Art of the Ninja

Chapter 1: The Sword of Invincibility

Builds ago in a set a medium distance away…

Sensei Sage received a message from a mini-figure, who is a minor player in this story and I won't go into more details, that said, "Fun Dashaus Diyi descended from the cosmos and seeks the Sword of Invincibility!"

Sensei Sage knew that to stop the big figure samurai he would need a ninja clan. He searched, scoured, and looked, but none of the ninja big figures could be found. He did, however, find the Prophecy of Utopia, a land beyond time where life was good and the worst of suffering was not. But, the big ninja did not answer his pleas. Sensei Sage begged to the sky, but their time had passed. The ninja big figures had grown old and died. He knew he would have to settle. For in his words, "We can't afford to do a no-way job, we must do a half-way job."

But could this be done, mini-figure ninja?


Bamf arrived at the Temple of White Tiger and noticed his cousin was there. Bamf walked right up to Falco and disdainfully said, "Cousin."

Falco turned around and grew angry, "Bamf. You turned your back on the Shogun and joined the Vikings. What are you doing at the Temple of White Tiger?"

Bamf yelled, "Your father stole my father's, his own brother's, Samurai title and his woman!"

Falco insisted, "That is only because the Central Shoguntu was at war and the Shogun needed the Waraxe house to send a Samurai and your father had a broken leg!"

Bamf cried, "That doesn't explain why he stole his woman."

Falco said, "He didn't steal her. She always had feelings for both of them. It took my father being away at war for her to choose him."

Bamf cried, "And did your father have anything to do with the Shogun banishing my father?"

Falco quickly replied, "No, he…"

Falco didn't know; his father never talked about the details of his Uncle's banishment, but if Shogun Honorous wanted it, it must have been for the right reasons. Falco sighed, "Let's both not tell our fathers that we are in the same clan."

Bamf agreed, "You're right. This will be our secret."

"How are we going to learn each-others names? There are like a million of us," stated the Elemental Master of Lightning, the alien Fremt.

"No there aren't, stop fibbing. I counted, there are only twelve," Blaze, the quick to react Master of Fire, corrected. Flowious calmly said, "Frankly, it is too many." He then turned to Sensei Sage and asked, "Sensei, why are there so many of us?"

Zoro stated, "Yeah, I have not been informed of Flowious and Wu having elemental abilities."

Sensei Sage replied, "Flowious cannot use his element until he reaches his true potential. If you look at us, none of you have now. We cannot do this alone. To be effective against evil we must have many in the ninja clan, a ninja clan with a single focus."

The twelve mini-figures' jaws dropped. Wu remembered his father, who was a mini-figure and created all of Ninjago. He had always assumed Garmadon, the older brother, would inherit the duty of sacred protector when their father passed. Now he had passed and Garmadon was training in a far away land, corrupted by the Great Devourer. Wu never wanted to be the protector of Ninjago, he still didn't want to. Now he was training to be a mini-figure ninja. Bamf fearfully said, "No can do. We don't want to be mini-figure ninja. That would be asking for death."

Fremt goggled, "Why? Afraid?"

Bamf said, "No. Trying to save Ninjago isn't worth dying for, especially if we fail."

Sensei Sage said, "I am sorry, but if Ninjago is to be saved, you twelve must become ninja. Sadly, mini-figure ninja."

Even Blaze looked saddened. Flowious gave an acceptance sigh. Zoro inquisitively asked, "But we are so small. How we supposed to stop a big-figure?"

Bamf suggested, "Untie his belt."

Fremt said, "I don't know. A big figure might like that."

Sarcea gagged, she said, "Oh, that's gross."

Blaze ordered, "Fremt, stop being so immature."

Sensei Sage went on, "Size is not what is important. If you cannot do big things, do little things in a big way. The combined force of these smaller things from a united clan with one target in mind is powerful. We are small but we are strong."

Blaze said, "I know, right? I am so strong."

He flipped his fabulous hair. Bamf said, "You call those muscles? These are muscles."

Bamf jumped onto the stairs to the temple. He rolled up his sleeves and showed he had huge muscles, the biggest of the mini-figures. Blaze quickly said, "Now, introductions are in order."

Sensei Sage began, "Wu. Son of the First Spinjitzu Master."

Wu waved. Sensei Sage went on, "Blaze, Elemental Master of Fire."

Blaze had highly maintained gelled black hair. Sensei Sage continued, "Serpentes Falco. Elemental Master of Sound."

