Scout was pulling me down the hallway by my gray jacket sleeve in his mouth. I couldn't help but wonder where he was taking me.
He took me into the bridge as he let go of my sleeve and barked at the big screen. I looked up and there was an alert that popped up with word from Zane's Falcon.
Turning on my heel I stood at the door calling to the ninja beckoning them and anyone else listening to come over.
Moments later I heard sets of footsteps rush into the room. Cole took his place at the wheel while I typed at the computer bringing up the live feed.
"Argh, Kai was supposed to keep watch" Jay growled turning on his heel rushing out to alert everyone. Lloyd walked in casually as my brother zoomed past him. He looked up at the screen that showed the fire temple.
"So...It's a volcano?" Lloyd said aloud tilting his head to the side as I nodded.
Others rushed into the room gathering watching the large screen. "Looks like Pythor is at the temple of fire" Nya said aloud gesturing to the site.
"That means the fangblade is there" Kai noted with eyes keen on the screen. One look and I could tell something was burning in that stove head of his. If he doesn't cool it something or someone will get burned.
"That's the same fire temple where Kai and Lord Garmadon first faced off" my brother added in.
"Hm..." I quietly hummed to this information.
"If my memory serves me correct, I'd say one of us cheated back when we last fought" Kai hissed sending a glare at Lord Garmadon. Nya shook her head faceplaming at her brother.
"And I remember someone needing their Sensei to save them" Garmadon retorted hissing venom at the fire ninja as tensions grew between the two.
"Guys! For the sake of the fangblade can we just get along?" Cole shouted over his shoulder at the two while steering the bounty.
Lloyd walked up to his father grabbing one of his four arms "Please don't fight" he asked frowning at both of them for how they are acting.
Breaking up the tension everyone turned their attention back to the screen. "Since the last time we've been there, it looks like the volcano has grown unstable" Nya explained "The place is a powder keg waiting to blow up. This will be a highly combustible environment."
"Oh great, just what I like. Fighting armed and deadly snakes in a highly combustible environment about to blow up" my brother said aloud with a sigh voicing clear loathing for what's to come.
"Sounds festive" I added in sarcastically making eye contact with my brother as we talked with our eyes.
"We will do what we must" Sensei Wu affirmed to his students with solemnness in his tone.
Zane nodded tilting his head inquiring "Yes sensei but where are our weapons?"
Kai shot his head scanning the room "And why is Lord Garmadon not here?" He voiced with concern rushing out of the room in a hurry.
It had been a bit after the fire ninja rushed out of the room. Neither Lord Garmadon or Kai have come back. We left the bridge walking the halls as Scout was pulling me by my sleeve, the others following behind.
He stopped at a door, hearing noise coming from it.
"Kai? Are you in here?" Nya called out to her brother growing suspicious. She tried to open the door and her eyes widened, realizing it was locked. "Kai! What are you doing?!"
"I'm discovering my True Potential!" Kai yelled from behind the door as he was thrown into a wall making a ruckus.
Nya stepped aside letting Jay try and open the door. "The door won't budge!" He exclaimed ramming his body against the door but it refused to budge.
"Kai thinks he'll unlock his power if he stands up to Lord Garmadon" Nya explained with urgency and worry in her voice.
"Why would he think that?" Zane inquired putting the pieces together as his frown deepened.
"He thinks he is the Green Ninja!" Nya snapped flinching as she heard her brother being tossed around inside the room.
"If we don't open this door soon, I think he's gonna be mincemeat! Stand back!" Cole yelled as he activated his special powers "Earth!"
Cole kicked down the door with ease and we ran in. Lloyd staying right behind me clutching onto the edge of my jacket. Kai stood in the middle of the room with Garmadon at his feet.
"I defeated him! I did it!" Kai exclaimed panting from exhaustion but held his arms up victoriously. "Are my eyes glowing? Did I unlock my powers? Is this my true potential?" He asked waiting to feel the immense power flowing through his veins. But alas, nothing happened "Why isn't it working?" The fire ninja hissed in frustration.
"Because you can't defeat someone who allowed himself to be defeated" Wu answered his student as he went to his brother's aid.
Garmadon managed to sit himself up adding in "I wasn't going to hurt you boy, I was only fetching your weapons." He let off a low growl as Lloyd left my side to help him.
"Dad! Are you okay?" The young boy asked with worry in his voice earning some reassurance from his father and a comforting pat on the head.
"You were trying to steal them!" Kai retorted his temper getting the better of him.
"I asked him to get them" Wu interrupted adding "Perhaps it is best you do not reach your true potential, or else someone could get hurt."
"Way to go hero" Cole remarked as the three ninja sent a look at Kai.
