will help you focus. Remember what happened to your vehicles when you lost focus," Wu reminded them as he turned to leave once more. "A razor-sharp weapon is an extension of a razor-sharp mind."

"Damn, can he not talk in riddles all of the time?" Skylar, Realm, and Zap all jumped at the sound of Morro's voice, though Harper remained unfazed. "The fuck did that mean?"

"Jesus Christ, Morro," Skylar gasped.

"Who?"

"Nevermind. A little warning, next time?"

The boy pouted, swinging his legs from the balcony he sat on. "It's funnier if I don't, though. Anyway, I think the Green Ninja is me, actually."

"You're not even a ninja," Harper suggested.

Morro gasped, a hand flying to his chest dramatically. "Bold assumption! Maybe I'm the Ghost Ninja on the news. You wouldn't know."

Zap piped in, "Yeah, sure, the Ghost Ninja. We've all heard of her."

"I haven't." Harper crossed her arms. "Who the hell is that?"

"She's someone who's been helping to fight crime in Zenjago City and in the surrounding areas, occasionally. She's got this big mech and a cool outfit, too," Realm said. "Zenjago TV News hasn't shut up about her for weeks."

"Technically, we don't know if it's a she," Zap countered. "They've never revealed anything about themselves. Gayle Gossip seems set on them being a girl, though."

Morro hummed in thought. "But everyone assumes it's a girl?"

"Pretty much."

"And Harp just compared me to her. Are you being transphobic, Harper?!"

The blonde blinked. "I- what? I'm sorry?"

"You're just saying I can't be a ninja because I'm a man."

"One, she did not say any of that, she never even mentioned the Ghost Ninja. You did, idiot. And two, literally-" Skylar paused to count- "two of us here are trans, you asshole. Or three. Harper is a gender enigma."

Morro flicked a rock at Harper's face, only for it to ricochet off her cheek and smack Realm in the eye, drawing a yelp from the team leader.

"Maybe Morro's cis-phobic," Zap whispered to Harper as the boy apologized profusely to Realm. Harper snickered and rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, I need to go into the city to pick up my T shots. Does anyone else want to come? I'm bored."

Realm tilted her head. "What-shots?"

"T shots, injections? You know, like- testosterone? It makes my voice sound cool. Hormones or something, fuck if I know. Harp and I finally found a doctor in Zenjago City for it, since we no longer live in Ignacia."

The team leader nodded, evidently confused.

Zap slung an arm around Morro's shoulder. "We'll come with you. I honestly don't want to be training all day, so let's work together on this riddle. I'm sure we can figure it out."

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Third time's a charm.

The massive sculpture—statue, perhaps—of a snake's fang was hard to miss in the Sea of Sand. Ally had somehow made her way from the Hypnobrai's lair to where the Map of Dens said the next Serpentine tomb was located: the literal desert.

Somehow, Ally had not died of hypothermia, heatstroke, or a strange combination of both, yet. Must be her father's genes.

Skales seemed to have hated the Anacondrai. 'Had you released the Constrictai, the Venomari, or heaven forbid the Anacondrai, then we would've had a tussle,' he said. So Ally had looked over the map, translated the weird writings on the paper, and found the location of the Anacondrai: the most feared and powerful Serpentine of them all.

"If they're afraid of the Anacondrai, then the Anacondrai is what they're gonna get." With a maniacal laugh (she's had a lot of practice, lately) Ally shoved the doors open and waltzed her way into the tomb.

It was quiet and void of life, as well as incredibly dusty. As she choked on the stale air, she wondered how in Zenjago an entire tribe of snakes lived here—perhaps it was just the entrance?

But as she ventured deeper inside, as the light and air grew thinner and the tomb became no livelier, Ally realized that the tomb was empty. She flicked on her flashlight only to see the skeletons of long-necked Serpentine littered across the floor, sand already rising up among them. Something told her that something awful had happened and that there were hardly any survivors, if at all.

Her flashlight scoured yellow sand, brown stone, and white bones, yet never fell upon the purple hide of an—

"Ahhh, shit!"

"Oh, dear, have I scared you?"

