Episode Three- Snakebit

Gong! Gong! Gong!

"Evil doesn't sleep and neither should you!"

The five others in the room groaned and pulled their blankets over their heads.

"If you want to reach your full potential, you must treat each day as an opportunity!" Sensei Wu finished up his gonging.

"Okay, okay, we're up." Kai slid out of his bed and hopped to the floor, like the other three boys. Dawn, however, just burrowed her face into the pillow and refused to get up. Kai walked to the window on the other side of the room. "But if you want us to reach our full potential, shouldn't we get a full night of rest?" He pulled on the cord for the window blinds. The blinds just fell to the floor.

Dawn perked up. "Full potential?" She slid out of bed, and crashed to the floor. Her ladder was broken. She grumbled and stood up, rubbing her head.

"What's full potential?" Dawn asked once her head stopped throbbing.

"Full potential is what we call reaching peak mental condition," Sensei Wu explained. "These four are trying to reach it to become better ninja."

Dawn slumped over. "And I suppose I wouldn't be able to, because I'm not a ninja, correct?"

"It... would be possible."

She raised an eyebrow and dropped the subject.

Cole stretched and cracked his back. "You call that rest? I think my back has more lumps than the mattress!"

Jay walked to the sink and took out his toothbrush. "We were up so late, talking about how cool it is to have a new headquarters, I guess we lost track of time." He turned on the faucet and sand leaked out, instead of water, onto the toothpaste. Jay was too busy talking to notice, however. "Ever since the Serpentine burned down the monastery, I'm just glad we have a roof over our heads." He started to brush his teeth, but tasted the sand and immediately spat it out.

"You also spent a good hour interrogating me about my life," Dawn said, the memory fresh in her mind.


Flashback

"Okay," Cole said from his bed. "You may be in our team, but we're not trusting you until we learn what we need to know."

Dawn sighed and sat up, propping up her hard pillow behind her. "Ask away, I've got nothing to hide."

"How old are you?" Kai asked.

"Sixteen."

"What is your last name?" Zane said.

"Duskset."

"Whoa!" Jay's face lit up. "Duskset? Like the owners of the famous 'Rising Sun Candy Shop' in Ninjago City?"

"Exactly that. The owners are my Ma and Dad."

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Cole questioned.

"Yup. Six sisters and six brothers."

"What do you know about Spinjitzu?" Kai spoke again.

"Um... Just that when you spin around really quick, you turn into little tornadoes of different elements." Dawn smiled. "It's really cool."

"What are your siblings' names?" Zane asked.

"Let's see... the first triplets, April, May, and June. Then, there's the second triplets, Angeline, Angela, and Angelica. And the twins-"

"Okay, okay, maybe we'll ask later." Jay's eyes were wide at the sheer number of siblings she had.

Dawn blushed a bright shade of red.


"Yes, but we found out a lot about you," Zane pointed out. Then, he turned to Sensei Wu and asked, "What is our lesson today, Sensei? Mastering the strike of the scorpion? Or perhaps the great- Oh!" He crashed through the floor, sending up wood splinters and dust. The five teenagers gathered in front of Sensei Wu.

"I think today's lesson will be... chores," Wu said.

"Chores?" The boys cried in unison.

"Chores?" Dawn smiled. "I'm good at chores. I got to practice a lot with my brothers and sisters, and when I lived with Lloyd and the Hypnobrai."

"Then you will help them with their chores," Sensei Wu said.

"Ninja fight, Sensei," Cole protested. "They do not clean."

"In order to respect ourselves, we must respect our new home, and where we are from. And this place is a long way from becoming a ninja headquarters. I expect things to be spotless when I return." Sensei Wu turned to leave, but turned when he was in the doorway. "And put your backs into it." Gong!

Cole helped Zane out of the hole in the floor.

"Ugh, this place is gonna take forever to clean and fix up," Kai groaned.

"Unless we put more than our backs into it," Jay suggested, a mischievous smile on his face. "Huh?"

All the boys smiled in realization.

Dawn frowned. "I don't like that look on your face. What are you planning?"

"You'll see," Cole promised.

Her frown lessened a bit.


"Ninjaaaaa-Go!" Cole, now in uniform, began to whip around the room, picking everything up as he passed.

He spun out of the room and off the ship, then deposited the junk with a sign labeled, Garage Sale.


Kai kicked open a door and he and Zane jumped in. The two looked around, then Zane took out his shuriken and threw them to the wall farthest from them. The shuriken stuck in the wood and ice formed around them, freezing the room in seconds. Kai pulled his sword from his back. The gold caught on fire and Kai touched the sword to the icy walls. The frost melted instantly.

The two ninjas yelled, "Ninjaaaaa-Go!" and spun around the room, melting the ice and cleaning up the room.


Jay walked up to a large sheet covering a wall of machinery. Cole and Kai sat behind him, working to fix a smaller machine. The blue ninja ripped off the sheet, then took his nunchucks out and spun them around. He struck the giant machine with his nunchucks, and it whirred to life. Lights turned on in every room. The two behind Jay noticed this and high-fived each other, apparently thinking they had turned the electricity on.


Out on the deck, Zane, Kai, and Cole were struggling to open the sails. Jay and Dawn stood behind them, the latter watching their progress and sweeping up the dust and dirt.

"Ninjaaaaa-Go!" Jay spun into a tornado of lightning and blew the rest of the dust away.

Dawn pouted. "Hey, I had the dust covered!"

"My way was faster!"

"Was not!"


Sensei Wu and Nya walked into the room that had the most noise coming from behind it. Five figures were in the room, four playing a video game and the last studying the TV screen intently.

"What took ya so long?" Kai turned away from the screen with a grin.

"Wow!" Nya said. "This place looks... amazing! You guys did all this?"

"Well, they did most of it," Dawn admitted. "They somehow managed to clean up everything before I could help." She sighed. "Maybe I need to start studying Spinjitzu, too." Her tone was light, but her eyes told a different story.

"And ninja don't just fight, Nya," Cole said. "We clean!"

"You have exceeded my expectations," Sensei Wu complimented. "But, can you keep it?"

Nya walked to one of the windows and looked out. A broken-looking car was driving its way towards the ship. "It looks like we're about to have some visitors! And loud ones at that!"

Jay turned to her, a frown on his face.

"Oh, it's my parents!" he moaned. "Please, if they start yapping, just don't get 'em going, okay? They don't know when to quit! And if you start talking, then they'll start talking, and suddenly, half the day is gone before you know it, and it's not even-"

"We get it!" Kai interrupted. "They talk a lot! Cherry doesn't fall far from its blossom..."


Outside, the car stopped in front of the ship, bumping into the junk Cole had put outside. The driver said to the lady siting next to him, "Take a note, Edna. Either better brakes or a better bumper." He looked to the front of the car and took off his cap and goggles. "Oh! Would ya look at all this great stuff! They can't just get rid of it! Heh, we should've brought the trailer, Edna!"

Edna took off her cap as well and scolded him. "This ain't a flea market, Ed! We're here for Jay!"

Ed closed his eyes and put a hand to his ear. "What was that? Didja take the note?"

"I'm writing it down, Ed."

"Mom! Dad!" The two turned to the ship. A teenager dressed in blue was walking down a ramp on the side of it. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh look, it's my baby boy!" Edna stood up, joy on her face. "It's been so long since we heard from you!"

"Ma, I called you two days ago!" Jay frowned. The six others on the ship gathered behind him.

"Well, it's not soon enough, son!" Ed and Edna got out of the car and walked to him. "When are ya coming out to the junkyard? Ya say you're comin' and- and ya don't."

"Dad, do we have to talk about the junkyard in front of my friends?" Jay said, embarrassed.

"Oh, he hates when we tell people he was born in a junkyard." Edna smiled.

"I think it's cool," Dawn mumbled.

Edna looked at her and said, "Oh, you're so adorable! Does my son like you? I bet he does. Jay, she' s a-" Then, she spotted Nya and forgot all about Dawn. "Oooh, and who are you? You are so cute! You're just my son's type."

Dawn scowled and Jay groaned, "Mom!"

"It's a pleasure meeting you," Nya said. "I'm sure if you want, Jay can give you the tour. He worked very hard on it."

