September 08, 2023
ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ ▬ 10367

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"There's nothing here-" cough- "but sssand and dussst. We're wasssting our time, Pythor."

Pythor smacked Skales upside the head with his shovel. "Keep digging. The Lost City of Ouroboros is under us, I know it."

Led by Pythor and Skales, the Hypnobrai tribe were excavating a large portion of the Sea of Sand. They had set up camp in the shadow of a dune, and even after working in shifts all night and day for over a week, they had found nothing but sand and the occasional stone.

The Hynobrai General stood to his full height and scoffed. "Oh, face it. Your firssst attempt to unite the tribesss failed, and now that you have lossst your followersss, you've become desssperate."

Pythor swung around, his tail tripping a Hypnobrai warrior, and pointed his shovel at Skales. "I am desperate, my disloyal number two. Desperate to bring our kind together so that we can unleash the Great Devourer and get justice for the decades we were imprisoned in our tombs!"

Skales pushed Pythor's shovel away from his face and slithered up the makeshift ramp, heading out of the excavation pit. "You put too much faith in legendsss. Besidesss, all the Ssserpentine know isss to be at war with one another. Four Ninja ssspread a few rumorsss and we collapsssed."

The Anacondrai General sneered. "All the more reason to find Ouroboros. Don't go doubting me now. We've come so far. Besides, it's right—"

His shovel hit metal, the sound ringing around the dig site. A sly smile spread across Pythor's face as he swept away the sand, revealing an old metal dial faintly imprinted with a snake eating its tail: the symbol of Ouroboros.

"—right below us," he finished, and with glee, he shouted, "Skales, I believe we've found it."

Without waiting for the other General to join him, Pythor twisted the dial. The sand below his tail immediately started moving, swirling away as if the dial was a drain. Hypnobrai warriors around him exclaimed in surprise; the wooden ramp clattered to the ground, and Skales' hiss of discomfort as he fell off almost made Pythor laugh.

The sand continued to drain away, collapsing the walls of sand lining the excavation site and sucking out a near-perfect circular area around the dial. The Sea of Sand felt fluid as it seemed to drain away, disappearing into some mysterious location below. As the sand drained, solid stone began to rise, revealing ruins of a city once deemed a myth.

Skales slithered up to Pythor, his swirling red eyes blown wide, and his staff seeming to be the only thing holding him up. "It'sss real," he gasped. "The mythsss were all true."

In an octagonal pattern centered around the Serpentine Generals, buildings began to reveal themselves: barracks, living quarters, jail cells, a mess hall, ceremonial places of worship, and statues of snakes from all five tribes standing tall over the city like guardians.

Below their tails and feet was a massive mosaic of stone illustrating the rippling scales of a massive snake, twisting out from the dial and leading up to a massive stone sculpture. It towered over the city, casting a dark shadow across the ground.

Despite the cracks and wear, the statue of the Great Devourer was every bit terrifying and powerful as the legends said. And every Serpentine knew, with a mix of awe, respect, and fear, that the real serpent lay deep beneath their feet, in a soon-to-be finite slumber.

Pythor's gaze caught Skales', who seemed to be in shock. With a satisfactory hum, the Anacondrai turned away from the statue, grinning triumphantly. "The first step to reawakening the Great Devourer has been done! I present to you: the city formerly known as the Lost City of Ouroboros." 

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The sweet smell of blueberry pastries filled the Bounty as the sun rose over the horizon and the Ninja wrapped up their morning training session. It was Zap's day to cook, and they decided to make breakfast, meaning they got to skip an hour of training. It was rather peaceful, playing music on a speaker as she cooked, hearing the distant sounds of clanging metal on the deck.

Skylar crashed into the kitchen, out of breath. "Holy shit, when did Morro get so strong?" she gasped, wiping sweat from her brow. "I went easy on him and he kicked my ass! I'm never doing that again."

Zap smirked at the redhead. "Sounds like someone is a sore loser."

"Hey!" She lightly smacked their shoulder. "You know I could beat you in a fight any day."

The blue Ninja flipped the eggs on the stove and turned, only to see the other standing incredibly close to them. She was still somewhat out of breath, and her freckled face was flushed red from the exercise. A friendly close-combat battle with the white Ninja seemed surprisingly appealing all of a sudden. The clang of metal against metal, the breeze in her hair, a smiling freckled face with a sharp grin shouting both taunts and encouragement in the friendly fight. That would be nice, actually—

"Zenjago to Zap?" Skylar waved a hand in front of their face, and the glimpse of a daydream vanished. Zap's face heated up instantly and the other laughed, not unkindly. "Your eggs were burning, I took them off the heat for you. I'll get the others inside, yeah?"

The blue Ninja nodded, face still burning. They didn't trust themselves to speak.

Skylar kept an eye on them as they grabbed a cup, thrust it under the sink, and downed the entire glass of water in one shot. "Damn, I wish I had the Shurikens with me. This would be real nice chilled," she mused. She made her way to the door, about to leave, then glanced over her shoulder. "You know, when the sunrise strikes your face just right, there's a bit of silver in your eyes." She hesitated, then added, "It's rather pretty."

And with that comment, she vanished out the door, leaving nothing but a cool breeze, an empty glass, and a very flustered blue Ninja behind.

"Okay, okay. Is anyone thinking what I'm thinking?"

"No, and I don't want to hear it," Ally said, stealing a pastry off from Harper's plate.

Realm laughed and sat down. "Breakfast looks great, Zap," she cheered, then ruffled the young Garmadon's hair. "You know, Ally's been improving a lot. I think it was a good idea to incorporate training into her daily schedule, she's a fast learner!"

"Am I a dog to you?" Ally grumbled. "I'm sitting right here. If you pat my head again I'll bite you."

Morro rolled his eyes and munched on a blueberry pastry. "Ally reminds me of a chihuahua. You know those little tiny ones that are all bark, no bite- hey!"

The boy was sorely wrong. Ally had lunged over Realm's lap to reach Morro and had chomped onto his arm. In the blink of an eye, he flung her off his arm, and the girl went soaring. Ally hit the floor with a soft oof and after a beat of stunned silence, Morro realized what he had done.

"Oh shit, I'm so sorry Ally," he gasped, but the little girl burst into giggles, hopping back onto her seat as if she hadn't just been thrown across the room.

"It's not okay, but I've decided to forgive you," she recited cheerfully. "Uncle Wu said I need to get over my trust issues." With that, she dug into her breakfast, her messy hair the only indication of a scuffle.

The Ninja all stared at the young Garmadon. Harper broke the stunned silence. "She's certainly both bark and bite," they remarked cheerfully. Morro scowled at his sister.

Realm commented, "Well, that was... something. Did you see those reflexes, though? The strength to throw Ally single-handedly is pretty impressive. We didn't teach him that, did we?"

"I'm sitting right here, guys."