Ally's eyes were blown wide with fear. The Anacondrai's scales shone a vibrant purple, with yellow and black markings across its body, and a blue diamond shape marked its chest and the top of its head. It had a general's tail and a long neck, yet its face was level with Ally's, and she instinctively looked away from its eyes, which glowed magenta.

A loud growling noise startled the both of them. "Oh, my sincerest apologies, young lady. Due to my unfortunate appearance, I tend to have an unsettling effect on people." The Anacondrai straightened to its full height, and although she had fallen to the ground on her back and the snake was at least three times her height, Ally struggled to find it threatening. Perhaps it was the fact that its neck made up at least two-thirds of its height and that the proportions of fangs-to-face were of cartoonish proportions.

"And, ah, here you go—I believe you dropped this." It picked up Ally's flashlight and handed it to her; with shaking hands, Ally accepted it. "Ah, there you go. You don't need to be afraid of my eyes, you know. I can't hypnotize anyone with my gaze, unfortunately, only with my words."

Ally hesitantly met the snake's gaze. Its eyes were intelligent and unreadable, but as it tried for a smile, she felt a little less afraid. "Uh... thank you. What happened to the rest of your tribe?"

The Anacondrai sighed, almost folding its neck so that it was face-to-face with Ally. "What poor, unfortunate souls they are. All those years, locked away with nothing to eat... they must have slowly starved away until they were just scales and bones."

"But how are you-"

"Annnnd who may you be, my little appetize—ah, friend?" it interrupted. A thin tongue darted out of its mouth as it spoke, tasting the air and probably Ally, too.

She puffed out her chest, reciting her title. "I'm Ally Garmadon. Daughter of Lord Garmadon and future dark ruler."

The Anacondrai laughed- no, giggled- and clapped its hands together. "Oh, how deliciously evil! If I had feet, I would absolutely be trembling in my boots."

She jabbed a finger towards the snake. "Who are you?"

"Humbly," it said with a mock bow, "I am Pythor P. Chumsworth. And since you've freed me, I am eternally in your service."

Ally gasped. "No fucking way. Really? You're not gonna trick me?"

"Oh, why would I trick you?" he sighed. "I hardly have any friends."

"Woah, me too! I also hardly have any friends!"

"You don't say?!" Pythor gasped.

Ally stewed in her thoughts for a moment before perking up. "Hey, how would you like to be my loyal henchman? I've been betrayed by the Hypnobrai and the Fangpyres, and I'm looking to get a little revenge on some Ninja too. Bitches are making bad decisions."

"Hmm, I love some sweet old revenge! Oh, you know, Garmadon—"

"You can just call me Ally."

Pythor's eyes flickered back to the Map of Dens stuffed in Ally's back pocket, and the smile on his face only grew. "Whatever. I have a feeling this is the start of a beautiful friendship."

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It had been hours, and there was no solution.

"So, anyone come up with another solution to Sensei's riddle?" Realm asked, twirling a scythe in her hands. "I've got nothing so far."

Zap, who had been practicing consecutive flips, stumbled to a halt and gasped for breath. "It... can't be that hard. What... is the best way to defeat an enemy?"

Between punches to a dummy, Skylar panted, "Harper, you're smart. What is it?"

The red Ninja was meditating on the upper deck balcony, and she hardly moved as she answered. "I don't know, but I sense that Sensei is going to keep us here until we find an answer, together."

Realm slammed the scythe into the ground, wiping sweat from her brow. "And that bothers me because while we're here thinking, that means the enemy is playing."

And playing, they certainly were.

With a few simple carjacks and stolen bikes, Ally and Pythor were able to travel surprisingly fast across Zenjago. Ally had requested (no, ordered) for them to stop by Jamanakai Village. They wrecked front lawns, knocked down trash bins, and chased dogs, both of them laughing evilly as they did so. Pythor stole an ice cream cart, and as Ally sat atop the cart, they built the tallest ice cream cone and joyously ate it in front of the helpless salesman. They sunk children's toy boats, stole candy from babies, and gathered a large wheelbarrow full of sweets by the end of the day.

"Wow," Ally laughed as she dug through the mountain of candy they had dumped on Pythor's tomb floor. "You're the best henchman a mastermind could ever have."