"We'd love a tour!" Ed and Edna cried in unison.

Jay put a hand to his head and sighed.


"And this is the bridge," Jay announced as the group of nine stepped into another room. "This extends into a periscope." He hopped to something sticking out of the ceiling and pulled it down. "This tells us what's going on in Ninjago." He spun it around and jumped to a machine sitting on a nearby table. "And this... if a Serpentine's not giving us the answers we want, and we're up late at night-"

Dawn looked around. Jay had added more since the last time she'd been in there, which was only a few hours.

"No," Jay's voice broke her thoughts. "A cappuccino machine." She looked up as he put a cup under the spout and pushed it down, making coffee come out.

"Amazing, son!" Ed smiled. "We're so proud of you."

"Why don'tcha tell 'em about the button?" Cole walked to a button on a pedestal and pointed it out.

"Heh, heh, heh." Jay pushed Cole's hand away. "It's not ready, yet."

"Oh, what's the button?" Edna looked excited.

"He's working on a special defense system," Zane said.

"Something every ninja headquarters needs," Kai said.

"Really?" Ed walked to the pedestal. "What is it? Oh, can I help?"

"No!" Jay pushed his father away gently. "It's okay! I don't need your help, Dad. Let's just leave it alone." Then, he raised his wrist to his face and said, "Hey, look at the time!"

Dawn raised an eyebrow. He was going with that?

"Don't you need to get back before it's dark?" Jay began pushing Ed and Edna towards the entrance of the bridge. "I told you, there's dangerous Serpentine out there."

Ed sighed. "I... suppose we could get back."

"Edna, it was a pleasure hearing about Jay's first potty time." Cole walked over to them and put a hand on Jay's shoulder.

"Oh, if you thought that was good, wait till you hear the story about the time I caught him kissing his pillow!" Edna reached up to pinch her son's cheek, but Jay pushed her hand away.

"Snakes, Ma!" he said. "Snakes!"

"Okay, we're going, we're going."

Ed and Edna walked out the entrance, the rest of the group following.


Ed started up the engine for the car.

"So, you promise to come to the junkyard and visit your mother and father?" Edna asked quickly.

"Yes, I promise," Jay said exasperatedly. "But only if you leave. I don't want you to get hurt. It's getting dark. Ah... your headlights are working, right?"

Two intensely bright beams of light came from the front of the car, making everyone groan and cover their eyes.

"Eh heh." Ed leaned back against the leather upholstery. "Like 'em? I used a little extra juice!" The lights flicked off and Ed pulled away saying, "Bye. son! I couldn't be more proud!"

"And bring Nya, with you, will ya?" Edna shouted to her son. "I can see why ya like her!"

"Mom!" Jay moaned.

Dawn frowned.

"She barely even noticed me," she grumbled under her breath.

"Now that they have left," Sensei Wu said, turning to Jay, "perhaps Jay can teach us the art of... kissing... pillows."

It was enough to make everyone but Jay and Dawn laugh.


Ed and Edna sped along on the road.

"I don't think he's coming, dear," Ed sighed.

"Stop it, Ed." Edna smiled. "He's coming."

"Ah... he doesn't need us anymore. I just have to... remember that. Eh, write it down for me would ya?"

"Oh... lights, dear. It's getting dark."

"Right!" The road in front of the car grew bright. "Thanks, sugarplum."


Deep in the woods a few miles away, Lloyd trampled through grass, dead, leaves and rocks. He held an unrolled map in one hand, and a flashlight in the other.

He came to a cemetery-like place and, without a second thought, walked through the entrance.

"It's not scary," he mumbled to himself. "Um... maybe just a little... But, I like scary! Yeah... That's it... I'm the son of the Dark Lord! I love the dark!" As Lloyd talked, he walked deeper into the cemetery, turning around occasionally. "Why, I eat this stuff for breakfast!"

Something snapped. Lloyd looked up and yelled. He frantically shone his flashlight in front of him, and felt his heart calm down. It was just a tree. Nothing else. He resumed his walking.

"I'm gonna make those Hypnobrai pay for betraying me. I have to find the Fangpyres. If there's anything a snake doesn't like, it's another snake." He stopped in front of a giant tree in the center of the cemetery. "Here! By the mutated tree! I found it!"

Lloyd knelt down and swiped his hand through the mist, waving it away. The mist cleared, revealing a stone floor with many designs, the largest being a snake with two heads.

"Soon, the Serpentine will know who their master is!" he said. "And it will be I, Lloyd Garmadon!"

Thunder rumbled the entire place, and Lloyd cowered and yelled again. He opened his eyes and pushed a button on the floor. The double-headed snake design flew into the floor, and many red and white things popped out. Lloyd yelled for the third time and tried swatting them away. His flashlight went out. Hissing rang in the boy's ears and he turned around sharply. A two-headed Serpentine holding a golden staff like Skales' own hissed and shook his head.

"And who-" the first head said

"-May I say released us-" the second said.

"-From our captivity?" the first finished.

Lloyd cowered yet again and said, " Ll-Lloyd. I r-released you to make the Hypnobrai pay for betraying me." He picked up the map and held it up so the snake could see it.

"Hypnobrai?" the second mused.

"Those hypnotizing deceivers," the first hissed.

"It will be-"

"-Our pleasure!"

"Oh... good!" Lloyd smiled, all traces of fear dissolving. This was going how he had hoped it would. "I'll lead the way. And after that, there's some ninja I want dealt with."

"Sounds like," the first head murmured.

"You know-"

"-What you want!"

"But, the Hypnobrai are strong. And we are few in numbers."

"We need-"

"-Reinforcements!"

"What'd you have in mind?" Lloyd asked.

The snake heads hissed gleefully.


Ed and Edna pulled up to their junkyard, which was named Ed and Edna's Scrap 'n Junk. Ed parked the car next to their trailer and turned on the lights.

"Home sweet home," Ed said as he and Edna pulled off their caps.

They climbed out of the car and Ed picked up a toolbox, walking to a large robot-like machine.

"And, back to the grind."

"Oh, sweetie, you've been working on that thing day and night!"

"Well, ya never know when Jay may show up!"

"Oh, you're right. Ya never know!" Edna walked into the trailer and Ed began working on the robot.

Suddenly, Ed heard something whistle past him. He stopped welding the metal and pushed up his mask.

"Uh, Edna?" he called to his wife. "Was that you?"

Edna opened the trailer door and shouted, "What, Ed? Are you hearing things again?"

"You turned on the security alarm before ya left, didn'tcha, hon?" Ed became worried.

Edna frowned and walked to the power grid. She flicked on a few buttons, which sparked a little, but nothing really happened.

"Oh, it must be broken," she said.

And everything turned off. The entire junkyard went dark.

"Whoever's there-" Ed cupped his hands around his mouth. "-my son knows Spinjitzu!"

Something hissed behind one of the junk piles and a shadow appeared on the wall behind it. Ed dropped his things and ran to Edna, who said, "What is it? Why are the lights out?"

"Call Jay, hon!" Ed said frantically. "Someone's broken in!"

"How 'bout we wait 'til he calls you!" The couple turned and looked up. A small boy dressed in black on the roof held up their phone, the twisted cord split. A double-headed, red snake holding a golden staff stood next to him. "Mua-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

"Ed!" Edna said worriedly.

"Be strong, Edna!" Ed said. "I won't let them hurt you!"

"If we plan-" the first head said.

"-To attack-" the second head said.

"-The Hypnobrai-"

"-We must grow-"

"-Our army!"

"And, uh, how do we do that?" the boy asked the snake.

"Let's just say..."

The snake's four white eyes glittered evilly.

"We Fangpyre bite off more-"

"-Than we can chew."

"Have at it boys!" The first head yelled.

With vicious hisses, more red and white snakes, this time with legs, poured out from behind the junk piles. They crawled onto various broken vehicles and sank their over-sized fangs into the metal. Green venom spread from the puncture marks, and with many blasts of venomous smoke, the vehicles became alive, with fangs, eyes, and tails.

"My creations," Ed gasped. "They're turning them into-"

"An army?"

The couple gasped and turned again.

"You are correct," the second head said.

"But we can also-"

"-Turn... people, too."

Ed and Edna hugged each other in fear.