"Sometimes I can still hear his voice," Zap said wistfully, pretending to not see the blond boy sitting in front of her. "Just a whisper on the wind, like a ghost...."

Morro's eyes went wide. "Now I want to bite someone," he grumbled.

"Bite Skylar," Harper suggested.

"Hey!"

The red Ninja smiled angelically at them, then said, "Jokes aside, I did notice remarkable reflexes from both of them just now, particularly Morro. We didn't teach you that. Where the fuck did you learn it?"

He shrugged. "Probably just picked it up over time from watching you guys train."

"Speaking of training, I'm not sure how much more we can improve." Realm said. "Just think about all we've accomplished! Harper running into a burning house, saving people, and coming out completely unscathed— definitely in the top 5 coolest things."

Morro looked up from his plate, where he was pushing his eggs around in a pool of ketchup. "They did that on purpose? What is wrong with you?" he asked his sister.

The blonde shrugged. "Serpentine set fire to a village and some people were trapped in one of the houses. No big deal, and hardly impressive in comparison to Zap. Single-handedly decimating the three of us in a sparring match during Zenjago's worst thunderstorm on record? Now that's impressive."

"The thunderstorm gave me an unfair advantage on my end," Zap stammered humbly. "I normally would lose. Besides, Realm lifted me and Morro on a maxed-out dumbbell and didn't even break a sweat! Or Sky, who survived in subzero temperatures for hours, that one time!"

Skylar laughed. "I probably couldn't do it again, don't get your hopes up. It does make me wonder though. How do we know if we've reached our full potential? Will we know?"

"Most likely," Harper said. "Hopefully we'll unlock it soon. That additional support of power could be pivotal in the final battle against the Great Devourer. I've been meaning to ask Sensei about what our true potentials will entail, as he's been rather vague."

"Hey, speaking of Sensei, has anyone seen him?" Realm wondered. "I saw him get tea before we started training, but that was about two and a half hours ago."

Nobody else had seen Wu. The four Ninja had been training before the sun rose, and Morro had only woken up ten minutes ago. Ally didn't say anything, as she was busy stuffing her face with pastries. Assuming he had just run out for an emergency tea run (as he sometimes did), the Ninja went about the rest of their day. But by noon, none of them had seen nor heard of Wu, and Realm was beginning to worry.

After finishing the afternoon training, Realm went to grab something from the bunkrooms. As she did, she noticed a paper tacked to the door to Wu's room, crammed with sweeping calligraphy. Wu's writing.

"Hey, guys?" she called out. "I think you'll want to see this."

Dear Ninja,

Your fundamental training has come to an end. Hard work has paid off, but a Ninja's job never ends. You may have reached your peak physical condition— I am sure you are aware. Yet your inner potential is much more difficult to unlock.

In every one of us, there are obstacles destined to hold us back. They may be apparent, or they may disguised, buried in memories. Only when you conquer this obstacle, this fear, will your heart be free. Only then, will you reach your True Potential. Only then may we have a fighting chance to stop the Serpentine from releasing the Great Devourer.

"Wait, if our true potentials are necessary to defeat the Devourer, why are we focusing on training?" Skylar wondered. "We should be doing, like- mental exercises instead, to 'conquer our inner fears'."

Morro snorted. "That's just therapy."

Harper shushed their brother. The Ninja had gathered around Realm as she read the note aloud. Wu's handwriting was becoming harder to read, almost as if it was rushed.

Achieving your true potential is not easy, nor will it come fast. It cannot be forced. Truth be told, I have not achieved my own yet, for I have not conquered my inner obstacles. This is my own choice, but you, my Ninja, do not have that choice. Do not let my mistakes discourage you. The true potential of one Ninja provides a phenomenal advantage.

There is something I have not told you yet— a story from long ago, when I was a young boy.

Garmadon and I were more than brothers. We were the best of friends. Zenjago today knows him by countless names of Darkness, but back then, he was simply my brother. We were family, just as you are family; we fought and cared for each other just as you Ninja do for each other. I hope you will never have to experience what I did: the corruption of someone you love.

One day, as we sparred in the courtyard, I lost my katana. Garmadon had knocked it out of my hand and it flew over our wall. Knowing our father would be mad, my brother told me to go retrieve it. But I refused. He told me not to put off what could be done today and went to get it himself. That was when he got bitten.

When my father found him, he was very ill, for he was bitten by a legendary snake that would grow forever as long as it consumed: the Great Devourer.

A great evil had found its way into my brother's heart, for the snake's venom could turn the purest of things wicked. His corruption took decades before it was inevitable. He fought as hard as he could, but we both knew the outcome was predetermined. Perhaps the darkness was already there, or perhaps the venom brought it to him. It matters no longer, for the past is the past.

In the end, the darkness overtook him, instilled by the Great Devourer— the very snake the Serpentine want to reawaken today. If it took Garmadon away from me with just a bite, I fear what it can do to all of Zenjago when it grows strong enough.

"So the Great Devourer turned Garmadon into the Dark Lord," Harper said aloud. "He wasn't always evil. It's all the Great Devourer's fault."

"'It was all my fault,'" Realm read.

Harper scoffed. "Never mind, then."

But there is no use dwelling on the past. You four have finished your most critical training. You must now focus on stopping Pythor from uniting the tribes— but never lose focus on the obstacles that lie within each of your hearts. This is what holds you back from true greatness, your true potentials. They are not an easy achievement. In the meantime, focus on sharpening yourselves, each other, and most importantly, young Ally.

Ally sat on the bed in her room, kicking her legs as she flipped through a Fritz Donnegan comic book. She perked up, hearing her name from the hall.

I sense she is the key to saving us all.

We need to fight to our absolute best, or this battle very well may be our last. The means of our victory, and your true potentials, are up to each of you to discover. I am on a personal journey of my own, in search of someone who can be of aid. The Serpentine have united and grown stronger, and we will need all the help we can get.

If I do not return, fight on without me. Remember: Ninja never quit.

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Wailing sirens filled the Bounty, and in three minutes, the Ninja properly assessed the threat and were on their way to the location: Mega Monster Amusement Park. The theme park was in the Western Sea of Sand, the less-scorching, inhabitable sister to the Sea of Sand, and was famous for its thrilling rides. A group of Serpentine were reported to be terrorizing tourists, destroying rides, and endangering many lives.

Ally, naturally, begged the Ninja to let her join; the Ninja, naturally, denied. They compromised and gave Ally a spare comm, so she wouldn't be left in the dark on the mission, and it turned out to be one of the most interesting and distracting decisions they had made thus far.

"I'll stomp on his tail, slap him in the face, then stab him in the chest! Graahh!"

The roar of an engine drowned out some of Realm's words. "Too late, he's already hypnotized you and now you're under his control," she teased.

"Or he's put you in a squeeze, or spit on you with venom," Skylar buzzed in. "It depends on the tribe."

Ally let out an exasperated huff over the comms. "Then how are you supposed to beat a Serpentine if you don't know what kind they are? It seems fucking impossible!"