Pythor, laying flat on his back, lifted his head to watch her. "Oh, Ally, you're the best mastermind a henchman could ever have." At that, Ally giggled and stuck a lollipop into her mouth, joining the Anacondrai in laying on the dusty ground. "How could you not have any friends?"

The girl rolled onto her stomach, resting her head in her hands. "Well, I could've had friends back at my Boarding School for Bad Children, but I decided to run away and never let them see me again," she said proudly.

"Really? ...Why would you run away from making friends? Everybody needs friends, even tyrants."

She faltered, realizing her mistake. "Well... maybe I didn't run away. Maybe I got... kicked out?"

"From the Boarding School for Bad Children?" he exclaimed. "I don't believe it. I hear they are the breeding ground for the truly despicable. And if you ask me, oh-ho, you are a handful," he declared, taking a lick from his own lollipop.

"Well, thank you, Pythor. But those bitches told me I wasn't bad enough. They said I," she mimicked an adult voice, flexing her fingers in air quotes, "'lacked the amoral ambition to be one of tomorrow's masterminds'. Bullshit, if you ask me."

The snake straightened up, pointing at her dramatically with his candy. "Well, you'll show them!."

Ally stood, hands on her hips. "Yeah, that's right. I will show them."

"Then why don't we?"

She frowned. "Why don't we what?"

Pythor threw his lollipop to the ground, picking up the girl and setting her on his shoulders, his long neck wrapping around her chest like a seatbelt. He gestured dramatically, staring into the far recesses of the tomb as if monologuing. "Let's get revenge on the very school that rejected you. And when the ninja come to the rescue, we'll have a trap laid out for them, ready and waiting."

"A double revenge," Ally realized, a wicked grin crossing her face.

"Yes, a double revenge! Now, we should get some rest." He set her down, patting her head and causing her black hood to fall back. "Hijacking an ice cream truck is a lot for anyone, and if you're going to rule the world, well, you'll need to get your sleep. Oh- and one more thing."

"Yes, Pythor?"

He lowers his face so they are level. "I'll be your friend, Ally."

She let out a joyous laugh and lunged forward, hugging the Serpentine tightly. He jumped at the contact, awkwardly patting her back, and just as quickly as it happened, Ally stood straight once more. "You're the best."

Much later that night, Pythor slithered over to where Ally slept. The Map of Dens was still in her pocket, to his annoyance. He reached over to snatch it up, but she rolled over, covering the map.

« 🐍 📜 ⛩️ 📜 🐍 »

Wu was in his room painting when three loud knocks came from his door. "Come in?"

The door swung open to reveal all four of his Ninja poking their heads in the doorway.

He put down his brush. "Ah. You must have found the answer to what is the best way to defeat an enemy."

Realm grinned, stepping inside the room, the rest joining her. "We have, Sensei. It's—on three, guys. One, two—"

"Teamwork!"

Wu watched them for a moment, seeing their proud expressions. "Is this what you all think?"

They chorused their passionate agreement.

"Sadly, you are all wrong."

Skylar swore, kicking the wall. "Oh, come on."

"Fuck me," Harper sighed. "We were close."

Zap threw her hands in the air as she trudged out of the room, the others following. "At this rate, whoever figures out this riddle is probably the Green Ninja- hey, do you guys hear that?"

A shrill siren echoed through the Bounty. Skylar winced, instinctively covering her ears. "Did someone start a fire?!"

"No, it's from the bridge," Harper said. "Zap installed it for when we're needed in Zenjago City. There must be an emergency."

When they reached the bridge, Morro was already there, staring at the massive map displayed on their screen. "Fucking finally, bitches," he swore. Realm opened her mouth to scold him, but he cut her off. "Not now. Ally and a Serpentine have overtaken Darkley's Boarding School for Bad Children, and it's not a Hypnobrai or Fangpyre. It's some...thing new."

Realm groaned. "That place is like if you took the worst part of middle school and dumped it in one place. It's a cesspool for the crooked and the misbehaved."

Zap rubbed their eyes. "Unfortunately, that doesn't mean they don't need our help. Sky, step on it."