Back on the ship, Jay was working on the button.

"Sure got a lotta junk piling up," Kai said as he and Zane walked past Jay. "If only there was a place where we could get rid of it."

"If you don't mind, I'm trying to focus," Jay said.

"Oh, hey!" Dawn said cheerily. A piece of paper covered in scribbles was in her hand. "Ma and Dad want to know if I'm coming to the shop later!" She picked up a pencil from the table she was sitting on and lazily scrawled more loops on the back of the paper. "Sure, I'm going to..."

"Hello?" Jay said, getting annoyed. "Again, trying to work here."

"Hi, Mom and Dad." Cole stood behind Jay, holding a phone to his ear. "Of course. I'd love to visit. What kind of son would I be if I didn't wan-"

Jay interrupted him. "Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha. I'm know what you're trying to do." He stood up and faced the four. "Okay, okay, look. I might have promised to visit my parents. But, there's a lot of stuff on my plate!"

Nya suddenly opened the door to the bridge and walked through it.

Jay noticed her, then wiped the oil and grease off his face and said shyly, "H-hi, Nya."

"You gonna visit your parents today?" Nya stopped walking by the ninjas and Dawn.

"Oh! Uh, s-sure am!" Jay stuttered. "Just about to leave!"

"Tell them I say hi!" Nya left.

Dawn, Kai, Zane, and Cole gave Jay a look.

"What?" Jay spread his arms. "So my plate's not that full."


Jay tugged on Wisp's chains. "Agh... uhn... come on, Wisp! It'll be a quick visit!" He ceased tugging. "Just in and out. Nothing more."

Sensei Wu walked up to Jay. He held a giant thermometer in his hands. "Hmm. It's just as I suspected. The dragons are molting." Jay dropped Wisp's chains. "They are shedding their scales."

"What does that mean?" Jay asked.

"Every adolescent dragon goes through a transformation before it becomes an adult."

Wisp snorted in agreement.

"We must allow them to migrate east to the Spirit Coves, for their transformation," Sensei Wu continued, as the rest of the ninjas, Nya, and Dawn came over to the two.

"Will we see them again?" Jay asked.

"It is hard to say." Sensei Wu looked up at Wisp. "But we need to allow them to follow their path."

"Rocky's going east?" Cole stopped walking and let the other four keep going, then walked to his dragon. He hugged the dragon's muzzle. "Say it isn't so, Rocky."

Zane fondly patted Shard's nose. Kai and Nya walked to Flame, and Dawn stayed behind with Sensei Wu; she didn't have a dragon of her own.

"Well-" Jay rubbed the back of his head and came to Nya. "I guess I gotta go on this long walk all by myself. Sure would be nice to have company."

Nya nodded.

"Of course we'll go, buddy!" Kai looked over Flame's muzzle.

"I could use a break!" Cole joined them.

"All you had to do was ask," Zane said.

Jay, for the second time in as many days, put a hand to his head and sighed.


Flame, Wisp, Shard and Rocky flew past the group of seven trudging along the road. Sensei Wu was playing his flute. Dawn had her eyes closed. She was smiling and humming. She walked in front of the group, tripping every once in a while.

Cole looked up at the rapidly fading shapes of their dragons and frowned.

"Hah..." Jay sighed. "Of all the days to lose our ride."

"That flute." Zane appeared at Sensei Wu's side. "You never told us why it's so special."

The sensei stopped. "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." As he spoke, two birds flew above the seven. "And now, this is the only one."

Suddenly, Sensei Wu whipped around and began playing it again, startling Jay for a moment. The two birds landed on a nearby rock.

"I get the lesson," the blue ninja said, brushing past Dawn, who opened her eyes and stopped humming. "Respect your elders or suffer the consequences. Boy, you guys are layin' it on thick."

Sensei Wu chuckled. "Perhaps you are only hearing what you need to hear."

Jay stopped walking. In front of him, the entrance to Ed and Edna's Scrap 'n Junk stood dimly.

"What is it?" Nya walked past Dawn as well and halted beside Jay.

"It's quiet." Jay pulled on his hood. "My family's never quiet!" He began running to the junkyard, everyone following him.

They gathered in a little section of the junkyard where the ground wasn't covered in junk. The seven were absolutely silent. Then, Dawn whispered to Jay, "The broken fridge."

The blue ninja nodded and ran to said fridge. He Kicked upward at the metal pole blocking the door and opened it. Inside, his parents were chained and duct-taped.

"What happened?" Jay asked frantically. He took the tape off his mother's mouth. Small fangs protruded from her gums. "Who did this?"

"Oh sssssweetheart," Edna said. "Ya came!"

Jay then took the tape from his father, who also had little fangs.

"Oh, ya gotta get outta here!" Ed said. "It's the sssssnakes!"

"The bite of the Fangpyre!" Sensei Wu said. "Once they sink their teeth, their venom can turn anything into a Serpentine!"

Ed and Edna hopped out of the fridge while Dawn's eyes grew big.

"Th-that's even worse than the Hypnobrai!" she said.

Sensei Wu nodded. "It's only a matter of time before the full transformation is complete!"

A sharp hissing sound suddenly rang in everyone's ears. They turned to see a large wrecking ball... with a snake-like face. The Fangpyre were walking by it, letting out hisses of glee. Dawn stifled a scream of fear. More snakes. Oh, this just kept getting better and better.

The ninjas got into a fighting positions.

"Uh, is that wrecking ball staring at me?" Cole asked.

The wrecking ball promptly swung around, headed straight for the nine humans.

"Duck!" Jay yelled. He pushed his parents out of the way as everyone else dove in different directions. A large cloud of dust came up at the wrecking ball hit the ground.

"Thanksssss, son," Ed said when the dust had cleared.

"Lloyd!" Sensei Wu exclaimed.

Dawn started at the name of her friend. She looked up and saw the boy smiling evilly. He was standing next to a two-headed snake.

"Hello, Uncle," Lloyd sneered. Then, he noticed Dawn and waved. She hesitantly waved back. "Looks like we're not the only family reunion. I'm glad you brought the ninja. I could use some help taking out the trash." He closed his eyes and raised his hands. "Mua-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

"If we want to turn your parents back," Nya said to Jay, "we need the anti-venom from the staff!"

The wrecking ball swung around again.

"Second dose!" Cole yelled. "To the dirt!"

They scattered again.

"Easier said than done, sis," Kai said, putting a hand on his sword. "We're a bit outnumbered." He took the sword out.

"Nobody messes with my family!" Jay took out his nunchucks and rushed towards one of the Fangpyre.

He leaped in the air and brought the nunchucks down, forcing the snakes back a bit.

"Ninjaaaaa-Go!" Jay spun into his lightning tornado and rammed into the Fangpyre, blowing them away.

The wrecking ball once again came towards him, but the ninja ducked under it and kept going.

Three more cries of "Ninjaaaaa-Go!" were heard as the wrecking ball got caught in a pile of junk. Kai, Cole, and Zane scattered the Fangpyre like Jay had done.

Dawn and Nya kept the Serpentine away from Sensei Wu, who was playing the flute and causing the Fangpyre to halt and cover their ears in pain. Nya was fighting much like the ninja, but Dawn could only throw feeble kicks and punches.

Gah! She thought, kicking a snake and pushing him back a few inches. I stink at fighting!

Nya took care of the snake she was fighting and quickly dealt with the rest of them.

"How'd it go, Sensei?" Nya asked, running toward the old man. Dawn sadly looked down as she followed the girl. "I think we make a pretty good trio."

A sudden blast of rock music caused the three to look up. Lloyd was now standing next to a boombox, which was hurting Dawn's ears with the volume of the music.

"Young nephew!" Sensei Wu yelled, pointing his walking stick at the boy, "Must I teach you whose side you should be on?"

Lloyd just turned up the volume even more, making Dawn flinch, then yelled back, "Sorry, Uncle! Can't hear you!"

Unbeknownst to the three, a Fangpyre quietly crept up to the sensei. Clang! The snake was knocked out by a frying pan wielded by Edna.

"Ha!" Ed shouted. "Way to go, Edna!"

"Ninjaaaaa-Go!" The four ninjas whirled into their tornadoes and scared off a little group of Serpentine behind a junk pile. While the ninjas followed them, the snakes jumped onto a large robot and sank their fangs into the metal.