Kai met my intense stare faltering a bit looking down in shame. I let out a sigh as I pet Scout thinking of the two sides at work that fueled his actions.
The flying ship started to rumble and shake the floorboards under my feet. "Sounds like we've reached our destination" Cole stated turning to leave the room followed by the others and I.
Looking out past the deck the Bounty was docked at the base of an active volcano. Smoke pouring out the top of the mountain darkened the skies in a haze. Lava seeped out from the top to the pool of fire below the bridge to the temple.
"The fire temple" Cole announced looking out to the destination of their current objective.
Everyone began to prepare for what's to come. Having nothing else on hand I stood there waiting for the ninja.
As I waited, I decided to put my dreads in a low ponytail. I stared at the volcano and then at my hands. My mind kept going back to when I used that spinjitzu.
Could I be like the others? Do I have powers?
~~~
With my mask covering half of my face, I kept an unyielding resolve. I followed behind Sensei Wu, the ninja and Lord Garmadon crossing the bridge into the fire temple.
"The volcano seems to be on the verge of eruption guys, all recent indicators tell me that this place is becoming increasingly fragile. Even the smallest rupture can make the whole thing go off" Nya explained over the radio communication.
"Wow that's so comforting..." I thought to myself with a grumble as heat emanated from the lava in the air.
"We must not use our weapons" Sensei Wu told the ninja to sheath their golden elemental weapons.
The others agreed complying as they put their weapons away while Kai hesitated. "Kai..." Nya seethed over the communications waiting for him to sheath as well.
"Fine." He hissed and put the sword away "Only because I wouldn't want anything to prevent us from getting the Fangblade."
"Please be safe..." Lloyd voiced over the communication before it went silent.
We made it to the cave entrance gesturing to the path ahead. "There, the Serpentine must be inside the inner core. From here on out we travel by shadows" Sensei Wu ordered.
I heard Garmadon mutter almost sinisterly: "It's the only way I know how..."
I made it to the inner core and looked down beyond the ledge to see Serpentine chattering about as they dug for the fangblade. When the blade was found Pythor held it up "The third Fangblade is ours!" He roared accomplices by the cheers and excitement of his underlings.
We slowly and quietly descended creeping closer and closer until Pythor noticed our presence in the reflection of the silver blade.
"Attack!" He roared as the Serpentine charged to attack in our direction.
"Light as a leaf, attack like there is no tomorrow!" Wu said aloud charging ahead into the skirmish.
The seven of us dispersed in all directions fighting off the threatening Serpentine. As I punched and kicked the Serpentine around me, I decided to try the spinjitzu.
"Uh, what was the word they use again?" I wondered to myself. "Oh, right!"
"Ninja-go!" I exclaimed and spun around as a gray swirl surrounded me. I started to go unbalanced as I slipped off the platform but grabbed the edge.
I gasped and looked down at the lava below. I heard from above the snakes I fought starting to laugh but then they yelped.
I looked up as I saw a recognizable face. "Grab my hand!"
I grabbed their hand and they pulled me up on the platform. I looked up "Skales."
He smiled "Asteria. It's nice to see you again. Looks like you could use some practice with that Spinjitzu."
I chuckled "Yes, maybe a little."
The lava of the volcano below our feet let out a burst of orange light and I looked around, seeing Kai had unsheathed his sword. "The absolute fool" I growled as lava splashed up onto the stone platforms I balanced on.
"Kai the weapon is compromising our safety" Nya's voice called out.
"I will do what I must..." Kai muttered to himself hissing with persistence on a bigger goal.
"Let's get out of here!" Pythor yelled "But not before we leave them a parting gift..." He smirked devilishly. Three snakes drilled holes into the ground causing lava to flow up filling the pool of fire below.
The volcano walls shook as the lava rose. Rocks fell from above as the volcano rumbled with rage like a soda ready to burst the cap open.
"They're making the volcano more unstable!" Zane yelled with great alarm.
Jay whipped his head around adding with urgency "Any minute this place is gonna blow, we have to get out of here!"
"Then over here!"
I whipped my head around, seeing Skales waving at the others as he had found an exit.
"Is he helping?" Jay asked.
"No time for questions, let us all get out of here!" Sensei Wu exclaimed urgently as they started to climb to get away while I followed behind.
"Not without the Fangblade!" Kai yelled and charged up the stairs after the Serpentine.
"Come back it's too dangerous!" Cole called to the fire ninja "This whole place is going to explode!"
"Then I better be quick..." Kai replied making me huff under my breath.
"Keep going!" I told the others and helped boost Zane and Cole up onto the wall. Once everyone was up above I started to climb up on my own despite the walls of the volcano shaking tremendously.
"Leave it Kai! It's not worth your life!" My brother called out to hardheaded porcupine.
