The Anacondrai Cultists chant as the captive Elemental Masters are brought in.
"Bring in the prisoners." Clouse orders.
Griffin sighs as the elementals all walk down the stairs, chained up together. "So the ninja were right. This was never about any of us winning the tournament. This was always about something sinister."
"What gave that away? Was it his cult following, or the giant snake head?" Shade asks with a hint of sarcasm.
Neuro sighs. "We've been fighting each other for so long, it took us all losing to finally pull us together." Jay starts humming. "Too bad it's too late."
"Why are you humming?" Kai asks, staring at the blue Ninja. "You do know they're about to take our powers?"
Jay ignores the negatively coming from everyone. "Since these cursed shackles have blocked our powers, I choose to use the power of positive thinking. Lloyd and Lacey will come save us. You just wait."
Kai turns to Skylor as she turns her head away from him. "Go ahead and look away, but you know as well as I do after he takes our powers, he's still gonna need yours." He tells her.
Skylor frowns, her eyes showing regret. "You don't understand. My father gets everything he wants. I had no choice." She states.
Kai stares at her, his head tilted in curiosity. "Just tell me one thing. Was it his idea to make me fall for you, or yours? Because it worked."
Skylor gasps and then smiles shyly, her eyes shining with her cheeks blushing.
Zugu turns to the elementals. "Lock 'em down. All rise for Master Chen!"
Chen uses Gravity to levitate his throne. "Look at me. I'm floating." He almost falls, making the Cultists gasp."I got it, I got it. I just got distracted by how awesome this place looks. Well done, Clouse. You've really set the mood. And look at this. Soon, I'll have more power. It's good to be me."
Jay scoffs. "You may have us, but you still don't have the Green and Guardian Ninja."
Chen nods sarcastically. "Ah, yes. I bet right now they'll swoop down to save you in the very last moment and teach me a valuable lesson. Well, I'll wait. I love lessons."
Jay waits impatiently. "Any minute now."
Chen then grows bored. "That's enough. I'm bored. But here's a lesson: don't be a sore loser. Only one can remain!" He steals their powers, causing them to groan in pain. "The power is mine. All mine!"
Jay grunts. "They never came."
Chen smirks. "Take them to the factory."
Skylor turns to her father desperately. "Father, please, spare Kai. I've seen inside his head. He's different. He can help you."
"You like the boy, don't you?" Chen asks, to which she stays silent. "If it will make you happy. Leave the red one."
Kai only scowls, rubbing his wrists. A plan formed in his head, an idea growing.
........
What a wonderful day. Lacey thought sarcastically as she, Lloyd, Nya, and Garmadon watch the palace at a distance.
It was warm and sweet, the sky was clear, animals were making a funny noises in the distance and Chen was trying to raise an evil army of Anacondrai to take over Ninjago City. Just what they needed.
Just another day in Ninjago.
Another Ninjago villain to try and take over the city. How many times has someone tried to take over Ninjago again? Well, there were the Serpentine Wars and the plus more in the past. There was Lord Garmadon, The Overlord, the Serpentine, well, at one point atleast. Oh, the Overlord again.
How many more times was this gonna happen, exactly?
It was getting rather annoying. She twists her lips to the side, her dreams had come again last night when they had all slept in the forest.
Something was definitely happening. Her dreams, they were getting stranger then ever. She needed to talk to Wu but the last time she talked to him, he had no clue. He had told her she would be getting dreams of the future, nothing else.
He was either keeping something from her, or didn't know.
Her dreams kept portraying four people, five in total with her. There were three brunettes with a redhead. Strangely, they felt so familiar to her. As if, they were all she ever needed. She felt safe and homey with them. It was like they were connected or something.
There was a redhead with sparkling and beautiful violet eyes, they were so pretty as well as her strange beauty.
Then there was a brunette with Hazel eyes, which also had specks of gold and brown in them. She was very pretty, and from what Lacey could tell, she had a sweet but dangerous personality.
There was also another brunette with vibrant and very surprising emerald green eyes. Her eyes....they were so, ravishing, if she could call it. They reminded her of Lloyd, in a way. But Lacey could tell that the brunette was dangerous and deadly, but also compassionate.
The last one was what got her the most. She was similar to the brunette with green eyes because she had matching green eyes, but her hair was a bit darker, but still pretty. She looked sweet, but also rather psychotic.
And in a way, they all looked rather psychotic. Sweet, but Psycho. Unstoppable. And all powerful.
They were so....familiar.
"He knows I'm coming. But I can't just hide here and do nothing." Lloyd grunts, staring at the stone castle in the distance.
Nya shakes her head. "We have to wait until nightfall. There's too many." She then eyes all the guards placed around. They sure had a tight security system, she thought silently.