As quickly as the ninjas turned the corner, they stopped. A large rumbling shook their feet. They looked up, just as a large, green robot appeared behind the junk pile. Its ruby eyes glowed menacingly.

"Gah!" Jay raised his nunchucks. "What is that thing?"

"It was, uh, supposed to be in your honor, son." Ed fiddled with his hands. "Uh, do ya like it?"

The robot lurched forward.

"Thanks!" Jay yelled. "But, no thanks!"

The four turned and ran as the robot swung its log-nunchucks down, sending up a dust cloud. They looked back, then watched where they were running. The wrecking ball had gotten out of the junk pile and now looked at them, glowing a green, venomous aura.

"Oh, why'd you have to be born in a junkyard?" Cole shouted.

"I know!" Jay replied. "Tell me about it!"

The wrecking ball swung towards them yet again. Three shapes flew out of the dust and landed safely on the ground.

Kai looked around. "Uh, wasn't there four of us?"

Dawn looked up and gasped. Jay was swinging bravely on the wrecking ball. He stood on the ball of metal, then jumped in a graceful arc and landed on the roof of the control area. He swung down and kicked out the Fangpyre who was controlling it, then took hold of the joysticks. He looked down and scratched his head. A snake face with yellow eyes hissed at him.

"Let's see if I can work this," Jay said as he began to control the wrecking ball.

Cole blocked a blow from the robot with his scythe. "Don't worry! I've got it!" He struggled to keep his scythe up.

Jay suddenly swung the wrecking ball at the robot. It flew into the walking metal, which crashed in another pile of junk. He then got down from the machine and joined the other ninjas.

"I told you I had it!" Cole said, irritated.

Lloyd peered down at the robot, then at the ninjas, who took out their weapons and brandished them threateningly.

"Retreat!" he yelled.

A Rattlecopter flew up to the boy and the double-headed snake. All the Fangpyre and mutated machines ran and hopped away.

"He's getting away with the staff!" Nya cried.

"Right now would be a good time to have those dragons," Jay sighed.

"I... I..." Ed put a hand on his son's shoulder. "I... It'sssss okay, ssssson."

"There is still a way," Sensei Wu said.

"How?" Jay asked.

"Part of reaching your own full potential is understanding your weapons' potential! Once it is in tune with the focused heart, its secrets and powers can be unlocked."

"Oh! This is not the time to be cryptic!" Jay said.

"He's saying our weapons are vehicles themselves," Zane corrected.

"Cool," Dawn murmured.

"Don't tell me I have to ride this like a broomstick," Kai said, looking down at his sword.

"Jay, concentrate on unlocking your Golden Weapon. Let your heart guide you!" Sensei Wu said quickly. "Imagine you're taking flight."

Jay looked down at his nunchucks. He closed his eyes, then began swing the nunchucks around. Lightning flashed down, and the ninja was engulfed in a pale blue bubble. Everything went white for a moment, then it just as quickly disappeared. In place of the bubble was a blue and silver jet.

"Whoa!" Jay yelled. "Ha-hah! Did I just do that?"

Kai looked at his sword, then closed his eyes and began swinging it around. Flames spread along the length of the sword and Kai threw it into the air. He rose on a small hill of earth and there was an explosion. When the smoke cleared, Kai was sitting on a large motorcycle-type vehicle.

Zane lashed out into thin air with his shuriken. The small pieces of metal shot out ice that formed around Zane, making a similar shape to Kai's motorcycle. The ice glowed, and with the rev of an engine, it broke away. Zane now sat on his own motorcycle.

Cole whipped his scythe around him. The scythe rose into the air and tendrils of rocks swirled around Cole and his weapon. A large hill of dirt covered the two and with a flash of golden light, Cole's scythe transformed into his vehicle.

"Ha!" he shouted. "I'd hate to hurt Rocky's feelings, but I think he's just been replaced!"

Dawn watched in awe as the four took off on their vehicles, leaving Ed, Edna, Sensei Wu, Nya, and herself behind.

"Does your flute turn into anything?" Nya sked Sensei Wu.

"I wish," he said.


Something blue shot past the Rattlecopter carrying Lloyd and Fangtom.

"Oh! What the heck was that!" Lloyd cried.

"Whoops!" Jay chuckled. "Heh heh heh. Overshot that a little." He turned around and headed for the Rattlecopter again."

He lined up the Rattlecopter with the center of the screen and said, "Let's see what this baby can do." He pressed a button.

The jet began to bounce out of control. Fangtom and Lloyd ducked as the jet hurtled over them. Fangtom shook it off, then looked at his hand.

"The staff!" his second head yelled.

"I got it?" Jay looked at the staff in a daze. "Ha! I got it! Ha-ha-ha!"

Suddenly, the jet gave a mighty shake and transformed back into nunchucks. With an "Uh-oh." and a yell, Jay began to fall towards the sandy ground.

"Jay! You have to concentrate!" Kai shouted.

"I caaaaan't!" Jay shouted back.

"I think we're gonna have to catch him," Cole said. "I got him."

"No, I got him!" Kai swerved.

"He's mine!" Zane zoomed ahead.

The vehicles all collided, sending the ninjas up into the air.

"Aaaaaaaahhhhh!" Jay then landed in a car. He tumbled into a seat between Dawn and Nya, who was driving.

"Ehehe..." Jay shook his head. "Nice catch."

"Ooh," Edna said. "I knew I liked thisssssh girl."

Jay felt Dawn slump back into the leather seat and heard her grumble something.

"Everyone!" Fangtom's second head shouted to his army.

"Attack!" yelled his first head.

With loud revs and angry hissing, the mutated vehicles and Fangpyre surged forward. Zane, Kai, and Cole picked up their weapons.

Kai shook his sword as the car stopped behind the ninjas. "Why isn't it working?"

"Your weapon is merely an extension of your mind!" Sensei Wu called from the car. "If your mind is immobile, so is your weapon."

"Oh boy," Ed hissed. "Oh gosssssh. Oh golly. Get in boysssssh!"

"We need to get back to headquarters!" Jay told Nya as the three other ninjas climbed aboard the car.

She nodded and slammed her foot on the accelerator, the Fangpyre in pursuit.

"Look!" Lloyd yelled. "They're getting away!"


The ninjas, Sensei Wu, Nya, Dawn, Ed, and Edna ran up the ship's ramp.

"Come with me," Nya said to Ed and Edna. "Once we reverse the venom, we can fix you." The three ran into a lower room.

The ninjas, Dawn, and Sensei Wu ran into the bridge.

"Man your stations!" Jay ordered. "Everyone!" He ran to the button.

Kai looked out a window. The Fangpyre were getting rapidly closer. "Jay! We better hurry!"

"I've been waiting for this moment." Jay slammed his hand down on the button. Nothing happened.

The other four looked around.

Kai yelled, "They're gaining on us!"


Ed and Edna each took a cup held out by Nya.

"Bottomsssssh up," Ed said before downing the anti-venom.

A pale golden light shimmered over the couple, turning them back to normal.


"Agh!" Jay repeatedly hit the pedestal over and over. "I don't get what's wrong! I spent forever on this. It's supposed to work!"

Ed walked up behind him and said, "Ah, son? Maybe I can help."

"Dad!" Jay exclaimed. "Y-you're okay!"

"Heh, darn tootin'," his father replied, bending over and working on some of the wires. "Oh, let's have a look. Ah-hah!" Ed stood up after a few seconds. "That should do it! Now try it!"

Jay nodded and pushed the button. Dawn heard a loud whistling sound. The ship shook and the roar of a rocket reached her ears. She stumbled forward into Nya as the ship somehow flew into the sky. Nya stumbled as well and accidentally let go of the staff. It bounced out the room and over the ship's railing. It conked a Fangpyre on the ground below. With another roar, the ship blasted off.

The Rattlecopter flew low to the ground and Fangtom picked up the staff from where it had fallen.

"These ninja-" Fangtom's second head hissed

"-They must be stopped!" the first finished.

"Oh..." Lloyd shook his head. "Tell me about it..."


The ninjas' ship, the Bounty, flew gracefully over the clouds.