The white Ninja slammed her fist onto the salmon-colored button, and with a roar of the engines, the Bounty returned to the skies.

« 🐍 📜 ⛩️ 📜 🐍 »

Darkley's was thick with bad memories, but evil stops for no one. The school was more of a tower, boasting more than seven stories of classrooms, lockers, dorms, and places like the cafeteria, which only brewed trouble. But with an Anacondrai on her side, anything was possible. Ally tied up all of the students and teachers and threw them in a booby-trapped chemistry classroom, while Pythor continued to trap the rest of the building.

Ally laughed as she sped down the hallways with her henchman, both of them riding skateboards. "How are the booby traps?"

"Every door, window, and hole into this place are spring loaded."

"Ah, good," Ally sighed. "I'm so fucking sick and tired of those ninjas sneaking their way into my evil doings. But hey, they probably don't even know we're here!"

Realm peered overboard. "A quiet middle school, huh? That's never a good sign."

"It isn't?" Zap wondered.

"No, it isn't." Realm turned to stare at the blue ninja. "Sky, Harper, back me up. You guys have been to secondary school, right?"

"I was homeschooled in the junkyard."

"My childhood was swamped with raising Morro and running the family business."

"I don't remember my childhood."

Realm sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Right. Basically, middle schools are never quiet. If they're quiet, that's a problem, something's wrong. Should we infiltrate with stealth?"

"They'll be anticipating that. What about using our Golden Weapons, which can turn into vehicles?" Harper suggested.

Skylar winced at the memory of the last time they tried that. "I... haven't fully figured it out how to use mine, yet. Besides, it's a school, our vehicles can only do so much. Does anyone have any other good ideas?"

The four of them stood at the railing for a moment longer, then Zap hesitantly spoke up. "I have... one idea. But you guys gotta trust me."

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Harper muttered.

Evil never sleeps, rests, or takes breaks. Ally had been standing atop Darkley's roof, keeping watch for an hour straight, and intended to continue her watch for hours. Days. Weeks, even.

Pythor threw his binoculars to the ground with a groan. "Relax, we've made the perfect trap. We're in broad daylight so there aren't any shadows. But even if they could get in—"

Something darted under a bush. Ally could practically feel her hair stand up. "Shit! Shoot, shoot!"

The Anacondrai scrambled to launch the cannon, shooting a net down below. Both peered over the roof, hoping to see a Ninja squirming under the net, but there was nothing.

"Right, uh, good shot! I was just testing you." Ally awkwardly patted Pythor on his shoulder; he gave her a side-eye, and she cowered slightly. "I mean, if I know these ninjas, they're cleverly sneaking their way right past us at this very moment. It can't hurt to be prepared."

"Zap, I really don't know about this." Harper glanced down at the ground, far below her feet, and gripped the chain tighter.

Skylar gulped. "I feel like I'm gonna throw up."

"It'll be fine, just hold on tight!" Zap let go with one hand to shoot Morro, at the helm, a thumbs-up.

His hand slammed down on a button, the Destiny's Bounty's anchor dropped to the ground, and Ninja plummeted. All four of them screamed as they slammed through the roof, narrowly missing the two people standing atop, and crashing down to the lowest floor of the school.

"Let's never do that again," Realm groaned. A child's whimper sounded from behind her and she spun around, brandishing the Scythe of Realms.

In the room they had crashed into—which seemed to be a chemistry classroom—there were about thirty children and five adults tied up and gagged with duct tape. Realm used the Scythe to slice the rope, letting the prisoners escape through the broken-in doors. "Stay out of school, kids," she called after them.

Harper glanced up through the hole they had just torn through the building. A small figure in a black cloak and a purple Serpentine peered over the edge and withdrew as she looked up. "I see Ally. She's on the top floor with the Serpentine. Let's get her."

With a cheer of "Ninja-go!" the team split up. Skylar and Zap took to the stairs with Spinjitzu, Realm scaled the anchor's chain, and Harper was left with the elevator. (At least it had somewhat bearable music.)

Zap spotted a door up ahead. With a quick nod to Skylar, they both kicked the door down and charged in— only for something sticky and gooey to capture them.