"And then what? Every minute we're out here, he grows more powerful and-" Lloyd says with a scoff.
"Son, Chen grows strong by taking from others. But real power does the opposite. It empowers those around you. Like the way you've empowered me. We will get you to Chen, and you will destroy his staff." Garmadon explains gently.
Lacey only sighs before narrowing her eyes at the castle in the distance.
Eyezor walks past two Cultists.
Kapau sighs. "Would you look at that? If a foot soldier like Eyezor can move up the chain of command, why can't we? I mean, the guy's only got one good eye, and we each got two. We could spot a ninja twice as fast as he could."
Eyezor sees a Cultist sleeping on the job. "Huh? Hey!"
Chope frowns. "But he's got a mohawk. And his name, Eyezor. It's got a real ring to it. And it's practical. You know, with his creepy sore eye and all."
Kapau grins. "That's it. That's it. We need names. We need something that'll make us, you know, stand out. I got it. Call me Kapau!"
Chope nods. "Oh, that's good. What should I be? Oh, I know. "Hey, who's that? It's Maleficium!"
Kapau frowns. "Malefici-that's a horrible name. I can hardly pronounce it."
Chope frowns. "Then how about, uh...Chope?"
Eyezor yells."Hey!"
Kapau nods. "Chope? Yeah, I'm not gonna judge. Wait a minute, yes I am. That is awesome!"
Chope smiles widely. "Look out, world, Kapau and Chope moving up the ranks." He nods.
Kapau yells. "Yeah!"
Eyezor turns to them. "No talking on duty, minions."
Kapau frowns. "Uh, it's actually Chope and Kap-"
"I said no talking!"
................................
The Masters are brought into the factory after their powers are all stolen.
"Work!" A Cultist orders sternly, his eyes glaring.
Jay shakes his head. "No, no. It's not working if you love what you do. The power of positive thinking." He smiles. He looks around to see all the elementals that lost, all working in the grey walls of the factory.
"Psst."
Jay frowns in confusion, turning around. "Cole? Zane? Is that you? Oh, you look amazing!" He grins, walking closer towards them.
Cole shakes his head. "Not so loud. They think we've escaped and don't know we're here."
"Why would you come back?"
"Because we're breaking everyone out."
"Correction." Zane says. "We're building our way out." He points to the Roto Jet covered with a cloth.
"They think we're fixing the noodle machine, but we're fixing a Roto Jet." Cole told him quietly.
Jay scrunched his face up. "A Roto Jet? But aren't we underground?" He raised an eyebrow.
Cole huffs. "That's what I've been saying!" He whisper yells.
Karlof turns around. "What happened to positive thinking?" He asks.
"No talking! And hurry up with that noodle machine." A cultist yells from above on a railing.
"Okay, okay. It will be ready soon. When ready, noodle will fly out of here." Karloff grins.
"Hey, do you know where Kai is?" Cole asks.
"Last I heard, he's getting the "special" treatment." Jay emphasizes.
........
Chen and Kai are walking down a long corridor with things placed all around, like a museum of some sort. Chen's collection to be precise.
Chen points at something. "A scale from the Great Devourer, Captain Soto's peg leg, a cog from the Celestial Clock, Zane's pink gi, and this." He swings an Anacondrai Blade.
"Whoa." Kai mutters sarcastically, looking bored with everything.
"An Anacondrai sword. They are the sharpest blade in existence, fit for the greatest warrior to ever do battle in Ninjago." Chen explains.
Kai glares at him, his eyes lit with fire even though his power was gone. "Why are you showing me all this? You do realize if you weren't holding that staff right now, I'd strike you down right here."
They continue walking.
Chen looks at him, surprised and impressed. "Skylor was right. Even without your power, the fire burns bright in you. Unlike you and my dear Skylor, who inherited her powers from her mother, I was never born with natural abilities."
Kai yawns, looking around in boredom. He looked as if he didn't care, and he didn't.
"I was told I would amount to nothing. But I will show them they are all wrong! Look." Chen points to a painting. "I call it The Charge of the Dark Brigade. It's beautiful, isn't it? The reds, the purples, the super dark purples." Chen tells him.
"After I defeat your little green friend and his girlfriend and take his powers, I will have all the Elements I need to conjure a spell that will transform me and my worshippers into Anacondrai. With you and your friends gone, nothing will stop me. But I've seen inside your head. I know you're still jealous Lloyd was chosen to be the Green Ninja. It could've been you. Have you ever wondered what it felt like to have so much power pulsing through your veins? Yes you have. There is so much potential in you, Kai. I want to give you the chance to find it."
Kai glares at him. "I will never turn on my friends." He states, and that was the truth. He was loyal to the end.