Falco had a mess of sandy blonde hair that made him appear like he came from a cave-mini-figure house and not an honored Samurai's house. He did, however, have a bun on the top of his hair but the wild beard made his lack of culture abundantly clear. Sensei Sage next said, "Zoro, Elemental Master of Light."

Zoro stuck her inside finger at herself so they would know they were talking about her. She had long chocolate brown hair and coffee brown eyes. She came with a bag full of books, parchment, and quills. Sensei Sage introduced Flowious next, "Flowious, Elemental Master of Amber. When you unlock your true potential, you can absorb elements from others."

Flowious bowed his head respectfully to the Sensei. He had fuzzy sandy blonde hair and big sunglasses. He came with a surf board. Fremt spoke up without waiting his turn, "Hey, I am Fremt, Lighting. My older brother is Herold, he isn't here but he is the Master of Metal. He is a Tortoisetine. I am sure you could use him."

Fremt was an alien. He had green skin and an eyeball on a floppy cone for a head. Sarcea barked, "You can't interrupt."

The elf, Blaze's younger brother, Krispal, quizzed her, "Oh yeah. Why can't he?"

Sarcea stated, "Because it breaks the Golden Rule."

Krispal argued, "What if he likes people interrupting him?"

Sarcea rolled her eyes. Sensei Sage continued, "Diptidulla, Elemental Master of Wind."

Diptidulla had long brown hair that was in a braid that wrapped her head like a scarf. She blushed, "Hi, I'm Flowious's younger sister." Sensei Sage said, "Ahimsa. Elemental Master of Ice."

Ahimsa expressively waved, the opposite reaction of Diptidulla. She had medium length orange hair and expressive blue eyes. She smiled and barked, "I am Blaze's younger sister. I guess you could say I am a middle child."

Krispal roared, "And my older sister. I am the most important!"

Sarcea made it a point to scold him. Krispal asked Sarcea, "What is shaking, Meany?"

Sarcea declared, "I am not mean."

Blaze said, "Bro, why is it so impossible for you to realize you are the least respected one of us?"

Fremt declared, "And, I am the most respected."

Blaze accepted, "Yeah! Fremt is awesome. He is super funny, the funniest mini-figure alive."

Isabelle added, "I think Fremt is cute."

Sensei Sage said, "Isabelle, Elemental Master of Water. Princess of the Maa Shoguntu."

Isabelle had long blonde hair, with natural highlights, and blue eyes that looked like they were made of the ocean. Falco snarled, "Malgarson."

Isabelle, confused, asked, "What does malgarson mean?"

Fremt stated, "It means someone who doesn't follow the Golden Rule. In other words, the exact opposite of a Ninja. Hey, Isabelle don't you think cartoons are so childish?"

Isabelle smiled at Fremt. Then she crossed her arms and said, "Just because I am not with your Shoguntu doesn't make me a malgarson."

Ahimsa asked, "Falco, are you a xenophobe?"

Falco said, "I like foreigners who respect Shogun Honorous, ones that follow the doctrine of the Golden Rule."

Isabelle said, "All of Ninjago likes the Golden Rule. Your Shoguntu cannot claim the rule for yourselves."

Falco stated, "Honorous's House came up with the Golden Rule. So, it is ours."

Isabelle backed down, so she could think of how to respond to the next argument about it. Krispal said, "It's OK. The Golden Rule is going out of style, led by me of course."

Falco stated, "Leave it to the Zhu house to support open malgarsonery."

Krispal said, "The Zhu house is very wise. We broke from the way of the Ninja and will return to the Overlord when he rises again. I only worry about my own emotions. Other people should think about doing that before they help others."

Sensei Sage scolded him and said, "You disappoint me on so many levels. A malgarson is the polar opposite of a Ninja. One cannot be Ninja if he is a malgarson."

Falco asked, "Ahimsa, Blaze, you don't believe in supporting the Overlord?"

Blaze said, "Of course not, that is just Krispal being irrelevant. Me and Ahimsa believe in the Golden Rule, but the Zhu House was wise for realizing the Shogun would speak of following the Golden Rule and then not walk the talk. People like you, who claim to follow it, but fear those outside the wall, is what is dead wrong with the Central Shoguntu."

Falco exclaimed, "I will never be an open malgarson, which is very different than an open xenophobe."