"We'll get you back to the junkyard just as soon as the coast is clear," Jay told his parents. "But... stay as long as you like. It's nice, having you here."

"Oh, take a note, Edna," Ed said. "Of all our inventions, this one is our greatest."

Edna threw her notepad behind her. "I already know, dear."

The family then hugged. Sensei Wu watched them from a distance, then was interrupted by Dawn.

"Sensei," Dawn said. "I... I've been thinking..." The sensei raised an eyebrow. "Could... could you teach me... Spinjitzu?"

"Why, child?" he asked.

"You saw how horribly I fought back at the junkyard." She raised her head, locking eyes with him. "I want to be able to defend myself and my friends. Please, Sensei. Teach me."

Sensei Wu thought for a moment. Could this girl possibly be the fifth ninja, the yellow ninja? Could she be the wielder of the final Golden Weapon, the fifth weapon he had hidden away? Wu had assumed the fifth ninja would be a male, after the first four were. After he had found Kai, Cole, Zane, and Jay, no other boy showed the power of light, which was an element like the boys' own. Dawn, though she was a girl, however, gave off an aura like the boys', but hers was bright.

The ninja of light.

Sensei Wu finally nodded, making Dawn brighten. "Of course. We shall begin right away."

"Oh, thank you, Sensei!" Dawn bowed happily and hurriedly, then followed him as he walked away.


Episode Four- Never Trust a Snake

A dark shape flew by in the desert. It landed on a telephone wire by the road, now a falcon, then looked directly at Zane.

"Wake up, Zane," it said in a deep voice. "I know where you come from."

Zane quickly lifted his head up, waking, and smashed it on the bottom of Kai's bed. With a gasp, he rolled out of his bed. He looked out window and smiled. The falcon was out there. He noticed that the other boys and Dawn, who had started training with Sensei Wu to learn Spinjitzu, were not in their beds.


Zane opened the door the the bridge and walked in.

"The hunt starts early today," he remarked.

"A watchful eye never sleeps. " Sensei Wu looked up from his paper.

"As long as Lloyd and the Serpentine roam freely, "Nya said, "no one in Ninjago is safe."

"Where are the others?" Zane asked.

"Training on the upper deck," Sensei Wu answered.

Zane walked out of the bridge and to the upper deck, only to find it empty. He noticed the swirling clouds around the ship, which meant they were flying. A chirping sound caused him to look up, though. The falcon was sitting on the top of the mast.

"You were in my dream, little friend," Zane said. "Last time I saw you, you led me to good fortune. What reason have you returned?"

The falcon chirped again, then flew off. Zane began running, following the bird until it flew past the ship and Zane could not follow it. The white ninja continued watching it, however, until a dark presence alerted him.

"Lord Garmadon," Zane said as he turned around. "But, you were banished!"

"Only to return for the weapons of Spinjitzu," Lord Garmadon said. He pulled two silver swords off his back. "Soon, I will have the power to re-create Ninjago. In my own image."

Suddenly, Zane couldn't move properly. It was as if he was in slow motion. He jumped as Lord Garmadon swung his two swords, and the ninja landed behind the lord of darkness. and whipped out his shuriken.

"Give me your shurikens of ice!" Lord Garmadon growled.

"You'll have to take them from me!" Zane said. With a cry of "Ninjaaaaa-Go!" he spun into his tornado and moved towards Lord Garmadon, who caught Zane by the front of his pajamas.

Garmadon flung Zane back into a pile of metal and machinery.

"So be it," he whispered, slicing a rope.

At the end of a rope was a large crate directly above Zane. Once the rope was severed, the crate came hurtling towards the ninja. Zane looked up, then raised a hand to his face instinctively. He closed his eyes... and didn't feel the crate. Zane opened his eyes again and saw a blur of green and yellow holding the crate up. The blur moved, and Zane could then clearly see it.

"The Green Ninja," Zane murmured. And it was true. The Green Ninja stood before him, glowing with a faint yellow light, not unlike what surrounded Dawn's tornado of light whenever she attempted to use Spinjitzu. "The legend's true."

Zane then turned his attention back to Lord Garmadon. The lord of darkness brandished his swords and flipped towards the two ninjas. The Green Ninja moved with agility and attacked Lord Garmadon in mid-flip. The ninja stood in front of Zane, who watched in awe. Lord Garmadon narrowed his red eyes and rushed towards the Green Ninja, who jumped up and landed on the flat sides of Lord Garmadon's swords. The ninja was hurled towards the mast, and he swung around the width of the mast. He dodged Lord Garmadon's swords and whirled into a green tornado. His yellow glow never faded, even with the tornado.

Zane was dumbfounded as he witnessed the Green Ninja then fight Lord Garmadon with nunchucks like Jay's. The Green Ninja finally ended the battle and flung Lord Garmadon off the side of the ship, into the clouds. Zane looked to the other ninja, who's eyes were now burning like fire. He held a ball of flames in his right hand, and the falcon sat calmly on his left arm.

"Who are you?" Zane asked. He got up. "Kai? Is that you?"

Something black flashed in front of his face. And again.

"What's the meaning of this! Who are you, Green Ninja?"

And again. Over and over, black shapes shot by close to his face, until he was surrounded by dozens and dozens of falcons. The Green Ninja just stood there, watching him.


Zane woke with a start, hitting his head on the underside of Kai's bed.

"Oh, sleeping in?" Jay's voice reached his ears. Zane opened his eyes and saw the three other ninjas already awake. "You're gonna be late for training. Dawn's been out there since four in the morning."

The white ninja sat up in his bed. "How come no one awakened me?"

"We didn't think you wanted us to," Kai answered. "Looked like you were having some dream."

"How do I know this isn't a dream t-" Zane was interrupted by Cole whacking him in the face with a pillow.

"Does that feel like a dream?" Cole grinned.

"No." Zane rubbed his head. "Thank you for your help."

Cole, Kai, and Jay laughed.


The boys walked out onto the upper deck, where bright flashes of light could be found. Zane blinked and saw Dawn whirling around in her bright, yellow tornado. She stumbled and messed up every once in a while, but overall, she was doing pretty good, for only training for a week or two.

"Ha-ha-ha! A little slow today, huh?" Kai said to Zane.

Dawn heard him and stopped spinning. She stretched and walked to the four. Zane saw that she was wearing a ninja suit similar to their own, with the exception of it being yellow. A golden boomerang with sharp tips was strapped to her back.

"Morning, guys," Dawn greeted them.

"Hey! You're a ninja now?" Kai asked.

She nodded, a smile on her face. "Sensei gave me this boomerang thing and this suit and gave me a lecture on how being a ninja is a big honor and requires great responsibility or whatever last night. Then, he spent a good hour teaching me how to use the boomerang." She patted the boomerang fondly, then asked curiously, "Why's Zane a little slow?"

"He had a dream," Cole replied.

"What exactly did you dream about?" She looked confused.

"I saw the falcon again."

She blinked and Jay said, "Whoa, Zane, every time you see that bird, something big happens. First, it led you to the secret tree house and Dawn."

"Then, it led you to the Bounty," Cole said.

While they were talking, Sensei Wu walked out onto the deck and stopped in front of them.

"Alright," he said. "Stretches. First, the swooping crane." He turned around and assumed a pose.

The five ninjas copied him.

"This time, it showed me the Green Ninja," Zane whispered.

Three shouts of "The Green Ninja!" were heard, as well as a whisper of "The Green Ninja?". Sensei Wu turned around and saw Cole, Kai, and Jay in various shocked positions.

"That looks like the shocked monkey," the sensei said. "Bad form. More focus." He turned around and posed again.

"You can't just drop a bomb like that," Jay said. "Spill the beans."

Dawn listened quietly. Maybe she could figure out who the Green Ninja was by listening.

"Yeah, what else did you see?" Kai asked.

"He was fighting Lord Garmadon," Zane answered.

She remembered Lloyd telling her something about Lord Garmadon. He was... Right. He was Lloyd's dad.

"That's what the prophecy said." Kai nodded. "That the Green Ninja would defeat the Dark Lord. But, did you get a chance to see which one of us was him?"

"Yeah!"

"Yeah, didja see?"