Harper spoke up. "For you, consider hand-to-hand combat a last-resort option. Ideally, we would use the Sacred Flute that Pythor stole. You shouldn't be engaging in any combat."

"I feel like we've barely scraped by every battle," Zap said. "We've stopped them from uniting in the past, but they will try again. Pythor's probably already plotting a way to make them stronger, already!"

"See, Ally? This is why being a Ninja isn't fun. It's safer on the Bounty."

The little girl let out a slew of curses. "Ninja get all the fun. You're probably gonna go on all the rides after you beat those snakes' asses, anyway."

None of the Ninja responded, making Ally's expression sour. They absolutely would be going on the rides after the mission— without her! The audacity.

"Well... not necessarily. Tickets are expensive, you know!" Realm tried. "Alright, I'm sorry, Ally— Morro, can you mute Ally's mic? We're almost there. We'll see you after the mission is over!"

With a soft pop, Ally's comm went silent, and she scowled. With an irritated sigh, she slumped down where she sat, leaning against the Bounty's mast.

"This is why I hate the Ninja," she grumbled to herself. Pulling a pastry out from her pocket, she aggressively tore into it, angrily muttering obscenities at the Ninja as she did so. She's always left out of things. Ally might be a kid, but she's not stupid— if Morro gets to know everything, why can't she? He's only a few years older than her, and sometimes he disappears to do whatever the hell he normally does, leaving Ally stuck with her boring uncle.

The Ninja are terrible people, she decided, digging her sharp teeth into the pastry she had smuggled from the kitchen. "I hate the Ninja," she growled.

"Even though you're literally eating Zap's baking right now?" Morro said. His voice caught her off-guard and she whirled around, crumbs cascading off her sweatshirt, and a smudge of blueberry filling on her cheek. He leaned on the rails of the bridge, looking down at her. Sweat plastered his hair to his face, and he was out of breath.

Ally crossed her arms. "That doesn't count. And when did you get back?"

The blond boy raised an eyebrow, on which a new silver piercing glittered in the light. "Just now, but that's irrelevant. Don't you ask Realm to read you a bedtime story every night?"

Her face flushed. "No! That doesn't count, either."

"Or when you made ice cream with Sky, that one time? And when Harp helped you with your math homework, then took you to a candy shop as a reward?" Morro asked. He swung down from the rail, landing beside the girl. He broke a piece of her pastry and popped it in his mouth. He raised a pierced eyebrow. "You're saying you hate them?"

Ally clenched her teeth and didn't respond.

"The Ninja grow on you like weeds, don't they? Sometimes I wonder if I've been brainwashed or something. Before you know it, you've got four new older siblings. But ... it's not so bad." He snorted, then caught Ally's eye. "Don't you dare tell them I said that."

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Mega Monster Amusement Park was roaring with screams and shouts— of joy or fear, it was hard to tell. The Ninja split up in pairs, vaulting over buildings and weaving through tents, scouring the massive park for the Serpentine. It had been half an hour since they had received the distress call, as the Ninja were situated considerably far from the attractions. The team had anxiously gone over possible action plans for every possible scenario on the way there, and the longer it took for them to locate the issue, the more concerned they grew.

As they began to notice stopped rides, toppled stands, and tourists sprinting away screaming, the Ninja found them. Except they weren't attacking anyone, nor were they wreaking petty havoc.

No, a group of ten or so Hypnobrai warriors were already tied up, with cloth over their eyes. They writhed and hissed and snarled threats, but their weapons were neatly stacked far away from the prisoners. A crowd of brave onlookers had grown, keeping a large distance from the incapacitated Serpentine.

"What?!" Skylar cried. "How is that possible? We just got here!"

"Zenjago Police, move aside!" a gruff voice shouted through a megaphone, and the crowd parted. Two police cars drove right up to the captured Hypnobrai, and four cops jumped out, carefully shuttling the Serpentine into the back of their cars.

"Holy shit, we must have just missed it," Harper said, watching the Serpentine get stuffed into the back of a police car. "But who did this?"

One of the policemen was speaking to witnesses, while the other began gingerly collecting the Serpentine's weapons. Realm approached the second police officer. "Excuse me, what exactly happened here?" she asked.

The police officer stood up, scrutinizing the black Ninja. "Some of these vermin sprung out of nowhere and started hacking up rides and attacking visitors."

Realm's eyebrows furrowed, the only visible part of her face showing evident confusion. "Strange. Do you know who captured them? We're the Ninja, we received a distress call half an hour ago and only just got here."

"My guess is as good as yours," the officer said tiredly. "We just got here, too. Thankfully nobody is hurt. You should go back to doing your... whatever it is that you do. Not much else to see here." With that, they walked off, collecting more of the dangerous items and carrying them back to their car.

"Nice to talk to you, too," Realm muttered.

Zap flipped off her hood. "What was that all about?" she asked. "If it wasn't the police, and it wasn't us, which leaves..."

"The Ghost Ninja," Harper realized. She walked towards the space where the Serpentine had been and observed the dirt path, kneeling to trace her fingers in the dust. "Again."

The rest of the team joined her, staring at the marks in the dirt. It was a massive, angular footprint, much like one that had been pressed into the moss in the Toxic Bogs. It's pattern was much clearer now: a cartoonish ghost, imprinted on the heel.

Gayle Gossip's distant voice broke the Ninja's stunned silence. "And we're back on ZGTV News, reporting live at Mega Monster Amusement Park! Zenjago police are clearing the crime scene, and the park is resuming its lively state. The Serpentine, identified as twelve members of the Hypnobrai tribe, are safely blindfolded in police custody.

"The hero of the day has vanished, true to their name. According to local witnesses, the Ghost Ninja responded almost immediately to the threat, notified police, and disappeared. Analysts report that on average, the Ghost can locate and stop threats in twenty minutes. Many citizens speculate that the Ghost might soon replace the Ninja as the primary savior to Zenjago."

Gossip's broadcast faded into the din of the park as activities resumed. Harper swept her foot through the print, sending a cloud of dust into the air. Bitterly, she said, "Well, now we know."

Skylar sighed. "The audacity of this so-called 'Ninja' asshole to come in and steal our missions, every time, is starting to make me pissed."

"Are you guys actually jealous?" Realm asked, mildly incredulous. "They're just some guy in a big fancy mech! Don't get yourself down. We're thousands of times cooler than they are."

Zap tentatively said, "Well, maybe it's good to have a friendly competition. In the business world-"

"But this isn't the business world," Harper responded, digging her heel into the dirt. "I'm sure it's useful there, but in real life, we don't need competition. Quite the opposite. People's lives— and the fate of Zenjago as we know it— all depend on this. If this Ghost Ninja fucks up our plans, people can die. What if they try to do their own thing during the battle against the Great Devourer? Or when the Green Ninja faces Lord Garmadon?"

