The morning was bright as the sun rose the next day. Anirei woke up first from the first sight of the rising sun, the light slightly blinding her uncovered face. She sat up in her bed with soft yawn, greeting the early morning with a sweet smile as she prepared to take it on.
Anirei grabbed her cloak and secured the bright blue pin around her neck, loosening it so that the cloak wouldn't choke her. She combed her fingers through her hair and secured her mask, covering her face before quietly leaving her room. She left the bounty and walked out into the sandy desert, heading towards the dragons that rested in the nearby ruins.
Anirei laughed as she ran towards the barely waking dragons, who greeted the young girl with kindness.
"Good morning, young one." The fire dragon, Flame, greeted happily.
"Hello Fire Dragon Flame." Anirei greeted, gently stroking his head. However, she noticed that his temperature was different than normal. Even for a fire dragon, his temperature was too hot for him.
Anirei, growing worried for the dragons, walked over to the others and felt them for the same rise in temperature. She had even noticed that some of their scales were lying on the sand. They were shedding their scales, a natural process for all reptiles.
"Is something wrong, great dragons?" Anirei asked, "You seem warmer than normal, and you're shedding your scales. Are you ill?"
The dragons shook their heads.
"Do not worry, young one." The lightning dragon, Wisp, said, "We are simply preparing for our metamorphosis."
"Metamorphosis?"
"Yes, child." The earth dragon, Rocky, answered, "We are merely adolescent dragons. It is almost time for us to grow and change, meaning we must transform into our true adult forms. Soon, we must migrate to the Spirit Coves to complete this transformation."
Anirei smiled and leaned against the lightning dragon, wrapping her small arms around his head to give the dragon a hug.
"Then I wish all of you a peaceful and powerful transformation. I hope that when you return, you are more powerful than before." Anirei said, then proceeded to walk over to the dragons to give them a reassuring hug.
"You are not like most human children." Shard, the ice dragon, said, "You feel different than others, as if you are holding something deep inside, hidden away...."
Anirei stopped in her tracks and looked back at the dragons before taking off her mask and smiling at them.
"Everyone has something hidden inside of themselves." She said, "I, however, have something inside of me that no one should see."
She placed her mask back on her face and went back to the bounty, preparing breakfast before the ninja's morning training.
~~~~
Later on in the day, when the sun was high and the winds blew gently, the ninjas had finished their early morning training . Jay had thought about what Anirei had said the other day and decided that he would have to visit his folks at least once.
He went over to the ruins where the dragons lay, trying to get his dragon, Wisp, up so that they could fly to the junkyard.
"C'mon, Wisp!" Jay grumbled as he pulled Wisp's reigns, but the dragon refused to move an inch, "It'll be a quick visit, just in and out, nothing more."
Sensei Wu walked around Wisp, a large thermometer in his hands with an insightful look on his face.
"It is as I expected." Sensei Wu said, "The dragons are molting. They're shedding their scales."
"What does that mean?" Jay asked confused.
"Every adolescent dragon goes through a transformation before it becomes an adult. We must allow them to migrate east to the Spirit Coves for their transformation."
"Will we see them again?"
"It is hard to say. But we need to allow them to follow their own path."
"Rocky's going east?" Cole asked as the other ninja, Nya and Anirei walked over to the dragons, "Say it isn't so, Rocky."
The ninja hugged their respective dragons, but the dragons glanced only for a moment at the little girl hidden behind the mask. Behind her mask, Anirei smiled, happy to see that they were ready to transform into something incredible.
"Well, I guess I gotta go on this long walk all by myself." Jay said, and although he tried to sound disappointed in not being able to travel by dragon, he smiled and spoke with a hint of hope as he walked over to Nya.
"Sure would be nice to have some company."
Nya nodded, but the others spoke out as well.
OF course we'll go, buddy." Kai said.
"I could use a break." Cole said.
"All you had to do was ask." Zane added.
