Heyo everyone! It would be amazing if you could pop over to my profile and vote on the poll there! 100 is approaching rapidly and I'm super excited :D

NaninaDaPanda: Thank you!

Diana-The-Parakeet29: That would be fantastic. In general, Garmadon seeing how Lloyd's part of a found family now would be really interesting.

CrazyRedmanelion: Have volcanoes ever been a good thing? (I mean in the Ninjago world, at least) xD

Watcher321: The reason boosts are called boosts, versus true potentials, is because all dragons experience a 'boost' in their powers around the fledgling stage. Make of that what you will ;)

FullMetalPon-3: Wu and Garmadon are getting suspicious because these kids are so bad at hiding things askfjdas. And we're definitely gonna get some dragon-Devourer action.

Sunny Lighter: That's great! That's what I was trying to go for because in the show, their relationship kinda got glossed over. Real relationships take communication and effort.

Lilla: Gee, thanks! This is the first big fic I've worked on and I feel over my head sometimes, so this was really good to hear.

RandomDragon: We are approaching the climax of Phase 1! Hold on to ya' butts!

Syren Nolbuluuki: Your wish is yours to keep, ha! Anthro forms were an idea originally on the table, but the current plan is for Lloyd only to have an 'official one' since he's a shapeshifter (Jay doesn't count). This is partly for the same reason Jay has stubs left over- his true potential reversed what it could safely, but the wing bones and nerves and muscles were all ingrained to the rest of his body at that point and it would mess him up to just rip them all out.

Previously on Skyward:

"TALENT SHOW POSTPONED," proclaimed the little slip of yellow paper, "DUE TO MISSING TROPHY."

"Look, I know I'm a disappointment." Cole stared at a spot on the carpet. "I know that I'm not what you wanted me to be. But- but I'm happy, Dad. I love what I'm doing now and you can't make me stop."

Lou took a breath. "I can't say that I approve of you spending your time running around the country on flying ships, but I won't try and stop you this time either. I love you, Cole. You don't have to pretend to get that."

Jay narrowed his eyes. "So that's it, then? We set a course for the Fire Temple and just hope for the best?"

"Fine, Jay. You're coming with us. But you are going to stay on the Bounty. You're not entering the volcano, do you hear?"

"Help me with my armor?"

Jay wiggled his finger, motioning for Kai to turn around. He tightened the buckles on his gorget and stepped back. "There. How's that feel?"

Kai lifted his arms. The pauldrons moved with them and he spun through half a kata. "Good. They don't hinder my movement at all."

Jay nodded. "These new gis are so cool!"

The five of them stood on the deck, a large crate of uniforms between them. Sensei had brought the box back with him.

Cole lifted his up, a frown creasing between his eyes. "The armor's really cool," he said, "but it's gonna be too bright to be practical." Kai had some sort of leather shoulder pieces, but the rest of them had sets made of a silver-colored alloy.

Jay groaned. "But Cole-"

"No, he's right," Zane said. The ice ninja looked at his own white gi critically. "I'll need to dye this later too."

Jay leaned back against the steps. He thought better of it after a moment, as his nubs hit the wood. Oh, ouch. "Fine. Stealth over fashion. I always wondered why you two-" he pointed at Kai and Zane- "wore such bright colors anyway."

"You don't exactly blend in," Cole agreed. "'Course, Kai's color will actually be helpful here."

The ship jerked violently under their feet. "Woah!" Jay fell backward again. Kai tripped and ended up beside him.

"What's happening?"

"Look, it's the Fire Temple!"

Jay stumbled to his feet. They all ran to the railing. Below them, the volcano puffed up ash and smoke. Jay cursed at the mismatched vehicles parked at its base. He couldn't remember seeing them before, but some part of his brain knew they were Serpentine-made.

"They're already here," Kai said. "We need to get in there!"

"Grab your weapons!" Cole ordered. "Kai's right. We don't have a second to waste."

"Wait- Cole!" Jay shouted, chasing after him. He grabbed the earth ninja's arm and spun him around. "Do you see how many bikes are down there? There's way more snakes than we thought! I'm coming too."

"We already talked about this, Jay. You'd just be a liability. It's best for everyone that you stay here."

"Well, I'm going to go insane, stuck up here! What if something happens to you because I wasn't there?"

"Jay." Cole seized him by both shoulders. "Breathe. Okay? It's gonna go fine. You connected the Bounty to Zane's vision already-"

"It's a miracle that even worked, the software was so incompatible…"

"-And you have the camera Nya put in her armor." Cole squeezed his shoulder. "There's nothing more you can do."

Jay glowered at him. Liar. I could be out there fighting with you, but no, we gotta keep Jay all tucked away. "Fine." He took a deep breath. "But I'm not happy about it."