"What is this?!" she yelled, trying to kick and failing. It looked like some kind of massive bucket had dumped tons of slime onto them, trapping them in the sticky substance.

One of Skylar's hands was free from the muck, and she held it high over her head. She tried to shoot ice from the Shurikens at their trap, but the shards merely frosted the surface. "Well, shit. We can't move."

An evil chuckle came from a purple Serpentine general slithering past. He scrutinized the helpless Ninja with violet eyes, and leaned over the mess to get eye-to-eye with his captives. "Well, well, well, that was easy," he said smoothly.

In the elevator, Harper was getting restless. There was nothing to see but graffiti and the elevator music was making her sleepy. First Master, how far away is the fourth floor?

Realm had scaled the anchor's chain almost up to the rooftop, but caught sight of the purple Serpentine and stopped there. "Prepare to eat dust, snake!" she yelled, swinging the Scythe of Realms at him. He dodged and pulled on a rope hanging from the ceiling, grinning as several bags of flour broke over the black Ninja's head and clouded her vision.

The elevator finally stopped. Harper practically leaped out, only to find the team leader spluttering and coughing in a heavy cloud of dust. The red Ninja unsheathed the Sword of Fire, scanning the room. "What the fuck happened here?"

"Language," Realm gasped. "And watch out for booby traps, Sky and Zap might have been caught!"

Harper's gaze fell on a purple Serpentine fleeing for the stairs and began chase. "Shit, dude, that is one big snake."

"They're coming, they're coming, they're coming!" Ally screamed. She seemed frozen in place, gripping a piece of wood like a lifeline. Pythor emerged from the trapdoor and barricaded the hatch wordlessly, ignoring the girl panicking near him.

His barricade didn't last for long. The red Ninja burst through the crudely-constructed door, wielding a wickedly sharp golden sword. They scanned the room and their eyes fell on Pythor; slowly, they began to advance, and the sword lit on fire. "Hands up, snake. You've got nowhere else to go."

Ally tried to hide behind Pythor, but he dodged her attempt. "Pythor, please, do something! She's going to fucking kill us both! THEY HAVE A FIRE SWORD!"

But Pythor, her friend, the Anacondrai, looked her in the eyes and grinned. He chuckled lowly, and in one fell swoop, plucked her map out from her pocket.

"Wait, no- give that back!" She lunged for it, but he dodged once more. Pythor clicked his forked tongue, a smirk crossing his face. "I- I thought you were my friend. You fucking said you were my friend!"

"But it wouldn't have mattered if I truly were, wouldn't it? All you ever wanted was to make the Serpentine your slave," he crooned. "You never really wanted a friend. You just wanted someone to boss around. Sorry to disappoint, my dear girl, but I have other plans."

And just like that, the survivor of the most dangerous Serpentine tribe vanished—quite literally. He became invisible, dissolving in thin air and leaving nothing but evil laughter and a creaking rooftop behind.

She ran to the edge, trying to see where he could have possibly gone, but all she saw was the rest of the building and grounds far down below. Her friend, her henchman—no, he was neither of those. Pythor left her here.

Ally bit her cheek, hard, but a sniffle and a choked sob escaped. She angrily wiped them away. Garmadons don't cry. Evil people don't get sad. "Sadness is weakness".

But Ally Garmadon was sad. Did that make her not evil? Did it make her a failure? Would her dad see all the times she failed to lead, and realize that his daughter wasn't as evil as he was?

This is why villains never make friends. Friends are weaknesses that only lead to disappointment and betrayal.

Someone was calling her name.

She didn't realize she had been crying, or that she was standing frozen in place, sniveling and ugly-crying like a child. She coughed and tried to quickly wipe her eyes, but only succeeded in smearing snot and tears on her face.

"Ally?"

The girl squinted against the setting sun's rays. Silhouetted against the sky was a massive pirate ship—the flying ship that had dropped an anchor teeming with Ninja through the core of Darkley's, and had now returned. Probably to kidnap her, or something.

"Ally Garmadon! Can you hear me!"

Uncle Wu.