"Might I also accompany you, Jay? I would enjoy seeing a real junkyard." Anirei said.
Jay sighed, but did not complain when everyone followed him down the road.
~~~~
The dragons flew high into the sky, heading east towards the Spirit Coves as the ninja walked down the road below towards Jay's home. The only sounds heard were the pitter patter of their footsteps and the soft music Sensei Wu was playing on his flute.
"Ah. Of all the days to lose our ride..." Jay said as the dragons disappeared from their sight.
Zane walked up next to Sensei Wu, staring at the flute in curiosity, "That flute, you've never told us why it's so special."
Sensei Wu stopped playing, "Long ago, there were many flutes, created to combat the powers of the Serpentine and drive them underground. But over time, Ninjago's forgotten its ancestors' wisdom, and now this is the only one."
Sensei Wu turned towards Jay and played the flute right in his face.
"I get the lesson, respect your elders or else suffer the consequences. Boy, you guys are laying it on thick." Jay griped.
"Perhaps you are only hearing what you need to hear."
Anirei walked up to Sensei Wu and looked up at his flute.
"If I may, Sensei Wu, might I have a chance to play the sacred flute?" She asked. Wu, eager to see if she could play the flute, handed the instrument to the young girl. But even thought she was wearing a mask, the small hole where her mouth was positioned allowed her enough space to place it without removed her cover.
She blew into the flute and everyone was surprised to hear such a beautiful melody play through the calm air. Anirei only played for a short moment, at least until they reached the junk yard. It was small place, mostly filled with tires but held more than that.
But Jay became uneasy by the silence.
"What's wrong?" Nya asked.
"It's quiet." Jay answered, "My family's never quiet."
The ninja pulled over their hoods and everyone ran into the junkyard. Almost instantly, Jay heard muffled screams from a nearby broken refrigerator and kicked it open, revealing his parents tied and gagged inside.
"What happened?" Jay asked, tearing the tape off of his parent's mouths, "Who did this to you?"
"Sweetheart, you came." Edna said with a slight hiss. Anirei gasped and took a step back, knowing just by the sound of Edna's voice what had happened to them.
"You gotta get out of here." Ed said, "You shouldn't have come. It's the snakes."
"The bite of the Fangpyre." Sensei Wu stated, "Once they sink their teeth, their venom can turn anything into a serpent. It's only a matter of time before the full transformation is complete."
"And judging by how their tails are growing, we must stop this as soon as possible." Anirei said, grabbing the attention of the others.
"How do you know about that?" Kai asked.
"My knowledge of the Serpentine is unimportant at the moment. Our priority is to reverse the transformation."
All of a sudden, the loud hiss of many snakes reached their ears. When they turned to face the hissing, they saw several red and white Serpentine and a large green wrecking ball, however, it was staring at the group.
"Uh, is that wrecking ball staring at me?" Cole asked as the ninja prepared to fight.
"Duck!" Jay shouted. The wrecking ball came swinging at the ninja as they hit the dirt in order to avoid the attack.
"Thanks, son." Ed hissed.
"Lloyd!" Sensei Wu shouted, looking upwards at the pile of junk standing over them. Anirei froze in place, quickly turning to where Sensei Wu was looking. Her heart stopped when she saw the one she was looking for. The boy in the dark hood, but held a kind and bright heart.
The friend she has been searching for for almost two years now.
"Hello, uncle." Lloyd said standing next to the Fangpyre general, "Looks like we're not the only family reunion. I'm glad you've brought the ninja. I could use some help taking out the trash."
As Lloyd cackled in his evil deeds, Anirei growled underneath her mask and stepped forward in her anger and disappointment.
"LLYOD MONTGOMERY GARMADON!!" She screamed, grabbing the attention of everyone around her, "Do you have any idea what you have done?! Releasing the Fangpyre and the Hypnobrai? You have thrown everything out of balance by releasing the Serpentine!"