"That's okay," Cole said. He tugged a pair of gloves on and pulled his hood up, eyes hardening as he looked past Jay. "Okay, team. Let's go."

He scaled down the ladder, Kai and Zane at his heels. Nya, in her Samurai X mech, followed. After her went Wu, and then finally Garmadon, for once not wearing that insufferable smirk.

Jay watched them go into the volcano, and the second they passed from his sight he was sprinting back into the bridge. He activated the program, drumming his fingers against the table as it loaded. One-e-and-a, two-e-and- aha! Now we're talking bidness.

The screen showed through Zane's eyes. Blue light crackled across his vision, but whenever Jay tried to focus on a specific point the glow seemed to move and taunt him from somewhere else. Is this what Zane lives with all the time? Because yikes.

Jay flicked over to Nya's camera. Hopefully, the ice ninja had a better way of processing the light than Jay did. Nya was moving slowly through the tunnel. Jay's video feed didn't have audio, but he figured she was trying to keep the metal from speaking. When the tunnel opened up into the volcano, she crouched behind some rocks. Her camera went dark.

Jay flipped back to Zane. The group was on a ledge overlooking the excavation down below. The ice ninja peeked over the edge, seemingly focusing on a purple snake at the center of it all- Pythor.

'I can't see them- oh wait. They're still digging.' Cole's voice filtered across the tele-link, relief evident. 'Whew!'

'So now what?' asked Kai. Jay caught a flash of red cloth to Zane's right. 'We fight a bunch of snakes?'

'No. Not yet.' The Cole on the screen narrowed his eyes as Zane looked to him. 'Zane, can you see anything?'

Zane made a wide scan of the volcano. 'Not the Fangblade. However, the unstableness of the volcano itself worries me. One wrong move and I fear we would all be toast.'

'Dang it. And I think I have a power that could help here, only I don't know how to activate it.' Cole moved out of the screen. 'Kai, can you sense Pythor's emotions? If we can keep track of him, we'll know if he finds the blade.'

'Sorry, Cole,' said Kai. Jay caught the tail-end of his head shake as Zane glanced over. 'But there are too many snakes all clumped together in here. I can barely identify yours, and you're standing right next to me.'

'Well then. I guess we're gonna have to do this the old fashioned way. Zane, stay up here and tell us if you see anything. Kai, you and I are going in.'

Zane adjusted so he could see everything below him. Cole and Kai faded to small figures. Their colors blended well with the natural shadows cast by the magma, and soon Jay lost them in the crowd of serpentine.

"What's happening?" Lloyd asked, appearing at his shoulder. Jay reluctantly scooted back so he could see.

"They're spreading out, trying to find the blade," Jay said. "Can't you hear them?"

Lloyd shook his head. "I was on the roof. Must have been out of range."

'Kai! Get out of there!'

Both Jay and Lloyd jerked to look at the screen. A group of serpentine seemed to be crowding around something, but they were too far away for Jay to see. He flipped to Nya's camera, hoping for a better view, and went back to Zane's. 'Wait, what's happening? Cole? Guys?'

More serpentine moved to the pocket of fighting. Pythor looked up. He said something to the snakes standing near and they formed a ring around him. The camera spun- it took a moment for Jay to realize Zane had jumped down to join the fight.

'Zane!' Cole's mouth moved- he'd apparently switched over to audible speech. The camera blurred as the ice ninja swung around. Jay knew immediately what Cole was pointing to. In the center of the volcano was Pythor, and in his arms, the fourth Fangblade.

Zane charged forward. A green snake stepped in his path, spear held out. Zane was thrown backward. And the screen went dark.

Jay stared at it for nearly a full second. 'Guys? Guys!' Was he shouting in his head or out loud? He didn't have time to wonder. He switched to Nya's camera, but she was on the other side of the volcano. 'Ugh, this isn't funny! Answer me, dang it! Answer me!'

No reply came. Jay breathed out an expletive and cast about for his gi. He tugged his shirt on. It caught at his nubs, sending pain bursting through his shoulders and down his arms. Jay hissed and stripped it off again. He dropped the shirt and felt behind him for the edge of the sock.

Lloyd fidgeted in his peripheral. "Jay?" He reached out to touch his arm but jerked it back at the last second. "What are you doing?"

"The bandages are too bulky for my gi. I need them off. Get the scissors."

Lloyd disappeared. He returned a minute later, scissors in hand. "Uh, are you sure it's okay to be doing this?'

"Yeah, yeah, it's fine. Now cut them off."