Realm interrupted their spiral. "Look, we don't have much of a choice. There's nothing we can do about the Ghost Ninja, and whether we like it or not, this mission is over. Let's just... go home and talk about it later, before we overthink this."

Zap activated their jet, and the others followed suit. Over their comm, they said, "Hopefully we'll actually get to talk this over and make a plan."

Skylar's motorbike's engine roared. "As opposed to what?"

"I dunno, it could be anything. More Serpentine attacks would be pretty annoying."

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In the next week, there were more Serpentine attacks. At first, all four Ninja would embark on the mission, leaving Morro to babysit Ally, but as the sightings became more frequent and sometimes even overlapping in time, they began splitting up in pairs.

Yet every time they did so, the Ghost Ninja beat them to it every time. No matter how short the notice or outlandish the location, the obsidian and green mech was there, tying up snakes or curing victims with antivenom (from where, none of the Ninja could figure out; they assumed it was some sort of replica). At one point, Harper and Zap were in the middle of taking down a large group of Fangpyre, and when they were cornered, the Ghost Ninja captured them in a net so it could take out the Serpentine. As irritating as it was for the Ninja, the Ghost was always gone before they knew it.

Even worse, the media was fawning over the Ghost Ninja's heroics, already dubbing them the "Hero of Zenjago" who was "ushering in a new era of Ninja".

Skylar threw down the television remote. "This is so fucking stupid," he snarled, and stormed out of the room. As they stalked back to the bunkrooms, the other Ninja heard him shouting, "Nobody even knows what they look like! It's all in that same, stupid mech!"

Zap was still staring at the black television screen, where a local news channel had been gushing about the Ghost Ninja's actions. "We need to stick to Gayle Gossip and Zenjago TV News," she laughed nervously. "At least they're honest about what's going on. If I have to hear one more news anchor talking about how the Ghost Ninja is taking over our job, I'm going to-"

"Going to what?" Morro asked, seemingly appearing behind Zap. She yelped and jumped off the couch, heart in her throat, and instinctively dropped in a defensive stance.

"First Master, Morro," they gasped, relaxing instantly and flopping back on the couch. "Don't scare me like that!"

"What were you saying? What would you do?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'll cry. Don't expect anything big."

The boy sighed and threw himself down on the couch next to them, his green streak of hair blowing into his eyes. "Damn, I was hoping you'd say that you would, like, burn down a village."

Skylar, who had just walked back into the living room, froze where she stood. "I- I'm sorry?" she asked, a horrified expression on her face.

Realm was leaning on the other side of the couch, pressing her temples. "Don't question it," she muttered. "I'm so sick of talking about the Ghost, can we change the subject?"

"Please," Harper muttered.

"Harp, you're the one who's got the most beef with them!" Skylar exclaimed. "I realize I'm yelling the most right now but you undeniably have the most pissed at them."

The red Ninja scrolled on her phone, though she wasn't paying attention to it. "They're a wild card that could entirely ruin our plans and possibly destroy Zenjago. Of course, I'm pissed at them."

Morro raised his pierced eyebrow. "How could he mess it up? Isn't the news calling him the new hero of Zenjago?"

"That's the problem," Skylar said. "They're acting like they're all this shit. Give us a break! You'd think they're the fucking Green Ninja, I swear."

Realm sat up suddenly. "Oh my First Master," she gasped. "Wait. No way."

"What?" Zap asked. "No way that what?"

The team leader slowly lifted her eyes to meet the other Ninjas'. "Guys, what color does the Ghost Ninja wear, again?"

"Green, black, and dark blue," Morro recited.

She nodded. "That first one. Green. You know who else is associated with green?"

The question hung in the air for a moment before Zap gasped. "The Green Ninja," they said, almost whispering. "Are you saying that the Ghost Ninja-"

"-might be the fated Green Ninja, destined to save Zenjago and defeat Lord Garmadon?" Realm finished. "Yeah. It's a theory, but-"

Zap sat upright. "Wait, Realm's onto something. It would make sense. They're a Ninja, wear green, and are good at what they do. The prophecy said 'One Ninja will rise above the others' and, well- they're doing that."

"But if that's the case, that means none of us are the Green Ninja. It never has been," Skylar realized.

The others could practically see the gears turning in Harper's head. "That would also mean the Ghost Ninja does not know about their destiny, since Wu and I are the only ones who read the ancient scroll. The future of Zenjago rests on the Green Ninja's shoulders, and they don't even know it."

A handful of coins jingled in Ally's pocket as she skipped down the street. "Hurry up!" she yelled, as Harper tried to catch up nonchalantly.

"How do you have so much energy?" she called out, jogging after the little girl. Passerby steered clear of the Sword of Fire, strapped to the red Ninja's back.

Ally stopped in front of the arcade. The neon sign flashed bright colors onto her face, half hidden in shadow when she turned to Harper as they caught up. "We're here. Are you going to ditch me, now?" she asked resentfully.

Harper blinked. "I'm not ditching you. I'm letting you play arcade games while I drive in circles. You've got the better job here."

"No," she argued, crossing her arms. With her high ponytail and serious expression, Ally looked a bit like the red Ninja. "You're on patrol to kick snake ass, and you're leaving me at some shit arcade, instead of letting me help!"

"I don't know any good arcades in Zenjago City. This one had good reviews online," Harper said. Mimicking Ally's pose, they crossed their arms and sized up the little girl. "It's either you play here, or you're stuck on the Bounty. Your choice."

"I want to go with you," she muttered. "And help. Or just watch, even, I'll be good!"

"It's not safe."

"Then why are you doing it?"

"Because I'm a Ninja, and you're not." Harper shrugged. "That's just how it works, unfortunately. Maybe when you're older you can help, okay?"

Ally scowled as Harper transformed the Sword into their motorbike. With an apology and a cloud of smoke, the red Ninja was gone.

"This is why I like Morro better," she muttered. "At least he lets me kick ass with him."

Dejectedly, she made to enter the arcade, when she heard a familiar hiss from the dark alley. Naturally, she gravitated towards it, only to nearly walk straight into a Serpentine gathering. A hundred or so Serpentine were gathered in an abandoned subway entrance, crowding down the stairs. In the poor lighting, their scales rippled as they chattered and mingled. Skales' voice lifted above the others' once more.

"I hear that he hasss found it, and everyone isss gathering again."

"Imposssible!" a Fangpyre yelled from the crowd. "The Lossst City doesss not exist!"

The Hypnobrai General's voice was like silk. "Well, it isn't lost anymore. Besssides, I heard there'sss going to be a fight, in the new Slither Pit."

At this, murmurs of excitement rippled through the Serpentine. Ally felt her heart drop into her stomach, remembering the icy Slither Pit she had seen in the Hypnobrai Tomb. Though the idea seemed terrible to her, the gathered snakes seemed excited, pushing aside their previous doubts.

"A fight? Count me in," one said. Others around it cheered their agreement.