Sensei Sage said, "No, they are the same thing. The Golden Rule says treat all figurines the way you would want to be treated. Open malgarsonery makes one in service to the Overlord. Open fear of every foreigner can be hidden by saying the Golden Rule, but is just as bad. If we are to get to the Prophecy of Utopia, we cannot exclude figurines unless truly necessary."

Blaze chuckled and bragged, "Sure, we can. We just need to know to stop at a certain point. Which someone as smart and intellectual as me can do."

Zoro, curious, asked Krispal, "If you are against the Golden Rule, why didn't you say anything when it was said we would be ninja?"

Krispal said, "Fighting is cool, being a ninja is cool. I want to fight like a ninja I don't want to have the beliefs of a ninja."

Falco clenched his fist and pointed it at his head. Krispal was so bad it put Falco in terrible pain. Ahimsa looked at the table on the platform on the stairs and dumbly asked, "That table is made of rock. Can I sit on it?"

Falco smirked for a brief moment. Ahimsa felt tingly and warm. Sensei Sage said, "Yes, it was melted into that shape."

They walked up the steps to the table and sat down. Sensei Sage continued, "Waraxe Bamf, the Elemental Master of Earth."

Bamf had long braided orange hair. He was very muscular, as previously divulged. His helmet was a metal and leather half sphere with horns coming out of it. Sensei Sage went on, "Sarcea, Master of Gravity."

Sarcea had short black hair that went to her shoulders, making it clear she was a feminist. Instead of wearing a yukata, she wore a kimono. Sensei Sage last introduced, "Krispal, Elemental Master of Shadow."

Krispal was an elf. Despite being past legrity he had half-stack legs that made him very short. He had on a green button up jacket, and had pointed ears. Flowious asked, "So, what is our plan to defeat the Samurai, Sensei?"

Sensei Sage said, "To defeat Fun Dashaus Diyi we must find the Sword of Invincibility."

Zoro said, "You didn't inform us we would have a sword that makes us invincible."

Sensei Sage said, "A Sensei never tells. Besides, Fun Dashaus Diyi seeks the sword as well, so we MUST find it first!"

Blaze said, "If Fun Dashaus Diyi gets it, the story of our future will be written in instant loss. So, we will get it and this will be our last chapter with an enemy."

Wu high fived Blaze and said, "Oh yeah. If we get it, we can get closer to Utopia."

Isabelle asked, "Shouldn't we train? I don't think I am ready."

Zoro said, "You're wrong. If we train, Fun Dashaus Diyi will get the Sword of Invisibility before we learn anything significant."

Fremt asked, "Who is Fun Dashaus Diyi and why is he an enemy? It's because he has a better name than me, right?"

Sensei Sage explained, "Diyi is a big figure samurai who used to live in the cosmos. He recently descended. He is the founding member of the Fun Dashaus House. He was the first figurine created by the First Spinjitzu Master. The Fun Dashaus House believes since they were the first in Ninjago all of Ninjago's riches belong to them. Their Golden Rule is: treat Fun Dashaus House members the way you want to be treated. They limit the Golden Rule to just them. They believe they should fight for themselves and that other figurines should also fight for them."

Sensei Sage led them to a barn downhill from the temple. The dojo shaped barn didn't have animals inside. Instead it had a ship made of stone, with wood plated on the outside. Bamf saw through the cracks of wood and asked, "Who would make a ship carved out of stone?"

Bamf knew a lot about ships, being a Viking, but this one was very odd. Sensei Sage explained, "The pumice stone has helium inside which makes the ship lighter than air. Welcome to the Destinys' Bounty, it used to be a pirate ship before I got ahold of it. A gnome, who can do alchemy, named Greenhand, made it for me."


They sailed to where the Sword of Invincibility was buried.

"There is a big figure horse down there." Zoro spotted and announced. Fremt said, "Oh, great! Diyi must already be digging for it."

Sensei Sage said, "Be alert, he may already have it."

The twelve clan members went below deck and grabbed weapons before off-boarding the ship and running into the cave. Wu felt so small. Krispal was shorter and Fremt was weaker, but he was the youngest in the clan. Blaze asked, "Scared lil' Wu?"

Wu stated, "I will do whatever it takes to stop Diyi, even if that task is nothing at all. But we must be a better team. We have to sort out our differences and be prepared for the heat of the moment."

Bamf said, "I am scared. What if he already has the Sword of Invincibility? We actually won't stand a chance. But, I'm ready as I'll ever be."

Krispal said, "I'm scared too. Oh my gosh, this is the last chapter, one way or another."