The dull throb in Jay's shoulders jumped three notches with the scissors scraping against his scars. Jay hissed, using all his willpower to repress a full-body shudder. He knew when the bandages came off. The air was cool across his newly-exposed skin. Jay felt around his back, wincing as he tapped the nubs. But the scars felt weeks old, the wounds closed up and rough under his fingertips.

He slipped his shirt back on gingerly, tying the strings together and yanking his pants on. So far, so good. "I'm going in, Lloyd. Stay here and make sure the Bounty is ready if we have to take off!"

"But Jay, I don't even know-!"

Jay didn't catch the last part. He vaulted over the railing, climbed down the ladder, and sprinted into the temple. The world blurred. Jay woahed, windmilling his arms. His foot slipped off the edge of a platform, leaving him wobbling in one leg until something seized his shirt collar from behind.

"Jay?" hissed Cole's voice. The earth ninja hauled him back to safety. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to help," Jay gasped out. The drag of fabric over his nubs felt like fire, and now there was a headache blooming behind his eyes.

They peeked over the edge, ducking as projectiles came flying at their faces.

"Well golly gee, thanks," Cole said. "Do you see Kai or Zane?"

Jay made himself move. He looked for Zane's telltale white gi, since Kai would be harder to spot. When he spotted the ice ninja, back up and fighting near the center of the volcano, he breathed out in relief. First Spinjitzu Master, he's okay.

For the present, at least. But the Serpentine were still all around them. Their heartbeats crashed in his ears like he was in the timpani section of an orchestra and suddenly the sound was crawling down Jay's skin. He stumbled back. There's so many serpentine. We're not gonna be able to face them all. His eyes skipped over snake after snake and his breath came faster. Oh gosh. We're gonna die, oh gosh, we're so hooped-

"-ay! Jay! Hey! Jay, are you with me?"

Jay's chest burned, but air escaped his lungs and refused to return. He clawed at his neck, gasping shallowly.

A hand settled between his shoulders. "Breathe with me. Okay? Focus on my breathing, Jay. In, out. Can you do that?"

Jay sucked in a shuddery breath through his nose. He couldn't hold it as long as Cole, and he hiccuped as he breathed out.

"Good. Keep doing that."

Slowly, Jay's breathing evened out. "Sorry," he mumbled, avoiding Cole's eye. "I saw Zane. He's okay."

"That's good," Cole said. "But Jay, how do you feel?"

"A little bit rattled," Jay confessed. He took another shaky breath and looked up. "I just- there's so many snakes, Cole; I don't know how we're gonna fight them all!"

Cole's gaze hardened. "You need to get back to the Bounty."

Jay had never wanted anything more than to do just that. But he forced himself to stand. "No, you nitwit. Did you not hear what I just said? I'm staying. You need me."

Cole looked very much like he wanted to argue. Kai appeared at their side, his sword held high. "What's going on?" he asked. "Why are you here, Jay? Is everyone alright?"

"I'm fine," Jay said. The three of them ducked back behind the rocks.

Kai gave him a once-over, eyes narrowed behind his mask. "I thought I felt something."

"I'm fine now," Jay amended. "And fit to fight."

"That's debatable," Cole said.

"Look, guys," Jay snapped, "I don't want to be here. No one wants to be here. But the sooner we get those Fangblades, the sooner we get out."

Kai stared at him for a second longer, then nodded curtly. "Well, we better move quick." He pointed down, where a purple snake was fenced in by two figures in white and black. "Pythor has the fourth Fangblade. Sensei has him cornered for now, but it's only a matter of time before the serpentine swarm them."

"Copy that." Jay bolted down the stairs. The world started to blur again and he threw on the brakes. Okay, nope. Now is not the time to be playing with new powers.

Garmadon backed up as Jay approached. "You're here," he said, though his eyes didn't leave the snake. "Took you long enough."

"Where's the Fangblade?" Jay asked.

"You'll never have it!"

The floor shook. Jay tripped forward, thrusting his arms out for balance.

"There's something burrowing through the floor!"

There was an explosion of rock, and five of the black burrowing snakes sprung up from the ground.

"Don't let him get away!" Cole shouted. He lunged forward, and wonder of wonders, his fingers wrapped around the blade. He yanked it towards him then suddenly went still, eyes defocusing.

"Cole? Cole!"

Pythor wrenched the blade out of his hands. Cole stumbled backward, and Kai caught him. "Get me out of here, you fools!" he cried. He dove into one of the tunnels and the black snakes followed. Jay ran to look down one, but it was quickly filled with rocks again.

"We need to get out too," said Zane. "I fear this volcano will come down around us!"

"Zane is right," said Sensei Wu. "We must leave."