Skales' staff banged against the metal handrails, sending a loud clang through the Serpentine gathered on the stairs. "I am thrilled to hear how excited we all are. We have built a monorail connected to Zenjago'sss sssubway syssstem, and it will lead usss ssstraight to Ouroborosss."

Ouroboros. The name rang in Ally's head. Where had she heard that before? And then it hit her. Of course— one of the stories told at Darkley's was on the Lost City of Ouroboros, rumored to have been the primary gathering site for the mythical Serpentine. If the Serpentine are real, why couldn't Ouroboros be real, too?

The Serpentine had vanished into to abandoned subway and Ally crept after them, thankful that her dark clothes and hair disguised her well enough in the shadows. She carefully followed the hisses and soft footsteps, and before she knew it, she was hidden in the Serpentine monorail, on its way to Ouroboros.

The not-so-Lost City was about as impressive and terrifying as the legends told. The Serpentine subway line, somehow, took them to the Sea of Sand, far from human civilization. As she grew further and further from Zenjago City, Ally started to freak out.

When the train stopped, the Serpentine flooded out. Ally remained hidden in the shadows of dunes and lurking on the outskirts of Ouroboros, creeping towards the center of the city.Eventually, she found it: the new Slither Pit.

Gathered on the roofs of the surrounding buildings were the Serpentine, jeering and cheering as five soldiers wrestled in the central area sectioned off with large stone spikes. A massive statue of a snake loomed over the battle, casting sharp shadows overhead.

As the fight drew on, Ally began piecing everything together. The Serpentine fighting in the Slither Pit weren't just any soldiers— they were the five tribes' Generals, and from the looks of it, it was Pythor versus the rest.

The Venomari General stilled for a moment, lashing out at Pythor. "I fought hard for thisss ssstaff, and I will not give it up easssily," they snarled, their voice barely audible over the chants of the crowd.

Four versus one, yet a fair fight. The Generals exchanged insults when they had the breath, and the battle was getting dirty. Fangs flashed in the hot sun, tails swept at each other, and then suddenly Pythor lunged away from the group, grabbing something out of nowhere, and with one breath, made the entire crowd shriek. The sound seemed to put the Serpentine in extreme pain, as they doubled over and hissed in agony.

"Oh, fuck," Ally whispered. "He's using the Sacred Flute against his people!"

She stared in a mixture of horror, confusion, and curiosity as Pythor easily wiped out the four Generals, picking up their staffs and letting up a maniacal laugh. "Bow to your king, Serpentine!" he roared. "Bow to your king!"

The crowds slowly, reluctantly, bowed to the Anacondrai. Protests fell into whispers that filled the city, and chills rolled down Ally's spine. Pythor had the entire Serpentine race under his control. I have to get out of here—

"Where do you think you're going?"

She turned around and slammed into a wall of red scales. A two-headed Fangpyre grinned toothily at the little girl and before she could react, it swung a sword at her head, and the world went black.

« 🐍 📜 ⛩️ 📜 🐍 »

"Even after so many run-ins with the Ghost Ninja, I feel like we're no closer than we were last week," Harper said, parrying a strike from Skylar. "Has anyone else had luck contacting them?"

"Nope. The guy's elusive," Zap responded, dodging Harper's attacks. Their sword clipped the end of Zap's braid, a tuft of black hair drifting to the floor as they sparred. "They really are like a ghost. One minute they're here. The next— they're gone."

Skylar swept Realm's legs out from under her and held his sword lightly by her neck. "Finally! One-one," he told the black Ninja triumphantly. To the others, he said, "We have to find them, though. If they are the Green Ninja, they won't be prepared."

Harper did some sort of flying kick (which was not a move the Ninja had practiced together) and knocked down Zap. After both caught their breath, Harper helped them up. "The bastard clearly doesn't want to speak with us," she said. "I don't see why we should be busting our asses to do the same."

"Because we're good people, and helping others is our job," Zap reminded them. "Even if they're being a jerk to us."

The red Ninja grumbled, "Being morally correct is exhausting. I'm going to get water, does anyone else want some?"

The Bounty was anchored by the outskirts of Zenjago City. The Ninja had been training before the sun had set, and in the night, the city glittered brighter than the stars overhead. Days of nonstop missions, patrol, and training became almost second nature, and the ache in the Ninja's bones numbed as they got used to the intense schedule.

They were burning through their supply of ambrosia, the mysterious toffee-like substance Wu provided for the Ninja to heal minor wounds in battle. Still, bruises and scabs remained testaments to their work. In the past, the Ninja would work less in Wu's absence, rather than working even harder.

Perhaps it had finally sunk in, that Zenjago's fate rested on their shoulders.

The cool breeze was welcome against their warm skin. Skylar, Realm, and Zap laid or sat on the deck, soaking in the stillness of the night. Harper's soft footsteps indicated that she had returned, but instead of joining her team on the floor per usual, she remained standing.

"Harp, you're back! Sit down, we're just..." Zap's voice faltered, and she sat up, fully. "Harper? What's wrong?"

The blonde stood stiffly in the doorway, faintly illuminated in the lamplight. "Hey guys?" she asked, her voice stone cold. "Where's Ally?"

They left a message for Morro whenever he got back (from where, he never said) and with that, the Ninja began the search for Ally.

"So you're telling me, none of you picked her up from the arcade?" Harper demanded. "We just left Lord Garmadon's daughter to run around Zenjago City alone?"

"I thought Zap was picking her up!" Skylar buzzed in, worried. Her microphone faintly picked up on Zap's protests.

"It doesn't matter. We have her location now. Zap and Harper, I've sent the coordinates to both your vehicles," Realm said. She sat behind Harper, and while the red Ninja drove, Realm was busy locating the missing girl. Realm had already thought two steps ahead and left a tracker on both Ally's hoodie and in her left shoe. 'Isn't that invasive?' Zap had asked, worriedly, but Realm had assured her that it was technically fine, as they are Ally's current legal guardians.

"Are you sure these are the right coords?" Zap asked. "It's in the middle of the Sea of Sand. That would mean-"

"-she's not even in Zenjago City," Skylar finished. "But if both of Realm's trackers point there, it must be correct. Maybe Pythor took her to some secret base?"

With the infinite sky and endless sand, and their watches being the only indicator of the passing time, the drive (or flight, for Zap and Skylar) dragged on. After what felt like ages, Zap buzzed in, "I see it!"

Harper pressed on the gas. "Thank the First Master, finally. What do you see?"

"I- I don't know. It's some sort of city with these pillars or something." Zap's jet zoomed ahead, almost entirely hidden against the sky. "Look, you'll see it up ahead."

"What is that place?" Realm asked in bewilderment as they crested the dune. "It's not documented on any map I've seen!"

"Looks like snake city. Those aren't pillars, they're giant snake statues," Skylar pointed out. "It gives me chills."