Lloyd was shocked by this stranger shouting his full name, so he laughed once again and pointed at the child in silver.
"And who are you to say all those things to me, Lloyd Garmadon!" He shouted back.
Anirei sighed and lifted her hand to her mask and hood, removing them for all to see who this girl really was.
Her face was round and soft, free of any blemishes of any kind. Her eyes, normally hidden behind her mask, were now shining the brightest blue color anyone had ever seen, but her forehead was creased in her anger towards Lloyd. Her hair was short, barely passing her shoulders in soft waves.... but there was something strange about its color.
When could you ever say that a child had natural silver colored hair?
Lloyd was shocked upon seeing the girl's face, cautiously taking a step back in his shock.
"R-Rei?" He stuttered, "What are you doing here?"
"I should ask you the same thing, Lloyd!" Anirei shouted and pointed at the young boy, "I had hoped that rumors were just that, rumors. But now that I am seeing you here with my own eyes, I can say that I am disappointed in your actions. Releasing the Serpentine and endangering all of Ninjago? What happened to the kind boy who saved my life all those years ago? Where is the boy I called my friend?"
Lloyd, too shocked to say anything back, stood there frozen. Everyone was shocked by the girl's declaration. What did she mean by saved her life?
Anirei turned back towards the others, who were still shocked by her reveal.
"Jay, if you wish to turn your mother and father back, we must obtain the antivenin from the general's staff." She said, snapping everyone from their shock.
"Second dose, to the dirt." Cole shouted as everyone dodged the next attack from the wrecking ball.
The Fangpyre hissed, walking closer the group.
"That's easier said than done, Anirei." Kai shouted, "We're a bit outnumbered."
"Nobody messes with my family." Jay said as he charged towards the Fangpyre army. He jumped high into the air and landed in front of the Fangpyre, slamming his nunchucks hard into the ground and blowing the snakes away with the force.
"Ninja, Go!" He blasted through the Fangpyre using his spinjitzu and headed towards the wrecking ball, to which he bent backwards to avoid.
The other ninja quickly rushed to Jay's side in order to help with the fight, using their own Spinjitzu in order to get closer. The remaining Fangpyre drew closer to Sensei Wu and Anirei, surrounding them in a huddled circle. But Sensei Wu brought the sacred flute to his lips and began to play. As soon as the snakes heard the melody, they were stunned in pain.
Anirei took charge of the moment and rushed to the nearest Fangpyre, jumping up and kicking him with all she had. Nya followed Anirei's example and started taking down the Fangpyre alongside her one at a time.
"You know, we make a pretty good trio." Nya commented, "Nice fighting out there, Anirei."
Before Anirei could say anything else, loud rock music played through the air, coming from where Lloyd and the Fangpyre general stood looking down on the battle.
"You nephew, must I teach you whose side you should be on?" Sensei shouted over the loud music, but Lloyd just turned it up louder.
"Sorry, Uncle. Can't hear you!" The boy shouted back.
Anirei growled at the once kind boy she knew from years ago. Was this truly the same boy who saved her life?
Just then, the ground shook with heavy thumps following the slight tremors. Everyone looked towards one of the junk piles to see what was causing the shaking, and saw a now corrupted junk statue that kind of resembled Jay, complete with nunchucks.
"Ah! What is that thing?!" Jay shouted in shock.
"It was supposed to be in you honor, son, but do you like it?" Ed asked hopefully.
"Thanks, but no thanks." Jay replied, running away with the others from the massive statue that was trying to killed.
The ninja ran away from the killer statue, but were stopped by the transformed wrecking ball.
"Why'd you have to be born in a junkyard?" Cole complained.
"I know. Tell me about it." Jay groaned.
The wrecking ball slammed into the ground, kicking up dirt and almost hitting the ninja, well, at least missing a few of them.
"Ah. Uh, wasn't there four of us?" Kai asked.
