Chapter Eleven: Looking Back
I'm on my way to the Destiny's Bounty after infiltrating the Hypnobrai base. Some of the serpentine there have been killed so they will know I was there, but not before my escape.
And the attack plans are in my hand now. I am getting some revenge on them for back when they betrayed me, and the others will be jealous when they here how smoothly it went. I wonder if Kai or Jay or something didn't get the info.
...
Man it would be nice if the Ultra Dragon had stayed after defeating the Overlord, and I wonder how my father is doing? After the final battle he just disappeared without us seeing him after his possession. I guess he might be in that netherworld again, preparing a plan to topple his last and that of the Overlord, but considering the first took years to put in motion, this is nothing we should be worried about right now.
Having said that, what do we need to worry about now? The mess that I created when I released those serpentine. Couldn't my mother have send me to a different school? Or couldn't my uncle have found me earlier?
I continue to make my way through the forest I'm in.
Or couldn't I have just been more mature?
It will take a little longer until my students will return. Nya and Jay, who has already returned, are at the Bounty outside Ninjago City where I am with two of my students. In fact I find myself in front of the museum of Ninjago history.
"Lost in thoughts again sensei? You alright?" Cole begins.
"You should know by now that I am quite thoughtful. And have you ever seen me not being alright?"
"Come to think of it, except when the Great Devourer ate you you've never been remotely bad. You really are immortal aren't you?" he continues. "Anyway, you think Misako knows more about those golden things? You sure they aren't replicas from the first toy store that guy saw?"
"We are about to find out. Misako knows every legend known to humanity, if she doesn't know nobody does."
We then enter the museum, and I speak to the receptionist.
"Hello, I'm looking for Misako, can I speak to her?"
"I'm afraid she's at work right now. You can't see her sir." He answers. I would answer but before I do so my newest student does it for me. "Actually he can."
"But...-" He stammers.
"-...maybe I can make an exception? That's what you were going to say right? I doubt you'd be cruel enough to deny an old man."
"Fine, I'll ask her but don't promise anything."
"Tell her Wu is looking for her." I add while he walks away to get her.
"Nice one Connor." Cole compliments.
"Thanks. Nobody wants to resist people much older than them anyway."
"Well it would have been even easier if we were in our ninja kimonos. Those things make us look flash ever since we got them. ZX suits like the one you have aren't bad though."
"Where'd you get those anyway?"
"Temple of Light, ironically located on the Island of Darkness."
"Temple of Light, that means I keep the ZX suit right?"
"Well that's not an answer I could give." Cole answers while looking at me. "Any ideas sensei ...-"
"Wu!" Misako interrupts. "I came as soon as I he said your name. What brings you here?"
"Misako, I wanted to know if there is a legend about some other golden items. Other than the four weapons of spinjitzu." I say. "According to my students' description it were a pair of heavy golden gauntlets with an emerald set into them, and a pair of golden greatboots with a clear diamond in them. Does this sound familiar?" This last question was unnecessary because Misako's expression was more than hinting.
"Come to my office." Misako told us.
While walking I hear a whisper behind me; "Hey Connor, does this remind you of school as well?"
"Was it that bad at yours?"
"Yeah, I once made my class start a riot so I could steal the teacher's birthday cake, still don't know what went wrong though."
"So you decided to recruit another ninja?" Misako asks me.
"Yes, I saw the potential in him and he was eager to join."
"The name's Connor. Pleased to meet you." Connor answers while we get into Misako's office.
"It should be in here, this is where I keep the most important things, like the stone army and the Overlord." Misako explains while looking for something in her office.
She then hands me a round case, labelled "The Golden Set".
"It might be familiar to you, Wu." She says.
"Is this what I think it is?" I ask while opening the case, letting the contained scrolls slide into my hand.
"It is." She confirms. "Ninjago has been inhabited by many old peoples, which have eventually turned into the population of the present Ninjago."
"Back then the First Spinjitzu Master was actively helping all inhabitants of his created continent during it's early stages, to help it develop into what it is today. In return his creations worshipped him and the elements he taught them about. Eventually when the multiple human tribes met they recognized that they all shared the same religion, which formed the foundation that made them unite. They later each created a piece for a set of armour, each made out of gold and enchanted to give the wearer powers over the piece's respective element."
"According to your story someone else is now trying to gather them. If he succeeds to acquire them all there's no telling what he will use them for!"
"But we're not gonna let it come to that!" Cole responds.
"Agreed, we'll make sure that that doesn't happen." Connor adds.
"Misako, do you have an idea where the other pieces are?" I ask.
"It's all in the scrolls I gave you. Where was he seen last?"
"Cole and I saw him in Allsworth where I come from."