"I could not tell," Zane said. "He shared attributes each one of us possess. He even had Dawn's light."

"Now!" Sensei Wu crouched low to the ground. "Pinching crab!"

They copied him and Dawn spoke up.

"So, the Green Ninja might be me?"

Zane shrugged. "He had your light, so it may be possible."

"Well," Kai said. "Tell us everything! And don't spare any details. There has to be a clue that tells us which one of us is gonna be the Green Ninj- Ow, ow, ow! Hey!"

While Kai had been talking, Sensei Wu had walked up to him and pulled his hair.

"What was so important to ignore my teachings?" the sensei asked.

"Uh, nothing?" Kai said.

"It was nothing, Sensei!" Jay shook his head.

"We were listening!" Dawn smiled.

"Yeah, we don't talk while you teach," Cole insisted.

"Everyone was paying attention," Zane said.

"Since you all appear to be lacking focus," Sensei Wu said, "Then you can all share in the punishment!"

"What?"

"Punishment?"

"Aww!"

"It was all Zane!"

"I was merely answering their questions!"

"No free time, and no video games," their sensei said. "The rest of the day can be used for training.. And tomorrow, for that matter..."

He began walking away.

"Training?" Kai complained. "For how long?"

"Until you can answer this simple riddle." Sensei Wu turned around. "What is the best way to defeat an enemy?"

"Easy! With a sword!"

"Your fists!"

"Planning the battle beforehand!'

"Spinjitzu!"

"Tornado of Creation?"

Sensei Wu sighed and walked up the stairs. "Pace yourselves. You have a lot of training ahead of you. Make sure you sharpen your mind, as well as your Spinjitzu."

The ninjas lowered their arms and their whole bodies drooped for a moment. Cole walked to a box full of training gear. He pulled out a sparring stick and sighed, "What's the best way to defeat an enemy? ... It could be anything!"

Jay set up the training equipment and began using it. "Come on, guys, we're smart. We can figure this out."

Kai threw a blow to a punching bag, then looked up. Sensei Wu had gone. He, Cole, Jay, and Dawn gathered around Zane.

"Yeah, but let's hear more about this dream," the red ninja said.

"Let me just say," Zane began. "The Green Ninja is awesome!"


The entire Fangpyre army marched across the white snow. The mutated vehicles led the way. Lloyd shouted orders to the army and watched their progress to the Hypnobrai lair eagerly.

Far ahead, the Hypnobrai army marched forward, with Skales at the front.

"The Hypnobrai," Lloyd muttered. He raised his hands from where they were resting on Fangtom's tail. "Now, we teach them a lesson for betraying Lloyd Garmadon! Um... do your thing, Fangpyre!"

"Attack!" Fangtom's second head shouted.

Lloyd's ears almost burst from the roar of the Fangpyre and the Hypnobrai armies. Both tribes charged forward, until Skales saw Fangtom. He stuck his staff in the ground as Fangtom jumped off the vehicle he was on and slithered to him.

"Skales, my old chum!" Fangtom's first head exclaimed.

"I didn't think I'd be fighting you!" his second head said. He bumped fists with the new Hypnobrai general.

"Mmm, moved up in the world, have we?"

"Well, if it isn't the Fangpyre!" Skales hissed, a snake-ish smile on his face. "Of all the cold-blooded to creep up on ussss! I'm glad that it is a friend."

"Wait," Lloyd said. "I thought you were enemies. Not friends!"

"We were at war." Fangtom turned around. His second head spoke. "But, seeing as how Skales is leading them, well... I don't see why we can't be comrades."

"Had you released the Constrictai," Skales said, "the Venomari, or, heaven forbid, the Anacondrai, then we would've had a tussle."

"A tussle? A tussle?" Lloyd yelled. "But, I'm Lloyd Garmadon! Bringer of evil!"

The Serpentine generals chuckled.

"What should we do with him?" Skales asked Fangtom, loudly enough for Lloyd to hear.

"I could turn him into one of us."

"Hmm... nah. The little tyke is pretty useless."

"What if you hypnotize him, and make him think he is a pig?"

"That would be pretty funny!"

The two Serpentine generals laughed. While they were distracted, Lloyd climbed off the mutated vehicle and began running. He stopped for a moment and realized the Fangpyre were slowly cutting off his escape. He hopped onto the tail of another mutated vehicle, which felt him and threw him off. Lloyd landed face-first in the snow a few yards away.


"-With his fist on fire,"Zane concluded.

The four listening ninjas "Ohhh"-d and Kai mused, "So, I'm the Green Ninja."

"What are you talking about?" Cole said. "He had incredible strength to lift the cargo and save his life. It's me."

"Um, hello?" Dawn put her hands on her hips. "Were you even listening? He or she was glowing yellow. Everyone knows I'm the only one that glows!"

"Did you miss the part of the story where the guy pulled out nunchucks?" Jay took out his nunchucks. "I have nunchucks!"

"I think you are all missing the point of this dream," Zane said. The four looked at him. "The point is, the falcon flew on his arm, and it was my dream. So, naturally it's me."

"I think we can cross Cole off the list," Jay said. "I could lift it ten times!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, cross me off the list?" Cole said. "What about Dawn? The Green Ninja had to have been a guy, so she can't be him!"

"He or she was glowing!" Dawn protested. "I glow! Kai doesn't glow, so he's out!"

"The Green Ninja was holding fire! It's me!"

And Kai, Cole, Zane, Jay, and Dawn began arguing.

"Since you are not training-" The five broke off with little jumps and turned around. Sensei Wu was walking towards them. "You must have already found the answer to my riddle. What is the best way to defeat an enemy?"

"Uh..." Kai thought for a moment. "The best way to defeat your enemy is to... train, Sensei?"

"Feeble and incorrect!" The sensei said. "Maybe more training will help you focus. Remember what happened to your vehicles when you lost focus." As he spoke, he backed into a lower part of the ship. "A razor-sharp weapon is an extension of a razor-sharp mind." And with that, the door slammed shut.

The ninjas sighed.

"How am I supposed to focus when we don't know who the Green Ninja is?" Jay whined.

"I don't want to be training all day," Cole said. "Let's work together on this riddle."


"Had you released the Constrictai, the Venomari, or heaven forbid, the Anacondrai, then we would've had a tussle." Lloyd mocked the Serpentine generals as he walked across the desert. He lowered his map and immediately saw a large, off-white fang marking the desert. "I found it!"

He ran to the door just under the fang and brushed away the sand and dust.

"The Anacondrai," Lloyd whispered. "The most feared and powerful Serpentine of them all! If they're afraid of the Anacondrai, then the Anacondrai is what they're gonna get! Mua-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

He opened the doors and walked inside. He had become braver over the past three weeks that Dawn had been gone. She used to fight for him, and protect him, but not anymore. He puffed out his chest slightly as he thought of his bravery in even thinking of releasing the Anacondrai. Dawn would never have been able to do that. Speaking of his old friend's bravery, he had seen her battle with the Fangpyre back at the blue ninja's parents' junkyard. She had, he noted, taken on a Serpentine-like way of fighting, with the Hypnobrai's gait and the Fangpyre's moves. She still sucked at it, though.

Lloyd realized it was dark, then, and became proud of himself for remembering to bring a flashlight. He flicked it on and swept the beam of light around. The light fell several times on snake-like skeletons, making the boy shiver slightly. He walked deeper into the cave, until the sunlight from the door eventually disappeared. And then he heard it.

Something hissed in his ear.

With a yell of fright, he tumbled head-over-heels and let go of the flashlight.

The boy sat up and was immediately met by a purple face with glowing pink eyes.

"My sincerest apologies, young man," the Anacondrai snake said with a bit of a British accent. He picked up Lloyd's flashlight. "Due to my unfortunate appearance, I tend to have an unsettling effect on people." Lloyd stood up, and the snake handed him his flashlight. "Oh, I believe you dropped this."

"Oh... um... thank you," Lloyd stammered. He turned the light on once again. "What happened to the others?"

"Poor unfortunate souls," the snake said. "All those years, locked away, with nothing to eat. Must've slowly starved away, until they were just scales and bones." The snake's stomach rumbled and Lloyd set the beam of light onto it. "And who may you be, my little appetiz- err... I'm mean, friend?"