They looked up and saw Jay standing on the wrecking ball as it swung high into the sky. Jay flipped off the ball and landed next to the controls, kicking the Fangpyre out of the seat.
"Let's see if I can work this." He said as he took a look at the strange controls.
The statue swung its nunchuck at the remaining ninja, to which Cole used his scythe to stop it.
"Unh, don't worry, I've got it." he grunted.
Jay finally figured out how to use the controls and swung the wrecking ball into the statue, knocking it back and putting it out of commission.
"I told you, I had it." Cole griped as Jay came back to the group.
"Retreat!" Lloyd shouted towards the Fangpyre. Immediately appearing behind him and the general was a snake themed chopper. The two hopped onto the platform and took off, the rest of the Fangpyre army following close behind them.
"He's getting away with the staff." Nya pointed out.
Jay sighed, "Ah, right now would be a really good time to have those dragons."
"Unh, it's okay, son." Ed hissed, his and his wife's transformation becoming much more progressed.
"There is still a way." Sensei Wu said with hope.
"How?"
"Part of reaching your own full potential is understanding your weapon's potential. Once it is in tune with a focused heart, its secrets and powers can be unlocked."
"What?" Jay shouted, "This is not the time to be cryptic."
"He's saying that our weapons are vehicles themselves." Zane clarified.
"Don't tell me I have to ride this like a broomstick." Kai said looking down at his sword of flames.
"Jay, concentrate on unlocking your golden weapon." Sensei Wu said, "Let your heart guide you. Imagine you're taking flight."
Jay, not seeing any other choice, closed his eyes and focused his heart. He swung his nunchucks around him, forming a ball of crackling lightning. In a flash of bright light, a new vehicle appeared. An electric blue fighter jet surrounded by crackling lightning sparks.
"Whoa! Did I just do that?" Jay shouted in shock admiring his new vehicle.
The other ninja followed Jay's lead, calming themselves and concentrating on their own golden weapons.
In a fury of flames, Kai tapped into his golden weapon and created a fire cycle, complete with defensive spikes along the sides.
Zane physically created his vehicle used shards of ice created from his shurikens. When the ice cracked apart, it revealed a heavily armored ice bike.
Cole created a Tread Assault vehicle using his golden weapon, to which he was surely satisfied.
"I hate to hurt Rocky's feelings, but I think he's just been replaced." Cole chuckled.
Jay took off into the sky, laughing at the fun he was having inside his new fighter jet. The other ninja followed just as quickly.
"Does your flute turn into anything?" Nya asked Sensei Wu.
"I wish." He answered.
"Say, where did that little girl in the silver run off to?" Edna asked.
Everyone looked around, but Anirei was nowhere in sight. Little did they know that she was already too far into the action with the other ninja.
~~~~
Jay was flying through the air heading towards the snake copter holding Lloyd and the Fangpyre general. But he flew too far past them.
"Oops. Ha-ha. Overshot that a little." He said as he turned to go back.
"You're not very good at flying, are you Jay?" A voice asked behind him. Jay almost lost focus for a moment, but thankfully the fighter jet had a mirror, so he was able to see Anirei sitting behind him in a smaller extra seat.
"Anirei?! What are you doing in here? This is no place for a little kid." he shouted.
"It's too late for me to leave. We're flying at over two hundred miles an hour, and I believe it is both of our best interests if I remain here instead of being throw out the jet and splattering on the ground." She replied, giving Jay no other options than to leave her inside the jet.
"Fine, just hold on tight to something." Jay shouted as Anirei did so, "Let's see what this baby can do."
Jay pressed a button, but the jet suddenly went out of control, opening up the cover and making them fly in all sorts of directions. However, they flew right past the Fangpyre general and, without realizing it, Jay had grabbed the staff by accident.
"The staff!" The general shouted.
"Jay, you've done it!" Anirei shouted happily.