"Then he's looking for the leg guards, those are enchanted with earth. After that he only has the breastplate, which is attuned to fire, and the helm of lightning to go and the set will be complete. There are a few more items, but those don't have elemental powers from what I've heard."
"The earth is MINE! When do we beat this guy up?" Cole interrupts, but Misako continues.
"If he knows the legend, let alone the locations of the Golden Set, he must be prepared. Even with only two or three parts he will be powerful enough to defeat a group of serpentine by himself."
"Miss, what other powers does this man have at the moment?" Connor added.
"The Golden Set does possess elemental powers hidden within each piece, but they can only be unlocked once this person has acquired the full set. He must then perform a pilgrimage of sorts to certain locations I'm still unaware of, in order to attune and unlock the respective piece belonging to the element that is dominant in that location."
"What powers does he acquire if he is at his fullest level?" I ask while Misako sits down into the chair behind her desk in front of which we are standing.
"He will have elemental powers equal to the full potential of each of the present masters of spinjitzu. And that is why you must put a stop to him."
"We will Misako. We will." I say.
"I just wish I could go with you again like when the stone army was here."
"I confess. So do I." I answer.
"I'll just stay here doing the research on this subject. You just keep Lloyd save. And yourself."
"I have to watch over my charges, but I've always done so. Now will not be an exception."
A small moment passes without either of us saying something, maybe not even blinking, just looking at the other.
"I must go. There is a balance to preserve."
"Good luck Wu. Return in one piece." Misako says as I turn around to walk out of the office.
Only when I leave the office do I realize that Cole and Connor weren't there anymore. As I look to the hallways to my right and left I see that they are there.
"Oh hey sensei. I was just showing Connor some of the great things around here."
"Good. But for now we must go to the Bounty and wait for the others to return."
"Yes sensei!" The two students answer.
I later find myself at the table in the dining room with my students in, with Connor preparing today's meal. Lloyd, the last ninja to return, enters the room holding a large folded piece of paper.
"Look uncle, all attack plans of the Hypnobrai they had, drawn on a map. Only had to kill a couple serpentine to get them, and they didn't know I was there until after I got away."
"That's all?" Jay begins. "I got their attack plans and list of recruitment and promotions, as well as their entire ranking system."
"That may be, but I find myself with attack plans and requests for weapons to all of the Fangpyre smiths. The weapon production will be brought to a halt until they find out about it and correct the problem, and their attack plans have been replaced with a fake one, so their forces will walk aimlessly for weeks. All without killing a single Fangpyre, so they won't know I was there."
"Really snowman? Well guess what, they'll know I was there and I didn't get any map or plans, but instead, I set their entire cave on fire!"
The group is filled with shock and unbelief at this statement.
"Beat that guys."
Connor begins serving dinner while Kai explains every detail of his assault, lasting all throughout dinner. When everyone has finished I begin telling about what Misako told me.
"Jay sit down." I say to the most impatient of my disciples, who has already found the opportunity to stand up.
"Students, we must discuss a matter of great importance. It has come to my attention that when Cole and Connor were at Allsworth village they met a person who had both golden gauntlets and greatboots, and was trying to hide these. "
"Well it's just some robber, can we go now? We got a snake problem to deal with and we're tired." Jay continues with his arms folded in front of him.
"I asked Misako about this, and there's a legend about "The Golden Set", which this person is trying to acquire." I say while putting the case on the table, with the nametag in their direction. "He has already acquired two parts, there's five left for him to go."
My nephew then interrupts; "But what's that bad with someone getting some jewellery?"
"The problem is that the set is far more powerful than any regular armour set. Your golden weapons were not mere "jewellery" either, now were they?"
"Point taken, but how does this require our immediate attention? "Zane responds.
"The armour in itself gives the wearer enough power to defeat a group of serpentine easily, but each part has elemental force held inside it as well. If the wearer knows how and where to unlock this, he will gain mastery over each element like you all do."
"I told sensei, the elements are ours! Who agrees?" Cole rallies the others, an unnecessary reminder on why I picked him to lead.
"I'm with you, Cole." Kai answers.
"Same here." Jay adds.
"Ice will be on your side brother."
"As will darkness be."
"And the green ninja."
"And the samurai."
"You make me proud, my students. I am glad that of all people, you are the chosen ones."
"Have we ever let you down?" Jay responds.
"Yeah sensei. We'll just kick his ass and we'll get back here." Kai adds.
"Then we are ready for this new threat. We will save Ninjago once more."
My students then get back to their standard activities, except one who I keep here for a moment.
"Cole, I had not yet asked, have you done what I told you to do in Allsworth?"
"Yes sensei, the mayor agrees with your plan."
"Good. His position in the ruling class is secure, and this will help us."