Blaze said, "Stop being a nervous wreck, Krispy Kreme fella."

Wu tripped on a rock and went tumbling down the corridor. He felt overwhelmed with fear when he looked in the eyes of Diyi. The Samurai was decked in armor, katanas, bladed weapons on all sort of shafts. He was ten feet eleven inches tall and had four arms. Diyi picked up Wu. Wu was overcome with fear. This is what he had been training for since Garmadon left. He let out a punch and screamed, "Diyi is here!"

Soon the greater clan members had arrived. Ahimsa screamed, "WE HAVE TO HELP HIM!"

Sarcea said, "Forget it. He has nearly finished digging out the Sword. If he gets it all of Ninjago will fall to pure evil."

Wu let out another punch. This one went straight into Diyi's right eye. Diyi pulled out a knife. He said, "Stop it, or off goes his head piece."

Wu didn't care- Diyi couldn't get the sword, or else no one would stand a chance. Wu said, "Go my clan, get the sword. I'm a ninja. Every life is difficult, mine won't be an exception."

Flowious said, "Isabelle, get the sword. Everyone else stop Diyi. From getting it."

Blaze screamed, "Why her? I deserve the sword! I SHOULD BE THE HERO!"

Isabelle dashed to the sword. Blaze followed in hot pursuit. Zoro shouted, "If Blaze gets the weapon he will be the greatest warrior. He will call all the shots."

Blaze took a dive for the handle. Isabelle pretended to dive. Blaze grabbed the handle but he couldn't get it out of the ground. Think about it, if a ten foot, eleven inch, samurai couldn't get it out- why would you think a mini-figure would be able to pull it out? Blaze ordered, "Isabelle. Help me!"

Isabelle asked, "Why do you want to be the hero?"

Blaze stated, "It is my DESTINY! I am an exceptional mini-figure."

Isabelle shot a water stream at Blaze. Blaze blocked it with fire, and the cave began to fill with steam. Blaze felt around and found a handle, he thought it was the Sword of Invincibility. Isabelle pressed her shield on the sword to give it some resistance. Blaze charged at Diyi. Diyi dropped Wu and took out his longest katana. Diyi swung his katana and the sword Blaze had was sliced in two. Blaze didn't know what was going on. Once he realized he picked up the wrong sword, he thought "WILL I RUN or will I face my doom- like a ninja?" A bombardment of ice hit Diyi on the side, which knocked him out of the way from almost slicing Blaze. Ahimsa saved her brother. Zoro used her Element of Light to make her invisible and ran over to Isabelle and together they pulled out the most powerful blade in existence. It was too late…

Diyi broke the ice and punched Blaze, who went flying back against a cave wall. He spat out blood as he tried to stand back up, but to no avail. Zoro and Isabelle raised the Sword of Invincibility out of the rock, or should I say what was left of it. The sword split in two under its own weight and was nothing but rust. The Clan had NO claim to invincibility. Sound, lightning, ice, water, and earth hit a different part of the big figure. The attacks did nothing against him. Wu yelled, "Aim between his stomach and sternum."

Fremt said, "No, we all have to aim at da ay caramba."

Half of them aimed at his chest, the other half at his comical body part to injure. Wu realized they had to pick one spot, even if he didn't pick the spot and the attack wouldn't be as powerful. Wu yelled, "Aim at his crotch."

The elements aimed at the comical part to injure. Diyi went flying back. He stumbled up and grabbed Blaze before running in a different direction in the caves. While leaving, he lunged into the wall, which made the cave begin to fall apart. Ahimsa screamed, "He is my brother! He is hurt! You can't take him!"

Zoro said, "Forget him. The cave is falling apart. My analysis says to save more of us rather than attempt to save one of us."

They left the cave, pulling Ahimsa. By the time they were out, night had fallen over the forest. The horse, Diyi, and Blaze were gone. Wu said, "We lost my friend. He will die slowly and painfully."

Falco said, "Unless we find a way to find Blaze in the next few days before he dies, and give him some healing tea."

Isabelle stated, "And there is no need to be exceptional when we do things as a team."

Zoro added, "A united team, with a consensus focus point."

Wu added, "There is such a thing as a challenge too big for me. We are not invincible and nor will we ever be now. I may be small, but I will follow the Way of the Ninja, because I know a figurine is in a pain tonight that I could not imagine."

Sensei Sage complimented Wu, "Very wise. I am proud of you. All of us, especially crooked Falco, could learn from you."