"Lloyd Garmadon. Son of Lord Garmadon. And future Dark Ruler!"

"Oh!" The snake laughed. "How deliciously evil! If I had feet, ooh, I'd be trembling in my boots!"

"And, uh, who are you?"

"Humbly, I am Pythor, P. Chumsworth," Pythor said. "And since you've freed me, I'm eternally in your service."

"Really?" Lloyd was intrigued. Forget the Hypnobrai and Fangpyre! This Anacondrai dude, Pythor, was his servant! Dawn would be so jealous. Then, he remembered what the two other tribes had done. "You're not gonna trick me?"

"Oh, why would I trick you? I hardly have any friends."

"Whoa! I hardly have any friends, either! Well, I do have one, but she joined the ninja."

"She? Oh-ho-ho, is she your special friend?"

"Wha...! No way, no way! She's six years older than me!"

"You don't say!" Pythor said. "And, why did she join the... ninja?"

"I dunno..." Lloyd suddenly thought of a brilliant plan. "Hey, how'd you like to be my loyal henchman? I've been betrayed by the Hypnobrai, and the Fangpyre, and I'm looking to get some revenge on the ninja my friend joined."

"I love revenge!" Lloyd turned to see Pythor holding his arms in a fan-girlish way. "Oh, you know, Floyd-"

"It's Lloyd," the boy corrected.

"Whatever. I have a feeling this is the start of a beautiful friendship."


"Has anyone figured it out, yet?" Dawn's voice broke everyone's concentration. The four boys looked up to see her sitting on the edge of the Bounty. "I'm beginning to think we're never going to be able to answer it."

"It can't be that hard," Jay said as the boys resumed training and Dawn resumed staring quietly at the ocean. "What's the best way to defeat an enemy?"

"Zane, you're smart." Kai threw blows to a punching bag. "What is it?"

"I do not know," Zane said, balancing on one leg. "But, I sense that Sensei is going to keep us here until we can work together and find an answer."

"That bothers me," Cole said, spinning a three-foot-long wooden pole around his body. "'Cause while we're working here, that means the enemy is playing." He slammed the pole into the ground, sending slight vibrations up everyone's feet and legs, and causing Dawn to jump in fright and fall over the edge.

The boys burst into laughter as she hauled herself back up, her hair and clothes soaking with seawater and a murderous glint in her eyes. She narrowed her eyes and charged at Cole. While she chased the black ninja around the deck, she wondered briefly what Lloyd was up to, and hoped he was staying out of trouble.


Not getting into trouble was far from what he was doing now. Lloyd was instead perched on the front of a scooter, causing trouble. Pythor was pushing the scooter along with the end of his tail.

"Mua-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Lloyd laughed as the pair knocked over crates and boxes.

Then, they went on a rule-breaking montage, which involved Pythor taking a 'No Walking on the Grass' sign out of the grass and Lloyd proceeding to roll over it, the two taking over an ice cream cart, throwing pebbles at little boys' boats and sinking them, and actually taking candy from babies.

Then, laughing semi-evilly, semi-gleefully, they traveled back to the Anacondrai fang.


"You're the best henchman a mastermind could ever have!"

Pythor chuckled, low and deep. "Oh, Lloyd, you're the best mastermind a henchman could ever have."

Lloyd laughed, a bit loopy on candy.

"Why is it that you have so little friends?" Pythor suddenly asked, catching the boy off-guard.

He hesitated. "Well, I could've had more friends, back in my Boarding School for Bad Boys, but I decided to run away and never let them see me again!" He waved a cone of cotton candy around. "Mua-ha-ha-ha-ha!

"Really... Ah, why would you run away from making friends? Everybody needs friends. Even tyrants!"

"Well... um... uh... maybe I didn't run away... Maybe I, uh, I... got kicked out..."

"From the Boarding School for Bad Boys?" Pythor and Lloyd sat up. "I don't believe it! I hear they are the breeding ground for the truly despicable. And if you ask me, ho-ho, you are a handful!"

Lloyd smiled, then frowned slightly. That's what Dawn used to call him whenever he got into trouble. Then, the memory floated away as he realized Pythor was complimenting him- in his eyes, at least.

"Well, thank you, Pythor," he said. "But, they told me I wasn't bad enough. I said I 'lacked the immoral ambition to be one of tomorrow's masterminds'."

"Well, you'll show them!"

The pair stood up.

"That's right! I will show them!"

"Then why don't we?"

"Uh... 'why don't we' what? Lloyd said slowly.

"Let's get revenge on the very school that rejected you!" As he spoke, Pythor lifted Lloyd into the air. "When the ninja come to the rescue, we'll have a trap laid out for them!"

"A double revenge?"

"A double revenge. Get some rest. Hijacking an ice cream truck is a lot for anyone! And if you're going to rule the world, well, ho-ho-ho, you'll need to get your sleep! Oh... and one more thing..."

"Yes?"

"I'll be your friend."

With a yawn, Lloyd hugged Pythor and settled his head on the snake's long neck. "Oh, Pythor. You're the best."

Pythor set the boy on the floor again, and Lloyd immediately curled up on the ground, the map sticking clearly out of his pocket And he fell asleep.


The door to Sensei Wu's room burst open and five heads peeked in. Dawn was at the very top of the door frame, her blond hair drooping down. She was trying extremely hard not to fall and crack open her head.

"Huh?" Sensei Wu looked up and spotted the ninjas. "You must've found the answer to what is the best way to defeat an enemy."

The ninjas filed into the room in a semi-circle and Cole said, "We have, Sensei. It's- on three, guys- One, two!"

With a chorus of "Teamwork!", five hands were placed together.

"Is this what you all think?" the sensei asked.

"Yes!"

"Yeah!"

"Correct!"

"Yup!"

"Absolutely!"

"Sadly... you are all wrong!" Sensei Wu went back to his paper and his students groaned.


Cole, Kai, Jay, Zane, and Dawn left the hallway where everyone's rooms were.

"I'm starting to think whoever figures out this riddle can be the Green Ninja for all I care!" Cole said, somewhat angrily.

Suddenly, red lights began flashing and an alarm started blaring.

"What's that?" Jay shouted.

"Who cares?" Kai exclaimed. "It's something else besides training!"

"Amen!" Dawn cheered.

The ninjas ran to the bridge, where Nya was waiting beside the large screen.

"Break it down for me, sis," Kai said.

"Lloyd and the Serpentine have overtaken Darkley's Boarding School for Bad Boys."

"That place is a cesspool for the crooked and misbehaved!" Jay clenched one of his hands into a fist.

"It doesn't mean they don't need our help," Cole pointed out reluctantly.

"Step on it," Dawn murmured to Zane.

The white ninja complied, running and flipping to the button and pressing down on it. With a whoosh! of the sails, and a roar of the engines, the Bounty prepared for flight.

The team of seven ran to the upper deck and with five cries of "Ninjaaaaa-Go!", the ninjas put their hands together once again. The engines began working and the rockets roared to life. The Bounty lifted into the air and headed for the boarding school.


The school's bell rang.

"Mua-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

In a science classroom, several boys were tied up, as well as the two substitute teachers.

Lloyd and Pythor rode along the corridors on skateboards a few stories up.

"Hey! How are the booby traps?" Lloyd asked.

"Every door, window, and hole in this place are spring-loaded!"

"Good! I'm sick and tired of those ninja sneaking their way into my evil doings..."

High above the boarding school, Kai, Cole, Jay, Zane, and Dawn were contemplating on how to get down.

"Looks quiet down there," Zane commented, peering over the edge. "Should we infiltrate using stealth?"

Kai sighed. "We've done that. What about using our Golden Weapons and turning them into vehicles.

Dawn huffed. "Not a good plan. You may have figured it out, but I've only had my boomerang for a day. Definitely not enough time for me to learn entirely how to use it."

"Anyone have any other good ideas?" Cole asked.

"Hmm..." Jay mused. "Well, I have one idea. But, you guys gotta trust me."

Dawn edged away from him. Kai sighed.

"Oh, I don't think I like the sound of this."


Lloyd paced along the roof of the school, muttering and mumbling to himself.