After sensei's announcement I get to the training room, just because I feel like ruining a punch bag's day.
I start attacking, and while I do say I start thinking about what sensei told us.
So there's a new threat to Ninjago beside the serpentine. That's not all that bad. Those serpentine were getting boring anyway. Sure, they would keep us busy, and bring something challenging once in a while, but this is something new.
"Easy fists of fury, those punching bags aren't self replenishing." I hear Cole say as he enters the room.
"Hey Cole, whaddaya think about what sensei told us?"
"What do you mean? We all agreed about it already." He answers while walking to a rack behind me to pick some weights.
"I know but, it's just different don't you think? Except during training we never fought anyone else with elemental powers while this guy does?"
"Well aren't you the one who said "We'll just kick his ass"? Come on, you gotta be some weakling with overly big ambitions if you're gonna study some legend hoping it will give you magic powers."
"Well I guess you're right, but...-"
"Course I am, this is some weird guy without training and success in life which he's trying to change. If he really becomes a threat, let him come at us. We got all those elemental powers and more people." He answers.
"Well it's not like I think it's bad or something, just different. No problem though cause those constant serpentine attacks were getting boring anyway."
"That's the spirit." He says as I turn around to face him. "Let's face it, those serpentine are no pushovers and they'll keep us busy, but getting a challenge on the side doesn't seem all that bad don't you think?"
I find myself enjoying the quiet of the armoury. The others do not come here often, and it thus serves as a perfect place to meditate, as I am currently doing.
As is normal during my meditation, I focus upon a single matter that requires my attention, in this particular case that is the opponent our sensei desires us to prepare for.
If this person can hold all elements the way Lloyd can, but as effective as the four of us can, he will be a dangerous force. If combined with the looming threat the serpentine pose, this will verge more than just our attention.
It has come to my attention however that the other ninjas may be somewhat too casual about this. This seems unwise to me. If an opponent appears, it is best not to underestimate it, especially if you do not yet know much about him.
I open my eyes and get out of my meditating position.
I've spend enough time here for this day. I'll go and see what the others are doing.
"So Nya..." I say when the commercials interrupt the romance movie we're watching.
"Yes Jay?"
"I was wondering, what does our local samurai heroine think of this new guy sensei mentioned?"
"Well we are always together, and that guy is alone. So I guess that if we meet that guy he's done for, right?"
"Although I don't, but sensei does think that he's gonna be a problem." I answer.
"Well according to sensei that guy can learn to use all elements right? That's gonna make him dangerous you know."
"He can't learn to use any elements, that guy's nothing without his big shiny tin suit."
"I could swear I heard that line before..." she responds.
"That was different, this guy needs those ancient magic things just so he can fight as well. You just used something you skilfully made yourself." I say, essentially apologizing. "Just know that if we see him, we'll win."
I finish that last sentence just as the movie begins again.
"He won't harm us..." I say as I take her hand and hold it in mine.
I place the warglaive I've finished working on down onto a part of the deck and start with the other.
While I do so, I cannot help but wonder about what our master had told us. A new threat?
I am eager to fight against him, but I can only hope that I can keep up with the others. They are used to fighting everything from tribes of snake people to criminals, but this seems to be something they have not fought the like of before. It is common knowledge that through their combined force they managed to defeat the Overlord, but he used only darkness, like me.
I have now however finished adding the leather straps that I bought in the city earlier today. Two of them on the inner side of the handle of each, allowing me to have an entirely new grip on them.
I try them on, sliding them over my arm and tightening the loops I added around my arms, similar in working to a belt. The metal handles were now at the same height as my elbows, fitting over my arms quite well.
It'll be quite useful to be able to switch grips between the standard hold, and placing these blades over my arms. It will allow for much better control and stability, especially when using spinjitzu, and I will be immune to being disarmed, only coming at the cost of reach.
I stand on the ship deck for a moment. Looking at the city skyline which provides a lovely view now that it's night, with the lights from the houses only making it better.
I stand there watching the city for a moment, then turn around and start walking towards the entrance of the lower decks.
"Just give up already Lloyd. No one beats me on my game, I told you that a hundred times!" Kai mocks me.
"I'll beat you soon enough and you know it. Just you wait and see." Lloyd responds.
"Yeah right, even Jay got a better score than you." He adds.
"What! EVEN Jay? Everyone knows I'm the king of the games room!" Jay furiously remarks.
"Well what little talent you have had to go somewhere I guess." Cole mockingly responds.
"I'll have you know that I'm the most multi-talented ninja in the house!" Jay adds. "Pick up your controller, I challenge you!"
"Mind if we tag along?" Zane says while walking into the room with Connor behind him.
The rest of the evening is turned into a gaming competition.