The city was shaped like an octagon, with angular buildings and wide, open streets leading directly to the well-lit center. Even from a distance, they could see the scales rippling in the firelight, which cast sharp shadows on the massive statues— snakes, it looked like, that towered over the city.

The Ninja approached the strange city, walking the rest of the way. Serpentine roars and cheers echoed through the empty streets, and as they crept closer, the crowd of snakes surrounding the central plaza became visible.

"Well, shit," Harper muttered. "It appears Pythor has successfully united all of the tribes. We are royally fucked."

Realm pointed towards the largest snake statue, where the Anacondrai General sat on a throne. Behind him hung a metal cage, dangling on a chain, and inside sat a girl with dark brown hair pulled in a ponytail. The team leader's expression was stony. "They kidnapped Ally. That's it. They're done for, they are going to regret this."

"If I'm guessing right, the largest statue here looks like the Great Devourer," Skylar said. "Pythor's probably going to try to summon it here, from the looks of things."

Zap gripped the Nunchucks of Lightning, feeling its thrum of energy under their gloves. "All the more reason to get Ally out of here."

Footsteps— soft, barely audible amid the roars from the Serpentine spectators— interrupted Realm's rundown of their battle plan. Her entire body went rigid and her hand jumped to the Scythe of Quakes on her back; the team noticed this and brandished their weapons, on guard.

They were expecting a Serpentine to turn the corner, not a net dropping from overhead.

Harper swore. Skylar tried to slice open the net with the Shurikens, but they only shrieked against the metal. Realm struggled around the constricting mesh in vain, and a Serpentine jumped down with bared teeth. She drew back.

The warriors stabbed daggers through the lattice when the Ninja struggled. A Hypnobrai's glowing eyes captured Zap for a moment, and then the Nunchucks were gone. In a minute, the Ninja had lost the four Golden Weapons.

Ally gasped. "The Ninja!" She lunged forward to get a better look, creaking the metal of her cage. Harper twisted around to see the girl beat her fists against the black metal bars, screaming their names.

A sly smile split Pythor's face and he laughed, casting a cunning glance at the caged girl. His voice echoed throughout the arena, smooth and ominous. "Oh, what perfect timing. It appears that we've caught our main event."

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The Ninja had been locked into a small stone cell with only a rusted gate between the prisoners and the arena. They had been stripped of their weapons (yes, all— even their hidden ones) and Spinjitzu would do more harm than good in such a cramped space, meaning that all they could do was sit and wait.

A much larger cell sat directly across the way, the gate shut and the room in darkness. Large stone spikes had risen to form the arena's perimeter, which had caused a roar of bloodthirsty jeers from the Serpentine when it rose.

"Harper, you may be right," Skylar declared in resignation. "Things really may come to an end today. He's probably gonna make us fight someone, or something."

Zap squeezed the white Ninja's shoulder. "But we don't know for sure, right? The Ghost Ninja could still come around to save us."

Pythor's voice echoed once more, causing them all to flinch. "You say you wanted a battle?"

The Serpentine's aggressive cheers were suffocating.

"I present to you: Ninja versus the Ghost!"

Their stone cell seemed to drop a few degrees in temperature. With a rasping groan, the gate across the arena pulled up and a familiar green and obsidian mech stumbled out, tied up in chains. The skeletal armor was dirty and scraped, yet recognizable nonetheless.

"Oh, you're fucking joking," Skylar muttered.

Zap felt her stomach plummet. "He's making us fight the Ghost Ninja in their mech?" she cried. "That's not fair. They took our Golden Weapons, yet they get a mech of armor!"

"I want to see once and for all who is Zenjago greatest hero. Is it the Ghost, or the Ninja?" Even over the crowd's din, they could hear Pythor's chuckling. "Oh, and only the victor will be allowed to leave. Good luck."

The gate to the Ninja's cell lifted and the floor lurched, catapulting the team into the arena. The arena's sand and the Serpentine's chants were equally grating. Metal slammed against metal as the Ghost Ninja's chains were dropped. Panic coursed through the Ninja and crawled through their veins.

Harper's heart pounded in her ears, drowning her voice out. "Stay together."

"Maybe they'll help us so we can fight our way out," Realm tried. Her voice shook. "After all, they hate the Serpentine too, right?"

As if in response to her question, a shuriken flew across the arena. Zap screamed a warning that saved them by moments; without it, they would have been decapitated. Appearing from behind the shuriken was the Ghost Ninja in all their glory. The mech caught the shuriken that boomeranged back as their giant mechanic legs quickly crossed the distance toward the team.

"Scratch that. They are definitely not on our team!" Realm yelped. Confirming the thought, the Ghost Ninja swung at her. She dove back, but not before sharp claws grazed her side.

It was far from a fair fight. The Ghost Ninja had the upper hand, and the Ninja could only dodge their attacks.

Skylar darted under the mech's legs. She spotted handholds on the mech's back and jumped, latching onto one of the rocket boosters on its back. Adrenaline surged as he tried to climb towards the cockpit while the mech thrashed, swinging at his teammates while attempting to shake him off.

Harper was struggling the most. The Ghost Ninja seemed to decide that she was their target and was chasing her through the arena. Each attack narrowly missed the Ninja, and with each injury gained, they were quickly losing energy. The Ghost, on the other hand, showed no signs of slowing.

A hard blow from the Ghost Ninja's claw knocked Realm back. She went flying across the arena and hit the ground by Pythor's throne. She gasped, struggling to catch her breath, and as she dragged herself up she saw the Anacondrai chuckling evilly.

"Ooh, the entertainment is a bit too close for comfort, don't you think?" he asked Skales, and pulled a lever. Without warning, the entire arena began to tilt. Realm scrambled for a handhold, foothold, anything, as she rapidly slid away from the Generals and towards the dark maw below. Ally's shrill scream joined the din. Shouts of panic echoed throughout the arena. She slid past Zap, who caught the team leader's arm and yanked her up to the spike they were clinging onto.

The blue Ninja gritted their teeth. The arena continued to tilt. "Why can't anyone play fair?! I'm losing my grip!"

With a loud groan, the arena jolted and stuttered, tilting at an even steeper angle.

Zap and Realm were shaken off from their spike and slid towards the pit below. They reached around frantically for something to hold onto. There was nothing. Right before they slid into the pit, both Ninja grabbed onto a spike. Their feet dangled over the dark pit. To Zap's left, Harper and Skylar were doing the same.

The massive Ghost Ninja mech skidded down the tilted pit, latching onto the spikes and hanging beside the struggling Ninja. In a metallic growl, the Ghost muttered to the team, "We must continue to make it appear that we are fighting for real."

"Wait-" Skylar gasped as her hands slipped. "We're not- we're not fighting for real?"

If they heard her, they didn't react. "Keep up the charade and hold on to the mech." They hit several buttons, firing up the mech's thrusters. Without hesitation, Skylar grabbed onto the arm, climbing towards the back; the others followed suit, getting a hold just as the mech blasted off.

