Chapter 1: Escape
This was somewhat inspired by the way that it was revealed that the Serpentine weren't all bad during what I refer to as the 'Condrai Cultist' arc of the TV show, and the way that Skales had a wife in that one episode of the 'Rebooted' arc. It always kinda bugged me that none of the snakes were visibly female. It's not like the show tries to be sexist or anything, with the possible exception of the pilot arc - we got Nya, Skylor, Misako, The Preeminent, etc. - and I know there's only so many ways you can make a snake look feminine, but regardless. And I also had a thought, the Anacondrai can turn invisible, right? So how can Pythor be so sure that every last one of them starved to death? Is it so impossible that a bunch of them were invisible for ages? Right?
Anyways. That's what I think, so that's what I'm writing. :P
A/N
A/N
"If you'd unleashed the Constrictai, the Venomari, or heaven forbid the Anacondrai, then, we would have had a tussle," Lloyd Garmadon mockingly repeated Fangtom, the general of the Serpentine Tribe known as the Fangpyre, 's words as he trudged throut the seemingly endless desert. He had gone to so much trouble freeing the Fangpyre tribe, one of the five tribes of the legendary Serpentine who had terrorised the land of Ninjago many years ago, in order to get revenge on the Hypnobrai, who he had also released in hopes of making the snakes become his own personal army. His plans to take revenge on the Hypnobrai and the pesky Ninja who had given his father, Lord Montgomery Garmadon, Lord of Darkness, so much trouble, had gone out the window when Fangtom had discovered that Skales, the leader of the Hypnobrai, was actually an old friend of his. The two generals and their respective tribes had immediately ganged up on him and he had barely escaped with his life. So, naturally, the budding evil overlord had decided that the best way to get revenge on the Fangpyre and Hypnobrai was to release a third of the five Serpentine tribes, and this time the most feared, powerful and dangerous tribe of all. The legendary Anacondrai.
Lloyd grinned as he came upon a cave in the desert. "I've found it! The Anacondrai!" he grinned madly, running towards the thick, impenetrable door to the cave, and pressed the button that would release the seal and open the door.
The mighty door swung open with a hiss of escaping air, and Lloyd nervously walked into the tomb. "Hello? Is anyone here?" he called, and gulped at the sight of a pile f bones lying against the wall.
A menacing hiss echoed through the cavern, and Lloyd gulped. A long, thin, purple-and-black snake flickered into existence behind him. After a moment, the child looked around and shrieked in fear at the menacing sight of the massive Serpentine, before dropping his torch and backing away in fright. The snake snatched up the torch with his long tail and - kindly and gently offered it back to Lloyd. "I believe you dropped this," he pleasantly commented. Lloyd took his torch back. "Uh, thanks," he shrugged, a little nervous.
"My deepest apologies if I frightened you," the snake nodded. "What happened to the rest of the tribe?" Lloyd asked in confusion. "Oh, you know, all those years locked away in the darkness without food. Must have slowly starved away," the snake shrugged. The boy suddenly winced at how thin the snake actually did look.
"So, my little appetiz- ah, I mean, friend, what's your name?" the purple snake asked. "I'm Lloyd Garmadon, son of Lord Garmadon, and future dark ruler," the child evilly grinned. "Oh my, how terrifying! If I had feet, I'm sure I'd be quaking in my boots right now!" the snake overdramatically exclaimed, and Lloyd grinned. "So what's your name?"
"Pythor P. Chumsworth, and since you released me, I am honour-bound to serve you with my life," the snake bowed to him, and Lloyd chuckled, then thought for a second. "Hey, Pythor. How would you like to be my henchman?"
"A henchman?" Pythor blinked in surprise. "Why of course, it would be my honour. Now, master Lloyd, what shall we do first?" the snake grinned maliciously. Lloyd mirrored his expression, with an evil glint in his eye. "I have the perfect plan to warm up,"
Behind them, a shadow being cast by nothing in sight appeared against the glare of the sun and paused for a moment, before silently slinking out into the desert.
X
A great crimson-and-brown schooner soared through the sky, carried through the air by two dual-sets of thick jet propellers. This magnificent vessel was the Destiny's Bounty. A month and a half ago this ship had been an abandoned wreck lying in the middle of the desert, but since it's current inhabitants had moved in, a lot of refurbishments and improvements had been made.
Especially since it was now home to Jay, the Blue Ninja, Master of Lightning and self-proclaimed inventor extraordinaire. He was responsible for these modifications, along with Nya, younger sister to Kai, the Red Ninja of Fire and Jay's teammate, who, due to not being one of the Ninjas herself and therefore usually being confined to the Bounty while the Ninja were on missions, had FAR too much free time on her hands.
An enticing smell wafted upwards into the stratosphere from one of the ship's potholes carried by a plume of steam. This pothole lead into the kitchen, where the White Ninja, Master of Ice, Zane, was preparing dinner for his teammates.
While dressed in a pink cooking apron.
"I can't believe he actually still wears that!" Cole, the Black Ninja and Master of Earth, chuckled from where he was peeping in at the door. "I know, right?" Jay tittered from a few centimetres below him.
Zane immediately looked in their direction and his teammates rapidly ducked behind the wall. "I am fully aware that you are there, you two," he frowned.
"Yeah? Well, you don't know which two of us it is, do you?" Jay shot back and Cole groaned. Zane would easily be able to recognise Jay's voice.
"Based on my knowledge of the sounds of your voices, it is Jay and Cole, correct?" Zane asked with a small smile. "Wha- how did he know?" Jay demanded. "Because he recognized the sound of our voices, dumbass," Cole groaned.
Zane returned his attention to preparing the meal. "Ah, burtleberry pie. Such a sweet smell," he smiled.
X
Upstairs, an extremely elderly-looking man who was probably even more old than he looked was sitting on a rug and meditating. His long, thick, white mustache and beard crinkled in a smile as he heard the sounds of his pupils' day-to-day lives. This was Sensei Wu, the elderly instructor of the four Ninja and son of the First Spinjitzu Master, the creator of the world of Ninjago. "Hmm, what mysteries does tomorrow hold? Perhaps I can help my pupils to be prepared?" he wondered, and, striking a match, set fire to a stick of incense. Cyan-blue smoke billowed from the stick and condensed into a thick veil in the air in front of him. Slowly, the twisting and coiling shapes of the smoke resolved themselves into new forms and shapes.
The first thing the Sensel saw was that his four pupils were wearing armoured, flashy new uniforms. "I see that my pupils' new uniforms will arrive the day after tomorrow. Good to know, but I was hoping for something a little more immediate," Wu concentrated, and the image reformed itself into the shape of the entrance to the Anacondrai tomb. He frowned, then his eyes widened as he saw little Lloyd Garmadon sneak up to the door, look around, before opening it and going inside. "Not the Anacondrai," Wu whispered. "Lloyd, how could you be so foolish?"
But he watched as Lloyd and Pythor emerged and walked off to the left, and breathed a sigh of relief as it seemed that Pythor was the only Anacondrai to leave the tomb. "Well, I suppose a single Anacondrai isn't so bad," he dared risk a small smile, but then the Sensei's eyes were drawn to the shadows on the right side of the cave's entrance, which were forming into the shape of a serpent. The serpent of shadow suddenly reared up, and Wu gasped as the place where the snake's eyes would have been glowed a shimmering purple. "More than one?" he slowly whispered in absolute terror. "A single Anacondrai will be nearly impossible to defeat. If there are more, then," he paused, thinking through the ramifications of this event. "All of Ninjago might be doomed,"