Chen smirks. "Of course. But what if I also told you there were secrets about your parents that your Senseis never told you? Dark secrets."
Kai frowns, his eyebrows furrowed. "My parents? What secrets?"
Chen shakes his head. "So many questions that can so easily be answered."
Clouse walks up to them. "Master, it is nightfall. The Green Ninja will be making his move shortly."
Chen turns to the elemental. "Think about it." He and Clouse walk away, talking quietly.
Kai watches him go. "Hmm..." A plan forms in his head, thinking of way to stop a certain someone.
Garmadon turns to the three teens. "Remember, destroy the staff and everyone's power returns. You came here to make your team a whole. Finish the job." They sneak into the palace, but Lloyd accidentally activates the alarms, alerting the Cultists.
"Lloyd!" Lacey calls out.
"Sorry!" He says. "There's too many of them."
"I'll hold them. You three, find Chen." Nya tells them, getting ready to kick ass.
"I'll stay with you." Lacey states. "Go and find Chen, and destroy the staff." She nods at her boyfriend and his father.
They leave, but Clouse finds them.
"Look out!" Garmadon yells before glaring at his rival. "Go, son. Leave Clouse to me."
Lloyd nods, turning to walk away. "Good luck." He says.
Clouse scoffs. "Your father doesn't believe in luck."
Lloyd turns to him. "I know. I wasn't talking to him." He runs and leaves.
Garmadon narrowed his eyes. "Just like back in the training yard."
"Only this time, I refuse to lose!" Clouse smirks.
Lloyd suddenly falls into a trapdoor.
"Whoa! Ugh, Chen and his trapdoors." He mutters in annoyance before he hears the Anacondrai serpent. "Huh? Uh-oh."
"Lloyd! This way! Come on!" He hears a familar voice yell.
Lloyd frowns. "Kai, you escaped. What happened?"
"I managed to slip free, but Chen took all our powers. If we can find them-"
Lloyd interrupts. "There's no time. I have to stop Chen. Alone if I have to." Kai stops walking and looks at him. "What? What is it?"
Kai sighs. "I'm sorry, Lloyd. He blows out his torch. "This will all make sense when it's over."
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
Lacey groans, waking up with a sore neck, she opens her eyes before noticing they were in a cave of some sort. Her eyes widen however when she sees all the skeleton bones laying around, so many of them.
She, Nya and Garmadon were tied up on poles in front of a large door of some sort, in a cave full of so many bones.
She tries to use her magic but instead finds out she can't use it. Stupid Chen, he must have put something around the chains.
"Nya, Lacey, are you all right?" Garmadon speaks up.
Nya grunts. "Yes. What-What happened?" She mumbled.
"We have to get out of here." Garmadon says, looking at their surroundings.
"No shit, Sherlock." Lacey mutters.
"My pet loves the smell of fear." They hear Clouse say as he enters with Chen.
Skylor walks behind them, silent.
Garmadon glares at him. "Where is my son? What have you done with-"
"I have your son. But his power will become mine at the ceremony tonight. I'm sorry you didn't get an invite. I'm still a little hurt when my pupil decided to betray me so long ago." Chen tells him.
Nya frowns. "But how did you defeat him?"
Chen smirks. "Oh, I had a little help." He says as Kai walks in.
Nya gasps as Lacey's eyes widen.
Garmadon looks outraged. "You pitted the ninja against themselves, just as you did the Elemental Masters!" He spat angrily.
"Why, Kai? How could you do this?" Nya asks softly, her eyes staring at her brother.
Kai sighs. "Chen holds all the power. Lloyd alone never stood a chance. I had to think about what was best for us. He'll let you go if-"
Nya soffs. "I'd rather be snake food!" She yells before looking away.
Garmadon suddenly grabs Skylor. "Untie us!" But to his shock, they only laugh.
Chen and Clouse laugh. "Or what? You've changed, remember? You're Sensei Garmadon. You're a good guy. Threats don't frighten me."
Garmadon pushes Skylor away as she whimpers, staring at her father with a frown.
Kai frowns, noticing how Chen didn't care.
Lacey pursues her lips, feeling bad for Skylor. She didn't need to do this, but she was trapped. She felt bad for the redhead who had a evil father who cared more about power then his own daughter.
Maybe.....
"My pet may be napping, but she's always hungry when she wakes up." Clouse said, eager to see them dead.
Chen nods, laughing maniacally. "You had a good run, Garmadon. But all good things must come to an end." He and Clouse laugh as they walk away.
"This isn't you, Kai. Don't do this." Nya calls out.
Kai turns to look at them as he starts walking away. "Sorry, sis. This is the way it has to be." He winks at them and they smile at realizing his plan.