The Ninja were nearly knocked right off by the force alone. Distantly, the Serpentine below hissed and roared at the turn of events; the Ninja and Ghost soared higher and higher.

Until it didn't. The Ghost mech was struggling to gain altitude, and the engines were sputtering violently. Harper swore under her breath, then shouted, "There's too much weight!"

Without hesitation, the Ghost Ninja opened the cockpit and jumped out.

Instantly, the mech soared higher, leaving Ouroboros far behind. Skylar glanced at her team in bewilderment. "Am I hallucinating again, or did they just do that?"

Zap laughed incredulously. "They just did that. They just saved us!"

"But what about Ally?" Realm shouted. "She's still down there!"

The Ghost Ninja landed on the city's rooftops, weaving between Serpentine and knocking aside those who crossed their path. The arena had been restored to normal, and they leaped off a roof into the center of the arena, focusing in on the Serpentines' leader.

Pythor's eyes widened. He yanked Ally out of her cell and held her before him, using the child as a shield, before shouting to the spectators, "GET THEM!"

Serpentine jumped off the rooftops and into the arena. In an instant, the Ghost was surrounded by warriors, brandishing poison or their fanged teeth. With an exasperated sigh, the Ghost ran forward, dodging their attackers, and right before they reached Pythor, they activated a magnet on their wrist and captured the Golden Weapons.

The Ghost caught the Golden Weapons in a thick cloth, pinning the bundle under their arm to reach a dagger on their belt. They threw the dagger and it struck the lever beside Pythor's throne, tilting the arena rapidly in the opposite direction.

Shouts of panic came from the Serpentine warriors as they slid down the arena into the pit below, while the Ghost had no issue walking forward, keeping their balance as the floor tilted. Pythor growled at the spectators. "What are you waiting for?! Get him!" he commanded, but none of the warriors dropped down onto the tilted arena.

With the click of a button, the Ghost Ninja activated their jetpack and soared off, leaving the furious Serpentine in the dust.

« 🐍 📜 ⛩️ 📜 🐍 »

It turns out the Ghost left out very important information after saving the Ninja.

"How do you turn this thing off?!"

The Ghost mech slammed into a dune. Zap hit the ground, nearly crushing their hand. They spit out a mouthful of sand and hauled themselves up. Squinting through the dusty air, the blue Ninja spotted Skylar and Realm in the sand below. Behind them, the mech was buried headfirst into the sand, engines now silenced. The crash had made superficial damage; the flags had snapped off, several of the claws on each hand were missing, and some of the exoskeleton ribs were broken. The Ghost Ninja won't be too happy about that.

Zap carefully slid down the dune and stumbled over to Realm and Skylar, helping them to their feet. They seemed to be merely shaken up from the crash, but still, she checked them over for injuries. Both Ninja were covered with sand, but otherwise seemed fine.

"We're fine— did you get hurt?" Realm asked.

"I'm okay," Zap said quickly, scanning the wreckage. "But have either of you seen Harper?"

Harper jerked upright, spitting dusty sand from her mouth. After sufficiently ridding themselves of grain, they stood and surveyed their surroundings.

Endless dunes of sand. How thrilling.

The red Ninja swore under her breath. It was hard to tell where she had fallen from; the mech was nowhere to be seen, so she had likely been thrown off before the crash. Hopefully, the others were—

Out of the corner of her eye, something was plummeting to the ground, fast. The object vanished behind a dune, landing with a muffled crash. Harper narrowed their eyes and carefully scaled the dune, shifting their weight to not slip. When they made it to the top, they spotted the object— no, person, half-buried in sand and struggling.

The Ghost Ninja stumbled to their feet, facing away from Harper. They gave their jetpack a hard smack, causing black smoke to puff from its boosters. With a sound of irritation, they tossed it to the side, reaching for a large cloth bundle discarded nearby, only to freeze and feel around their helmet.

"Testing?" The words came out garbled and grainy. They lifted the chin, sand streaming out. "Testing? I swear to the First Master-"

It didn't sound any better. Harper held her breath in anticipation. If it continuously malfunctioned, surely they would have to—

The Ghost Ninja took off their helmet.

They tucked it under their left elbow, muttering to themselves irritably. They ran a gloved hand through their short hair; blond, the same color as the desert around them. Their dark suit contrasted with their pale skin, marked with scabs and scars. And as they shook the sand from their armor and hair, they turned around, flashing a lock of green hair, and their grey eyes spotted the red Ninja's. They— no, he— jumped back, yanking the helmet over his face, and his hand flying to the whip-sword at his hip.

Harper felt as if the land had dropped out from under her feet. There's no way.

He should be on the Bounty, safe. But Harper would recognize his face anywhere, in the busiest of crowds, and she knew what she saw.

"Morro?"

The Ghost Ninja gripped the hilt of his urumi sword, prepared to unsheath it, staring at Harper blankly through the helmet's lens.

"Who's Morro?"

"Don't pretend—" Harper's head was spinning. "Fuck. I don't get it. I don't understand."

He stayed silent, though he drummed his fingers anxiously against his sword-belt. Under the edge of his glove was a black stone bracelet. Morro's bracelet. His bracelet. How did Harper not notice sooner? His bruises, blood splatters, exhaustion— she always assumed it had been from training and scuffles in the city. Never once did it cross their mind that their brother was the Ghost Ninja.

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "First Master. I know it's you. Don't play dumb, Morro, I raised you. I just- I want to understand why. You could have become a Ninja if you wanted, all you had to do is-"

The Ghost yanked his helmet off. Morro's battered and scraped face was lined with a scowl, his grey stare piercing Harper's hazel eyes. "'All I had to do' is what? Ask? I did! And every time I tried to participate, it was all, 'You're not a Ninja, Morro.' 'This is a job for a Ninja.' 'We can't let you get hurt.' 'You're too young.' I realized you didn't want my help, so I found my own way." He spread his arms, gesturing to the wreckage of his armor. "Seems like that fucking failed, though."

Harper felt their protective argument crumbling under their guilt. "It didn't fail. The Ghost Ninja, you, saved a shit ton of lives."

Morro laughed wryly. "Yeah, well, it was fun while it lasted. I assume I'll be banned from leaving the Bounty ever again?"

"Banned? Absolutely not." Especially with the prophecy of the Green Ninja, Harper thought. The idea of her brother, the Chosen One, fighting Lord Garmadon? It made her gut twist unpleasantly. "For my entire life, I've been trying to protect you. I suppose you never needed it."

"Damn right." The boy grinned smugly, then grew serious once more. "You're not gonna tell the team, are you? I finally have something for myself. Don't be an asshole and take it away."

Harper pretended to consider it. "I won't say anything only if you promise to keep me updated with your endeavors. The rest of the team always has my back, but nobody has yours." They stuck a hand out to him. "Promise?"

He hesitated, then reluctantly shook their hand. "Okay. Promise."