"Not without the Fangblade!" He retorted running as fast as he could. The stone platform above began to crumble right as I was about to pull myself up.
I took a leap of faith jumping off the wall to grab onto anything. My brother tried to grab me but my feeble jump fell short.
I tumbled down onto a rock below drifting around over the lava. All around my feet was bright red. Looking up the others were gone and the exit was covered by fallen rocks.
Rocks were falling from above splashing in the lava as the world around me rumbled. I tried to move out of the way but one came down atop my leg anchoring it in place. My vision began to grow hazy as I scanned the vicinity for an exit. My legs refused to move as air refused to enter my lungs.
"Kai...Help..." I choked out clutching my hand to my chest where my heart refused to calm itself. Frustration piled in my throat outweighing the panic that coursed through me.
"I have to get it..." He muttered reaching for the Fangblade not hearing me at all. "Why won't my power unlock?!" He exclaimed in utter frustration.
I ripped off my mask taking in the hot air into my lungs. I projected my voice loud enough for him to hear with all I could muster.
"Everything is crumbling! Don't die trying to prove yourself! Live to protect!" I shouted to him getting the fire ninja's attention as we both locked eyes. "You will never be the Green Ninja but you are the Fire one!"
"At least that's something" I finished finally striking a cord as I could see the shift in his demeanor.
He made a split second decision ditching the silver blade jumping over to my platform. "Let's go!" He exclaimed as he moved the rock off of my leg.
A sharp pain ran through my nerves as I was unable to walk. Kai carried me on his back as his eyes darted around for an exit.
Lava splashed rising around us both in a wall of fire. Kai's body began to glow a bright orange light as we both were protected by a glowing ball of fire.
The fire ninja lifted us both out of the rupturing volcano. The power around us both created a protective sun. Flames that didn't burn, they were a soothing warmth I've never felt before. "You are something" I smirked faintly staring into his glowing eyes with my golden ones.
Kai floated us both over to the Destiny's Bounty landing right on the deck. He let me down gently as the power around his body roared like a brilliant flame. And like one, he burned out as the immense power left his body, Kai collapsed right next to me.
Lloyd ran at me wrapping his arms around me with concern "Asteria..." He cried into my shoulder.
I could feel my breathing start to calm as I lifted a shaky hand to his head. "I'm alright bud" I gave him a reassuring smile that wavered.
He pulled away and I could see the frightened tears in his eyes. Feeling a pang of guilt I tried to calm him down but to no avail he clung onto my jacket as he wiped his face.
I moved my leg but ended up falling. The others gasped as I felt someone catch me before I hit the ground.
My eyes widened and I looked up, seeing Skales had caught me. "Skales?" I asked as he helped me stay standing.
"What's wrong?" Jay quickly walked to me in a worry.
"It's my leg..." I replied. Skales helped me stand leaning on him as everyone gathered in the bridge. He helped me sit down as Nya handed him the first aid kit so he could examine what's wrong.
Nya carefully watched Skales as Lloyd watched with worry.
"How did you two survive?" Zane asked Kai and I looking to the fire ninja "How did you discover the key to unlocking your power?"
"Asteria yelled at me and I snapped out of it..." The fire ninja replied scratching the back of his head looking in my direction. "I realized that all my training was the be the best fire ninja I can be, so that we can protect the chosen one."
Kai and the others stared at Lloyd only for him to turn around tilting his head confused blurting out "Wait, what?"
"Just like how Asteria protects Lloyd, we play the same role" Kai added in realization as the ninja took their golden weapons to hold before him.
The four weapons combined floated before Lloyd glowing green confirming Kai's intuition. "Lloyd is the green ninja" Sensei Wu said aloud "I thought it would be one of you but it was him the entire time."
"It all makes sense..." He awed aloud "Not only have you four been chosen to protect the golden weapons but to also protect the chosen one."
He turned to me "And you, Asteria...You have been the gray ninja this entire time."
Garmadon's smile dropped frowning in realization "That means..."
"The battle lines been drawn brother, sadly our family has become more divided" Sensei Wu replied "Brother vs Brother, and now Son vs Father."
A serious silence filled the room as Lloyd stared at his father sadly. Skales was finishing up wrapping my left ankle as it was sprained. Scout whined worriedly for me. I stood wobbly as I petted his head gently.
"Yeah this is very serious and all but whatever happened to the Fangblade?!" Jay interrupted.
I sighed, shaking my head "Oh, brother..."
Skales frowned "Knowing Pythor, he has found it already. This won't be good..." He sighed and turned to me.
"I should return back before they all get suspicious. Take care Asteria."
I held his hand and smiled "Thank you, Skales. You take care of yourself too."
~~~
Author's Edit: Oct 10, 2023
~~~