"Oh, thank goodness." Lacey mutters, letting out a breath. She knew it wouldn't be real, atleast she knew they were loyal. She smiles ironically, this kinda reminds her of My Little Pony. If Kai was a pony, his element would definitely be loyalty.
Maybe she should make a list. Hmm.
Kai: Loyalty. Yeah, that's about right.
Jay: Laughter. Yup, definitely that. No doubt about it.
Cole: Honesty. Yeah, she guessed that was right.
Zane: Kindness. Yeah. The Nindroid was definitely kind.
That left generosity and magic.
Yeah, Nya and Lloyd were generous. So that made her element magic. How ironic, yet again.
She mentally cackled at her thoughts.
..................
Nya struggles, but can't break free.
"Some help you are, Kai." She mutters bitterly.
Lacey sighs, glancing at the chains tied to her wrists and connected to the pole.
Garmadon turns to them. "Lacey, Nya, it's karma. After personally destroying the biggest snake Ninjago has ever seen, it's only reasonable the second biggest would exact its revenge on me."
"Is it weird I'm not scared?" Lacey whimpers quietly as the snake come forward.
The Masters suddenly barge in with the Roto Jet, crushing the Serpent and freeing Lacey, Nya and Garmadon.
Cole cheers happily, getting out from the seat of the jet. "Whoo-hoo! We did it!"
Garmadon chuckles as Lacey helps him up. "Well hello, Master of Earth."
Jay joins them. "Uh-uh. Don't forget Master of Lightning." He and Cole see Nya running towards them. They reach for her, but she runs past them to hug Zane instead.
"Hey!" They frown.
Nya hugs him. "Zane, you're back!"
Zane's head turns around to his back. "What? What is on my back?"
Cole and Jay then turn to Lacey, expecting a hug as she runs towards them....but she passes them and instead wraps her arms around Zane.
"Hey.."
"What?"
"Zane!" Lacey yells happily, hugging him tightly. She pulls away and stares at his shiny titanium figure.
Cole jumps on the roto jet. "Karlof, why isn't this thing off the ground yet?"
Karlof looks at him. "Two hands can only work so fast."
"Well, you're gonna fix it, Karlof, because you know why?" Cole encourages before he asks.
Karlof nods. "Sure."
"Positive thinking!"
........................................
"No, Kai. Don't!" Lacey hears.
Cole flies in with the Jet, and the Elemental Masters join in to fight the Cultists. Zane uses a Cultist and whirls him around at other Cultists.
"Did anyone order some kung pao?" Cole yells loudly, making an entrance.
Lloyd run towards them. "Zane! Good to see you again, buddy." He smiles.
"And it's good to be back." He replies.
"Lace!" Lloyd yells before the two hug.
Lloyd then affectionately kisses her cheek whilst she blushes.
Kai and Chen race for the staff, but Kai grabs it and destroys it.
Chen's eyes widen. "No!" He screams. Everyone's powers are returned. Well, elemental powers as Lacey had hers.
Karlof grins widely. "Now bad guys in big trouble!" He smashes his fists together ans instantly grows into metal.
The Ninja are gathered into formation "Ninja, go!" Using Spinjitzu, they defeat the Cultists and knock them back.
Nya walks towards a Cultist, watching the team and Lacey. "It always brings tears to my eyes when I see the old gang back together." She smiles.
Garmadon notices Clouse and Chen escaped.
Chen groans. "Ugh, they have all the power!"
"For now, Master. But not for long." Clouse mutters as a tied up Skylor was forced to walk behind them.
The Masters trap some Cultists and lead them outside.
Garmadon walks towards the group. "No sign of Chen. And no sign of Skylor either." He tells Kai.
Nya looks at her brother. "If it weren't for her help, we wouldn't have control of the island. We'll find her, brother."
Kai cracks a smile. "It's funny. I came here to find an old friend..."
Zane then turns on his funny switch, making everyone laugh. "Hello, my baby. Hello, my honey. Hello, my ragtime gal. Send me a kiss by the wire."
Kai, simultaneously says. "I just never thought we'd make new ones."
Garmadon smiles. "We'll find her, Kai. And we'll find Chen."
"Send me a kiss by the wire." Zane sings.
Lacey grins, looking towards the horizon.
.........................................................................
Athena ⚜️
Again, as mentioned, all the books are interconnected. I even have 2 drafts that show the other earth and the story of Saffron.
You may recognize the people in the next few chapters as well as the future because they're from my other books. Dusk Till Dawn and Sweet But Psycho.
And if given the chance, please check out Ninjago Extras because it shows extra information about my OCs and about the series I'm writing. It even has a few funny one shots revolving around the series.
Anyway, see you next time. Also, I may be doing a Q and A, not sure yet, so ask anything you want. I'll let you guys know.