"I got it?" Jay wondered then looked at his left hand to see that he was clutching the staff, "I got it!"
However, Jay's moment of happiness and celebration was cut short when he lost concentration on his weapon and the jet disappeared, allowing both Jay and Anirei to begin falling towards the ground.
Jay, upon instinct, grabbed Anirei and held her close while he screamed, trying to at least protect her from whatever they may have hit on the ground.
"Jay, you have to concentrate!" Kai shouted from the ground.
"I can't!" Jay shouted back.
Anirei closed her eyes and clutched Jay's gi tightly in her hands.
'Please...' she thought, 'Do no let us perish... Help us....
Just as the others had lost their vehicles trying to catch Jay and Anirei, the little girl felt was she could only describe as a hand on her shoulder. But it wasn't Jay's. She opened her eyes and saw two pairs of hands around her and the blue ninja. One pair of hands was wearing white gloves and a black bracelet. The other pair had a white stone ring on its left hand, a white bracelet on the right wrist, and nails painted obsidion black.
Anirei smiled as she felt her fear and worry fade away just as quickly as it came.
'Thank you...'
'Of course, little one....' Two voices overlapped each other.
Jay and Anirei suddenly began to slow down a little, just enough for Ed and Edna's car to come running right under them. The two fell into the front seat, Anirei landing on Jay's lap.
"Heh, nice catch." Jay said to the driver, Nya, still clutching Anirei close to him.
"Oh, I knew I liked this girl." Edna said happily.
The Fangpyre army began to move forward owards the ninja, who were struggling with their golden weapons.
"Why isn't it working?" Kai growled in frustration. The car pulled up right next to them.
"Your weapon is merely an extension of your mind." Sensei Wu explained, "If your mind is immobile, so is your weapon."
"Oh, boy. Or guys. Oh, golly. Oh, duh." Ed said, "Get in boys."
The ninja jumped onto the back of the car.
"We have to get back to headquarters." Jay said in a rush. The car took off as fast as they could back to the bounty. Once they got to the bounty, they unloaded the car and raced on deck.
"Come with me." Nya said, taking the red orb of anti-venin from the staff, "Once we reverse the venom, we can fix you."
Everyone went under to the lower deck to prepare for battle and to fix Jay's mother and father.
"Man the stations, everyone!" Jay ordered. Everyone did as they were told and took their respective places on the bridge.
"Jay, we'd better hurry!" Kai said looking out the window and seeing the Fangpyre army getting closer.
"I've been waiting for this moment." Jay said as he pressed the big red button he's been working on. But nothing happened. The Fangpyre were getting closer and there wasn't much time left to escape.
"Jay, we must lift off, now!" Anirei shouted, worried that they wouldn't escape in time.
"Oh, come on! I spent forever on this. It's supposed to work." Jay said frustrated.
"Uh, son, maybe I can help?" Ed suggested, now completely back to normal thanks to the anti-venin.
"Dad. You're okay." Jay said relieved.
"You're darn tooting." Ed replied kneeling down in front of the button, "Oh, let's have a look." He didn't even take a minute, "Oh, that should do it. Now try it."
Jay hit the button and the entire bounty began to boot up. The self defense system was finally working.
The wings spread far across the sands and the rocket boosters fired up, flying the ninja away as quickly as possible and escaping the Fangpyre army.
~~~~
Later on that evening, as the sun was setting along the horizon, Anirei watched as Jay and his parents made up for their lost time on this trip. And now that she had found her friend, though disappointed in him greatly, she no longer needed to wear her mask.
It was time for her to shed her mysterious ways, at least appearance wise, if she was going to help the ninja defeat the Serpentine.
"Young Anirei." Sensei Wu called out for her, making the young girl turn towards the old man, Nya, and the ninja who stood behind him.
"Sensei Wu. Is there something the matter?" She asked.
"Not really." Kai said nervously, "We kinda wanted to ask you a few questions."