Pleased, his sister walked over to the damaged jetpack, inspecting the pieces. "These are very well-made. When did you build all this stuff?"

"First Master." Morro rolled his eyes. "You'd be surprised with how much spare time I have waiting for you guys to come back from your missions. It takes forever."

She glanced up. "And Wu never noticed?"

"He's practically absent. Oh! Just like our parents!" he cheered, snickering at Harper's deadpan expression, then threw his hands up. "Fine, party pooper. You'd better head back before anyone gets suspicious. We'll get Ally another day."

Morro walked over to the large cloth bundle discarded in the sand. He handed it to Harper, peeling back an edge of the thick cloth to reveal the Golden Weapons inside. Her eyes widened, and she couldn't help but stare in shock. "I- how did you get these and not die? 'No mortal shall possess all four'."

He wiggled his fingers. "Magic."

"Of course." The red Ninja ruffled Morro's hair, and he swatted at their hand. "I'm going to find the others, but how will you get back? Where do you even put this stuff?"

A glint of excitement came to his eye. "I have my ways," he said, and pressed a button on his wrist.

Zap, Skylar, and Realm walked atop the ridges of dunes, searching for any trace of Harper.

"Harper!" Skylar yelled, then turned to Zap. "I'm really worried, she's not responding to anything—"

Behind them, the creak and groan of gears turning sounded. The Ninja spun around just in time to see the Ghost Ninja's mech stand up, activate its boosters, and fly away.

"Oh, you're fucking kidding," the redhead groaned.

"Language," Realm scolded, then sighed as well. "This isn't good."

It was pretty clear what they were all thinking. They had lost Ally, Harper, and the Golden Weapons in one day, and were now stranded in the desert with no food or water. Not ideal.

Zap surveyed the landscape, walking across the dune crests, then gasped. "I wouldn't be so sure about that!" she exclaimed, breaking into a sprint. Realm and Skylar immediately followed, trying to see what Zap had, and then spotted it: Harper, holding the Golden Weapons in a bundle of fabric. She lifted them over her head with one hand and waved to the team with the other.

"Harper! She's okay!" Skylar yelled, speeding up as he ran down the dune towards the red Ninja and barreled into them, hugging them tightly. Zap and Realm caught up, joining them in crushing Harper in a hug.

Once they let go of her, Harper handed out their Golden Weapons. "We'll get Ally back soon. For now, we need to rest up," she said. Slowly, a grin crossed her scarred face. "You'll never believe who I just met. I have to tell you all about it."

Realm spun the Scythe, feeling its familiar weight in her hands, and frowned. "In the middle of the desert? Who in Zenjago could you have met?"

Harper scanned the team with a wry grin, then in a flash, activated her motorcycle. "Guess you'll have to wait and see. Last one to the Bounty has to do dishes," she called and roared over the dunes.

"Oh, you're on!" Zap cheered, summoning their jet and soaring after her. Skylar and Realm followed close behind, shouting taunts and teasing insults, and the team's laughter faded into the dusk.

« 🐍 📜 ⛩️ 📜 🐍 »

By the time the Ninja returned to the Bounty, the moon had risen amid a glittering sky. After a quick dinner of leftovers (Realm had lost the race, condemned to do the dishes), the team took to the bunks to wind down.

Skylar emerged from the bathroom in his night gi and a towel wrapped around his hair. "Hey, does anyone need emergency weapons from the armory?" they asked.

"Yeah, grab me a couple of daggers, please? I forgot to get them earlier," Realm called out, busy adjusting bandages over her injuries from earlier. "Thanks!"

At the sink, Zap spat toothpaste out before turning to the team. "Hang on, I've been thinking for a minute," they said. "Harper, you said the Ghost Ninja just gave you the Golden Weapons? No questions asked?"

The blonde lay upside-down off the edge of her bunk and yawned. "Yeah, pretty much."

"If the Ghost Ninja had their hands on the most powerful weapons in the freaking realm, I don't understand why they would just give them back to you," Realm mused, tying an orange cloth belt around her waist.

Skylar returned to the bunkrooms, handing a pair of daggers to the leader as he passed by. "I missed the first part of the conversation but I completely agree," she said. "They did save us in Ouroborous, but they have no reason to help us now. I dunno."

Morro, who sat on the floor, twisted the bracelet around his wrist for a moment, before interrupting. "Guys, let's play truth or dare."

"Ooh, yes!" Zap sat next to him. Skylar did the same, ignoring Realm and Harper's protests at their enthusiastic subject change. "Who wants to go first?"

"I'll go, I'll go." The white Ninja leaned in, deep in thought. "Morro, truth or d-"

"Truth."

"Oh, okay. I didn't think that out yet."

Morro sat up. "I've got one. 'Biggest secret right now'."

Realm, who was now in the bathroom flossing her teeth, turned and stared in confusion. "Aren't you supposed to answer questions, not make them up?"

The boy waved her off. "Change of rules, I just decided. You aren't even playing, Mom. Sky, ask me."

"Okay." Skylar shrugged. "Morro, what's your biggest secret? No lying. Genuinely."

He hummed, as if pretending to think; he twisted his green strand of hair around his finger, staring into space, then snapped himself back into reality. "Oh, okay, I know what mine is. It's not that big of a secret, to be honest, actually, it's kind of just a thing. It isn't interesting, but it's the only one I have—"

Zap shoved him in the shoulder. "Stop stalling, dude, say it!"

"I'm the Ghost Ninja."

The room instantly erupted into an uproar of shouts.

"YOU'RE WHAT?"

« 🐍 📜 ⛩️ 📜 🐍 »

Ally turned around, running straight into a double-headed Fangpyre warrior. Before she had time to react, the snake slammed the butt of its sword over her head, knocking her out instantly. It dragged the girl's unconscious body into an arena, where Pythor stood triumphant over the four other Serpentine generals. He held the five tribe staffs over his head and the crowd roared with applause.

"Pythor, sssir, I found thisss little rat sssneaking around," it hissed. The Serpentine audience fell silent, watching for the Anacondrai's reaction.

"Well, well, if it isn't Ally Garmadon," he cackled, and turned to the generals beside him. "Skalidor, throw her into the cell. The rest of you, rally your warriors and prepare the arena. I believe our little guest here will bring us visitors very soon..."

The last of the spirit tea leaves crumbled to ash, and the smoke over the campfire returned to grey. Wu let out a tense breath, his face lined with worry. All five Serpentine tribes were fully armed and united, captured Ally Garmadon, and set up a trap to stop the Ninja— all above the Great Devourer's current resting place.

Zenjago was in grave danger.

Something stirred behind Wu. He spun around, lashing out with his staff, only for it to get yanked. He falls to the ground sharply, his staff gone, the campfire blown out.

Darkness enveloped the mountaintop, yet Wu saw it: two red eyes glowing in the darkness, watching his brother's every move.

"Hello, old man," Lord Garmadon laughed. "What took you so long?"