She gritted her teeth. "I don't take orders from you, bitch!" She began pacing the perimeter of the roof, then peered down the gaping hole down its center, but there was nowhere to go. Ally wasn't at all afraid of heights, but she didn't like how small the trees were from up there.

"Don't worry, I got her." A Ninja's voice jolted Ally out of her panic and before she knew it, she was picked up by the waist and slung over someone's shoulder like a sack of rice.

She kicked and tried to punch at her captor, a Ninja dressed in red. "Let me go!" she yelled. "Put me down! How dare you!"

The red Ninja snorted. "I'll put you down when we reach the deck. Now hold on, Garmadon, we wouldn't want you to fall." They let go of Ally with one hand, drawing a small scream from the girl, as they scaled a rope ladder hanging off the side of the ship. Ally was deposited disgracefully on the ship's deck and the girl angrily wiped the remainder of sadness from her face as she faced her uncle. The red Ninja stood behind her, followed by the other three Ninja; to Ally's satisfaction, the blue and white Ninja's gis sported evidence of falling in one of her glue slime traps.

One of Pythor's glue slime traps.

Shit, now she's sad again.

"Glad we're all finally back together," the black Ninja said.

The red Ninja scanned the deck. "Not exactly. Does anyone know where Morro is?"

"I believe he went back to the city," Wu said. "He said he was shopping."

"Shopping?!"

"We can talk about Morro's investments later. What should we do with her?" the white Ninja asked. They took off their hood, revealing a head of cherry-red hair and a freckled face. They didn't look unkind, but Ally reminded herself that nobody was to be trusted. Looks are deceiving.

"-wash her mouth out with soap for a year?"

Ally glared at the black Ninja, who had proposed this. "And you need to get that fucking stick out of your ass-"

"Hey! You take that back!" the white Ninja yelled. The other Ninja also interjected with shouts at the same time.

"It's fine," the black Ninja said, taking off her hood and crouching down to Ally's level. She snarled at the Ninja; she merely chuckled."Oh, she's going to be a handful."

The white ninja crossed their arms. "I think we ground her indefinitely."

"All she did was swear at Realm," the blue Ninja said. "Indefinitely is a bit much."

The red Ninja raised an eyebrow at the blue one. "Zap, she unleashed two Serpentine tribes and the Anacondrai general. I think it's a fitting punishment."

"... we can have her sit in a corner for a century?"

Wu tapped his staff on the ground and all four Ninja stood to attention. "None of those. I know exactly what we must do."

Ally gulped.

The sun had set and the Destiny's Bounty was glowing with the yellow light of lanterns. In the master quarters of the ship, Sensei Wu sat on the edge of his bed, reading from the children's book in his hands.

"'And that is why Jack the Rabbit never trusts a snake.' The end."

He shut the book and turned to the little girl tucked under the covers. "Well?" he asked.

"If my dad had read me that book, I don't think I would have made that mistake," Ally said seriously. "I'm sorry, Uncle Wu."

The sensei stood up, closing the book. "You do not need to apologize. I am sure that if your father was still here," he paused as he blew out the lamp, then continued, "it would be the first book he'd read. Good night, Ally. Sweet dreams."

Wu was halfway out the door when Ally's small voice pierced the quiet air. "How do I know you aren't going to trick me too, just like the snake tricked Jack?"

"I won't trick you, Ally."

"Words don't mean anything." Her voice was now bitter. "Words mean nothing because people can lie. How do I know you're not gonna lie to me too?"

He turned around fully, now. The girl's face was stony, but he could tell she was fighting back tears—his brother made the same face when he was younger, back before he built emotional walls up.

"Because I gain nothing from lying to you. But it is good to think on your own. If you don't trust me, I don't blame you. But I am your family, and I want the best for you."

I don't want you to end up like him.

"Why isn't the kid getting punished?" Skylar complained, slumping against the wall. "She's put all of Zenjago in danger, and she gets read a bedtime story?!"

The Ninja had assembled in their bunk room. Harper was in the adjacent bathrooms, cleaning off her makeup, while Realm and Zap played a card game on the floor. Skylar was sitting on Harper's bed, which was above his own; from the height, he could see both players' cards.