"Relax," Pythor tried soothing him. "We've made the perfect trap. We're in broad daylight, so there isn't any shadows. Well, even if they could get in-"

Lloyd spotted something darting around a few yards below the school. "What's that!"

He moved away and Pythor aimed and fired a net from a cannon at the thing. When the dust cleared , the thing was clearly seen. It was a lizard.

"Uh, good... yeah, " Lloyd stammered. "Good reflexes. I was just testing you. If I know these ninjas, they're cleverly sneaking their way right past us at this very moment."


Which they weren't. Instead of stealthily moving up the building's many floors, the five were holding onto the Bounty's anchor. Well... four were holding it. Dawn was clinging to the metal with a scared-out-of-my-mind look in her eyes, like the anchor was her lifeline.

"Jay," Kai said nervously, "I don't know about this!"

"Just hold on tight!" Jay ordered.

"Got that covered!" Dawn shrieked, gripping the anchor so hard, the skin under her gloves turned white.

Jay motioned to Nya to release the anchor, which she did. The anchor fell at an alarming speed. All five ninjas were lifted into the air as they hurtled towards the school. Two figures on the roof moved hastily out of the way as the anchor crashed through the roof, then through seven or eight more floors.

The boys began coughing, while Dawn crouched low to the floor, all emotion but pure fear drained from her wide eyes.

"Okay," Cole said. "Let's agree to never do that again." He pulled Dawn up from the floor while Jay dropped down from the ceiling.

The black ninja walked up to the tied up students and raised his scythe. The boys whimpered and cowered, but Cole only sliced through the ropes, freeing them.

"Stay outta school, kids!" Cole called after them. Then, he turned to the substitute teachers. "Well, well, well. Kruncha and Nuckal. Substitute teachers, eh? If we cut you down, we'd better not catch you hanging around Ninjago again. Or else. " With another swipe of his scythe, the Skulkin were released.

"He's on the top floor!" Kai jumped onto the anchor and pointed at the roof. "Let's get him!"

Dawn shook her head and regained her focus. She cried "Ninjaaaaa-Go!" with the others, then followed Cole to the top, pouncing onto the anchor's chain and climbing up it like him, but more slowly. Kai and Zane swirled into their tornadoes and speeding up the stairs. Jay took a graffiti-d elevator.

With a yell, Kai kicked down a door three floors up. A green goop suddenly poured over them, instantly hardening.

With an evil chuckle, a giant purple snake slithered past the two.

"Mua-ha-ha-ha!" Lloyd laughed. He looked down and spotted Cole and Dawn climbing up the chains. He gulped and ran from the hole in the roof.

Jay's eyelids lowered as he grew sleepier. The elevator music was... really... His eyes closed for a moment before they snapped back open again.

Cole reached a floor where Pythor was. Dawn was lagging behind a few feet down, trying to keep climbing and not have her lungs explode from the strain at the same time. Cole leaped from the chains and landed on the wooden floor.

He whipped around his scythe. "Prepare to eat dust!"

Pythor yanked on a rope under Cole's feet, releasing a green cloud of gas. He began coughing harshly.

Dawn finally reached him and wheezed, "What'd I-" She saw Pythor. "Oh... my God. N-not another one!" She shrieked so loudly, Cole thought his ears would burst. Then, she passed out and fell to the floor.

Cole groaned as Jay burst out of the elevator.

"He's got a Serpentine with him! Watch out for booby traps!" the black ninja coughed, pointing towards Pythor. "And Dawn's out cold! We need to get her back to the Bounty!"

Jay helped Cole up, then looked at the one Serpentine. "Aah! That's one big snake!" He flipped out of the room as Cole slung a still-unconscious Dawn onto his back.


"They're coming! They're coming!" Lloyd began running in circles around the roof as Pythor came up the stairs to the roof. The snake shut the door to the stairs with his tail, then threw a wooden beam onto it. They backed up as the blue ninja popped up, spinning a pair of nunchucks.

"Shocked to see me?"

"Do something!" Lloyd cried.

With an chuckle, Pythor took the map from the boy's back pocket.

"Wha...!" Lloyd looked up, a hurt look on his face. "What are you doing? I thought you were my friend!"

"All you want was to make the Serpentine your slaves, " Pythor hissed. "Well, sorry, my dear boy, but I have other plans." And with that, he disappeared from sight.

Lloyd gasped and looked around frantically. He started running away from the advancing blue ninja. He stopped after a moment and peered over the edge of the roof. That... was a long way down. Too far down. If he tried, he would be killed. Lloyd looked back up and saw the ninjas' ship. The red ninja was there, as well as the white ninja, the black ninja, the girl in red, and his uncle. Wait a minute... was that...? He started. The black ninja was carrying Dawn! Was she asleep? Or... he was pulled out of his thoughts as the red and white ninjas hopped onto the roof.

"Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon!" his uncle said from the ship. "You come here right now!"

"I got him!" The blue ninja picked Lloyd up with ease and threw the boy onto his shoulder.

"Wah! Hey, let me go!" Lloyd complained.

"What should we do with him?" The black ninja asked as the red and white ninjas joined him. "Wash his mouth out with soap? For a year?"

"Ground him indefinitely? The red ninja said.

"Make him sit in the corner for a century?" The white ninja said.

"I know exactly what we must do."

Lloyd gulped.


Jay sighed. Dawn was still unconscious. Zane had told him that she shouldn't be disturbed, but the blue ninja had a feeling that she needed to be woken up. Her face was furrowed in slight pain, and she was mumbling things in her sleep. Jay climbed up the ladder to her bed and hesitantly reached out a hand. He shook her awake. She let out a gasp and her eyes flew open. She sat up swiftly, half-scaring him. Her eyes were wild until she noticed Jay. He saw the terrified light in them die down.

"Wh... what happened?" Dawn asked, her voice slurred from sleep.

"You, uh, passed out when we saw the giant-purple-snake-guy," Jay explained. "What were you dreaming about?"

"Um..." The yellow ninja's face grew bright red and she looked down at her sheets. "Just a nightmare. I'll be okay in a few minutes."

Jay nodded, then said, "Well, come on. Sensei's gonna punish Lloyd, and we're gonna see what he does."

She closed her eyes, then opened them again and followed him out of the room.


"And that is why Jack the Rabbit never trusts a snake," Sensei Wu concluded. "The end." He shut closed the book he was reading from and smiled down at Lloyd, who was curled up under a blanket.

"Huh..." the boy said. "If my dad had read me that book, I would never have made that mistake."

Kai, Cole, Jay, Zane, and Dawn watched silently from the doorway, hidden in the shadows.

"I'm sorry, Uncle," Lloyd apologized, guilt evident in his tone.

"You do not need to apologize. I am sure that if your father was still here, it would be the first book he'd read." Sensei Wu patted Lloyd's blond hair. "Good night, nephew. Sweet dreams."

Lloyd sighed sleepily. "Good night, Uncle."

Sensei Wu backed up, watching his nephew for a moment. The ninjas flipped away. Then, the sensei turned and left.


"I don't get it, Sensei," Kai said as he and the other four gathered behind Sensei Wu.

"Why isn't the little brat getting punished?" Jay whined.

"Yeah!" Cole agreed. "We had to train all day and he gets read a bedtime story? It's not fair."

"You're right." Sensei Wu turned around, now facing his five pupils. "I nearly forgot. Why are you not still training? Did you find the answer to the riddle?"

Dawn sighed.

"No, Sensei," she said. "We still don't know what the best way to defeat your enemy is."

The five bowed their heads in failure and turned to walk away.

"It is," Sensei Wu said, "to make them your friend."

They "Ohhh"-d and Zane motioned for them to follow him. His friends complied. They stopped in front of Lloyd's room, where the boy was sleeping peacefully. Dawn smiled. Lloyd was her friend once again.


A/N: M'kay... This chapter has 13,714 words, not including this author's note. It took me a bit longer than I hoped, but I got it done. :) Ah-ha-ha... It seems like every new chapter I make is longer than the last.

So... how was Dawn this chapter? Again, perfect? Plain? ...Just right? I'm kinda making it so that she's a major character, but the story doesn't focus entirely on her.

I'm also kinda sad that my story has the most words in the archive, and yet it has the least reviews... Could you guys please review? It would help me, knowing that people actually bother to read my story.