Ch.4: Cousins Reunite
A short while later, a green limo made its way to the Ninjago City Stadium and stopped at a group of trees in the park nearby. What's odd about it is that it's scaly, and the front of it is the head of a snake. Oh, and did I mention that the back of the limo is a long swishing snake tail? When the side door opened, Pythor slithered out, dressed in a royal red cape. He then bowed slightly and held out his hand, and a human hand took it. He then helped the owner of the hand out of the limo, revealing Pam dressed in a black dress with a slit in the skirt to reveal her right leg and with only a right shoulder.
After she stepped out, Skalidor stepped out as well and helped Fauna out of the limo. Skalidor has on a black-and-gold cape, and Fauna has on a green kimono decorated with monarch and swallowtail butterflies. A few more Serpentine (possibly five to eight) came out of the limo as well, including the driver (a Scout-ranked Anacondrai).
"Well, here we are," Pam said, turning to the stadium. "Are you sure no one will notice that you're Serpentine?"
"Not to worry, my dear," Pythor answered her with a smile. "With my Tribe's special camouflage spell, every human will see us as humans. Well, except you, of course."
"Of course," Pam laughed. "I'm just still having a hard time believing that your Tribe can do magic."
"Believe me, milady," the Anacondrai Scout said to her. "Pythor had a hard time believing it himself."
"Why would he…oh, right…his memories were messed up…"
"Are you sure we can do this by ourselves?" asked Fauna.
"I'm sure," Skalidor answered her. "Besides, Skales (as Pythor's second-in-command) has to help Boanya look after Vipie and the city, Acidicus and your sister are still taking care of the injured Serpentine. And Fangtom has to take care of Alura since she's not feeling well."
"I hope she's alright," Pam replied with concern.
"With a caring husband like Fangtom, I'm sure she will be alright," Pythor assured her. "But for now, we should pay a visit to your cousin." With a nod and a smile, the group made its way over to the stadium. There are a lot of people heading over there as well, wanting to attend the finals of the beauty contest. This just might be the cover-up they need to slip in and see how well the disguises work.
When they got to the front entrance of the stadium, a guard was there to greet them.
"Can I help you?" he asked.
"My friends and I wish to see the beautician Brianne," Pam explained. "It's of great importance that we see her right away."
"Do you have an appointment with her?"
"It involves her missing cousin from the news," Pythor answered. Pam was afraid that the guard would just turn them away or something when she noticed him looking rather dizzy.
"I'll take you to her," he replied in a strange tone. That's when she realized it by the red spirals in his eyes.
"You had one of the Hypnobrai hypnotize him, didn't you?" she said, turning to Pythor with a suspicious look.
"Whatever gave you that idea?" he replied with an innocent smile.
"Uh, the red spirals in his eyes?" His face fell in reply.
"Oops…forgot about that." Pam just rolled her eyes before the group made its way after the guard and over to the backstage area of the stadium. Soon they stopped outside the door to the dressing room.
"Miss Brianne is in this room," the guard said.
"Thank you," Pam replied before he left. Once he's gone, Pythor opened the door so that he and the others can enter the room. Inside were the five finalists of the beauty contest, each one deciding what to do to impress the judges. Fauna went up to one with long red hair.
"Excuse us," she asked, "but do you know where we can find Miss Brianne?"
"The beautician?" she answered. "Yeah, she's at the other end of the room fixing up Charlotte's hair." She then pointed to the other end of the room for them to show them the way.
"Thank you," the female Anacondrai replied before she and the others made their way down to the other end of the room. They soon spotted Pam's cousin as she was putting the finishing touches on another woman's blond hair.
"There," she said. "That should do it." The blonde admired her new style.
"Brianne, you've done it again," she replied with a smile.
"That's what I said," Pam said with a smile. The two women turned to her, and Brianne's eyes went wide with shock.
"Pam…?" Her cousin simply smiled at her with a shrug.