"She is only seven years old, or so," Harper reminded him. "Ally is very young. We should hold her accountable for her actions, but we should keep in mind that she's quite literally still a child."

Zap placed down a card with a sigh. "Yeah, true. Still, it sucks that we had to train and fight all day and all she gets is a story read to her."

The door slammed open, making Skylar and Realm jump. "I'm finally back, bitches," Morro declared, strolling into the room and dropping his backpack on Skylar's bed. "Miss me?"

The white Ninja let out an animalistic screech and swung down from Harper's bunk, kicking the bag aside with her feet and swatting the boy away. "I just washed my sheets, don't you dare get your crusty city ass on it!"

"There's my sw- there's delicate stuff in there, don't fucking kick it!" Morro retorted, smacking Skylar's leg. "And did you just call my ass crusty?!"

He did look rather grimy. His blond hair, streaked with one green strand, was matted with dirt and sweat. Scratches bearing a few drops of dried blood marked his face and arms, and his clothes were worn at the edges. To the Ninja, their gis had seen much worse, but for Morro—who was meant to be away from the action, who was not a Ninja—this was unusual.

"What the heck happened to you?" Zap gasped, fully turning around and seeing Morro's state. "You look awful!"

He shrugged, opening the drawers under his bunk and tossing his bag inside. "I've been worse, actually."

"You have?"

Morro yelped and jumped back. Harper stood behind him, toothbrush in her mouth and hair wrapped in a towel. "What the fuck were you going in the city? Why do you have blood on your face?"

"Nothing," he said, but his confidence was unconvincing to his sister. "And the blood isn't mine!"

She re-opened his drawer and pulled out his bag; he tried to claw her away from it, but she was still stronger than him. "Is that a urumi sword?"

Realm leaned over, trying to see what Harper had found. "A what?"

"It's a flexible sword whip thing. Mine has only one blade," Morro answered matter-of-factly. "It's a nice belt, and also good to attack a bunch of Serpentine at once-"

He paled even more, if possible, realizing his mistake.

"You've been fighting Serpentine?" Skylar gasped.

Zap pouted and pretended to be hurt. "Without us?"

Morro waved his arms wildly. "No, no! The weapon is like, just in case. I'm not fucking helpless, I need to be prepared because sometimes I find random Serpentine in the city and they smell Ninja on me or something, I don't know."

Realm took the weapon from Harper's hands, examined the blade then handed it back to her. "Where did you even find this type of thing?"

Morro sat on his bed, forgetting momentarily that he had been in trouble and excitedly telling his story. "I went to the city and there's this fancy weaponsmith guy there. I told him I used to work at a blacksmith shop, and I'd never seen all of those weapons, so he showed me how to use this one whip sword that's just one blade that breaks up into segments and can be used like a whip! But I couldn't afford that, so he sold me this one instead, and it's really cool." He took a deep breath. "Sorry. That was a lot."

Harper turned the weapon over in her hands. "Don't apologize. This isn't new, though. You've used it before." She pointed at a spot on the blade. "Snake- no, Serpentine blood, isn't it?"

"I haven't killed anyone," Morro supplied helpfully. "Yet."

Realm knit her brow in concern. "How have you had the time to buy a weapon, travel around with it undetected, and fight Serpentine without any of us knowing?"

Morro stared at her deadpan. "No offense or anything, but none of you guys have a life. You spend most of your day on missions or training."

"Ah, right. I nearly forgot." Wu's voice startled all five teenagers. He stood in the doorway, apparently occupied by the strange card game Realm and Zap were playing, giving Harper the chance to discreetly hide Morro's weapon under his bag.

Morro waved at their sensei. "'Sup, Wu?"

"What?"

"It's slang."

If that confused him, Wu didn't show it. "Speaking of training, why have the four of you stopped? Did you finally find the correct answer to the riddle, or have you failed once more?"

Harper gritted her teeth and didn't answer. Morro watched the others curiously, but Zap and Skylar didn't say anything either. Realm broke the silence.

"No, Sensei. We still don't know the best way to defeat your enemy."

Wu held up the childrens' book he held in his hand. Jack Rabbit and the Snake. "The best way to truly defeat your enemy," he said, "is to make them your friend."