Anirei turned her body fully around, showing off her face once again to the others.
"I suppose after this, all of you deserve answers." Anirei said, "Very well, I shall answer any questions I feel comfortable with answering. Who would like to start?"
"Hey guys, what's going on?" Jay asked as he walked up the steps with his parents.
"Anirei decided to tell us a little more about herself." Zane said.
"What? Really? 'Cause I have a lot of questions."
"But only if she's comfortable enough with the question to answer it." Zane clarified.
"Oh, okay then." Jay said, "I'd like to ask first if that's fine."
Anirei smiled and nodded, "You may ask any question you like and I shall answer it if I am comfortable in answering it."
Jay nodded, "Okay then. Why did you wear that mask?" He asked, gesturing to the mask Anirei held in her hand.
"I wore it so that they couldn't find me." Anirei answered.
"They?" Kai asked.
"The ones who took me away from Lloyd."
"And who took you?" Sensei Wu said, "Better yet, how do you know my nephew?"
"Actually, you said earlier today that Lloyd was the boy who saved your life. What did you mean by that?" Cole asked.
Anirei sighed and clutched the mask as she remembered the last day she saw Lloyd.
"I've known Lloyd for two years. I met him when we were about seven years old." Anirei explained, "At the time, I was wandering for about four months, and I had hardly any food or water. I was wandering near the streets of Jamanakai village. I was so tired and hungry that I was unable to see the horse cart coming at full speed. By the time I looked up, I felt a pair of arms wrap around me. Lloyd pushed me out of the way, thus saving my life."
Everyone was so shocked. The little boy who was releasing the Serpentine, had saved Anirei when they were younger.
"After that, he yelled at me for not paying attention, but then he noticed that I was tired and hungry, so he gave whatever food he had left. It was a half eaten sandwich but it was food nonetheless." Anirei continued, "I stayed in a cave nearby in the mountain side until I was eight and a half years old, and Lloyd visited me almost everyday whenever he escaped from Darkley's boarding school for bad boys."
"So you were close to Lloyd." Zane said.
"He was my best friend." Anirei answered.
"But who took you?" Nya asked.
"It was a man made of bones."
"Samukai!" Cole shouted, "What happened? Why did he take you?"
"That I do not understand. He never spoke of why he took me." Anirei shakily fiddled with the bracelets on her left wrist, the black and white bracelets.
"Can we ask...." Sensei Wu said hesitantly, "Why were you not with your parents? You say that you were wandering for four months before you met my nephew. Why weren't your parents there with you?"
Anirei was silent, still fiddling with the bracelets on her left wrist, "I can't answer that."
Everyone noticed that she was nervous and uncomfortable with the conversation. Kai walked over to Anirei and knelt down in front of her, placing his hand affectionately on her head.
"It's all right, you don't have to answer it now." He said, "How about we go inside and eat, huh? Food always make me feel better after a long day."
Anirei smiled and walked with Kai back into the bounty so they could eat.
But, as they went to sleep after bringing Jay's parents back to the junkyard, Anirei pulled out the picture of her and the man and woman.
"Mother, Father... I know you told me to remain hidden, but I have found good people to call friends. They are strong and can help protect me. They're the ninja you've always told me about. And don't worry, I'll keep it safe. I won't let it fall into the wrong hands."
She placed the picture back in her bag and laid down in her bed to sleep, clutching onto the pendant she had hidden underneath her shirt. A precious item. The last thing she had ever received from her mother and father....
Before they left her in this world all alone.
A/N I'm sorry this update took so long, I lost track of time with the artwork at the top of the chapter, and then a lot of other things. If I don't update on this story on Fridays, I promise I will update as soon as I can. Please do not bombard me with questions asking me why I haven't updated if I don't update of Fridays. As an extra apology, I will be uploading an OC bio page in the next update today. It will be up shortly. Thank you for your patience.