"I heard you were looking for me," she explained, "so I thought I'd come visit ya." Her cousin then threw her arms around her neck and hugged her with huge tears in her eyes.
"I THOUGHT I'D NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN! ARE YOU OKAY? DID ANYONE HURT YOU? And who are these guys?" She asked that last question more calmly as she pointed at Pythor and the others.
"Whoa, that's your cousin?" asked the blond girl in awe. "For someone who's been missing for over a week, she sure looks good. Where did you get that dress?" Pam smiled at the comment before turning to her cousin.
"Is there someplace we can talk in private?" With a nod, Brianne led her and the Serpentine to her private room. When they got there, they can see that it has everything that it needs to look like a bridal suite in Las Vegas.
"Nice room," Skalidor said.
"Thanks," Brianne replied. "Do you want some tea?"
"Yes, please," Fauna replied.
"Which would you like? I have green tea, oolong, chocolate mint, French vanilla—"
"Uh, Bri?" Pam laughed sheepishly. "Why don't you just show us the choices? I mean, there are a lot of us here."
"Oh, right," Brianne laughed. "Duh!" So she did as her cousin advised and got out the choices of tea…ten to fifteen to be exact!
"That would probably be my fault," Pam explained to Pythor. "I got her into teas…especially when I've introduced her to that chocolate mint tea this Renaissance fair was selling."
"Actually, I don't mind at all, dear heart," he replied with a smile. "It makes me think your cousin is a tea connoisseur thanks to you."
"Oh, quit buttering me up, ya goofball!" she laughed with a playful shove.
Everyone then joined Bri for some tea and cakes as they explained to Pam's cousin what's been going on. At first, she found it hard to believe that Pam's new comrades are really Serpentine because of Pythor and Fauna's spell; so they removed it. That got the beautician surprised.
"Whoa!"
"And just to let you know," Pam added, "they're the good guys just like the ninja."
"I know you're a snake lover, Pam," her cousin replied, "but…whoa!"
"You think that's amazing," Pam replied, "you should meet Fauna's twin Flora and her older and younger sisters."
"So Pythor has four sisters?! Jeez, imagine all those clothes!"
"They're not quite that much of a coil-full when you give them some time to adjust," Pythor assured her.
"Well, at least you don't have her brother Tyson for a younger brother," Pam sighed. "Don't get us wrong; we love him. It's the way he eats we're upset about."
"What's wrong?" asked one of the Serpentine.
"He puts ketchup on all of his food," Bri answered. "We still recall him putting it on his mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving dinner." The others wrinkled their noses in reply.
"Well, at least it's not mustard," Pam stated. "Yuck! I still don't like it on my hotdog…"
"So…what exactly are you doing here with your, uh…new snake friends?" Bri asked, wanting to get to the point.
"Oh, right," Pam answered. "Well, you remember what I told you about Lord Garmadon and the Angelic Uniter and all that?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, Pythor got a vision from the Angelic Uniter telling him about a cure that will free Garmadon from the venom that turned him evil in the first place. The first ingredient we need is three tears from a female champion. And when we saw the Miss Ninjago finals on the news and that you're helping out in it, we figured that three cheers from the champion must be it and you can help us get them."
"You're really going to go through with it?" asked Bri.
"It's for both Garmadon and his son Lloyd," Pythor answered. "If we can help Lloyd beat her father with the cure, we can save his father at the same time." Bri then thought about it.
"Well, Pam making a comeback with a musical number would bring up the ratings…" She didn't have time to finish when Pam threw her arms around her neck in a huge hug.
"Oh, thank you so much, Bri! You rock!"
"Uh, no prob, Pam, but…I need to breathe…" Seeing her cousin's face turn blue, Pam quickly let go.
"Sorry."
"It's alright," the beautician gasped before catching her breath. "Anyway, I think I have the whole thing figured out on how we can get you into the pageant…"