The volcano shuddered. Kai grabbed Jay's hand and yanked him towards the door. A scream ripped from his throat as the movement pulled at his scars. They ran out just as ash started to spew from the crater. Serpentine streamed past them. Jay leaned against the wall, exhausted. They got away. They- they got the blade.

"Jay!" Cole shouted. It echoed out loud and across the tele-link. "Get one of those bikes!"

Jay didn't question him. He pushed himself upright and sprinted for the nearest. He knocked the snake off, gritting his teeth against the wave of nausea. Zane appeared at his side, and the two of them hauled the bike into the forest after the rest of their group.

"The lava is flowing slowly enough," the ice ninja judged. "We should be safe here."

Jay leaned the bike up against a tree. He leaned himself up against the tree too.

"Safe?" said Kai. "They have the fourth silver Fangblade, Zane. It's all over now."

"No, it's not," Cole said.

Jay laughed. It came out as more of a huff. "What? You just happen to have a way to find Pythor and get to him before it's too late?"

Cole looked back to the volcano. "They're heading for the desert," he said. "But their tracks will be lost in the sand." He turned back to them. "As a matter of fact I do, Jay. Get this bike onto the Bounty and set a course for the east. I'll explain on the way."

His gloves were ripped.

Cole knew, even though he hadn't been able to check officially. He climbed the rope ladder -Jay climbed down, Sensei climbed down, sparks from Nya's mech landed on the knots- swung around a corner -Lloyd swung too, a pair of scissors in hand- and wrenched the steering-wheel left -Nya's hands turning it left, and right, and left again. Then he sat down at the table, head spinning.

Yeah, his gloves were definitely ripped.

"So what's your plan, Cole?" Kai dropped into the chair across from him. The rest of the pack, plus Nya, Garmadon, and Sensei Wu, filed in after him.

"Where's the bike?" he asked. Then, through the tele-link, 'Were you guys there when Earth was talking about our powers?'

"We left it on the deck," Zane said. 'I don't recall my being there. What did he tell you?'

"I have a way to find where it came from," Cole said out loud, slowly. He looked at Sensei Wu. "I can't explain it all right now. But you've gotta trust me, alright?"

Sensei Wu watched him back. "What are you waiting, for, then?" he asked, eyebrow raising.

Cole grinned, eyes going wide. "Really?" He cleared his throat. "I mean, great. Thanks."

The bike was on its side, half-propped up against the upper deck. Cole approached it, taking both of his gloves for real. He tucked them in his belt and knelt down beside it. Kai, Jay, and Lloyd crowded around him. The other four stood back farther, which Cole was grateful for. It was one thing revealing his powers to his mentor. But the less Garmadon knew of what they could do, the better.

"Well, here goes nothing."

Cole set both of his hands on the bike. Immediately flashes of memory rose at his fingertips. Cole got an impression of dirt, and sand, and- there! A snake statue, looming over a courtyard of stone and casting a long shadow across his treads.

Cole jerked back, gasping. His hands flew out automatically -lots of feet walking on the deck- and he scrambled to his feet as quickly as he could.

"Cole?" asked Nya. "What did you do?"

Ripped gloves were better than nothing. Cole pulled them back on in lieu of answering. He pulled the last imprint up and compared it to what he'd seen when he touched the Fangblade.

"They have a base. In the Sea of Sand. That's where the Devourer is."

"The Sea of Sand? But Cole, that's huge!"

"We already knew they were going to the desert," Cole said, frustrated. "This changes nothing."

"It must be the Lost City of Ouroboros," Garmadon said. Cole's eyes snapped up to him. The dark lord was frowning, contemplative. "But of course. Legend said the Great Devourer was sealed below ground."

"Great," said Kai. "So how do we find it? Cole? Nya?"

Cole furrowed his brow, starting to feel excited again. "I don't know. But it's to the southeast," he realized, remembering the shadow positions.

Nya nodded. "Okay. I trust you. You're our best bet with this anyway." She left, presumably to chart a course.

"Cole," said Sensei Wu, "are you sure about this?"

"No, he's totally right, Sensei!" Jay said. "Look, see the sand grits in the treads? This baby's been living in the desert. There wouldn't be nearly this much if it came from a city. It looks just like the bikes my dad had. Oh, wait!"

"That's what they were after, at your parent's shop," Zane said.

Jay balled his fists. "Ooh, those snakes!"

Cole caught his hands in his own. His powers didn't flare up, which was interesting and something he'd have to test out later. "Save that energy for later. Get your weapons ready. Nya, do whatever you need to do to get your mech in top-notch condition."

Jay took his hands from Cole's. "What if he's already released it before we get there?"

"Then we deal with it as it comes. But we're not going to be too late." Cole stepped back to glare at him. "And what were you thinking, going in like that?"

He gripped his shoulder like he'd done that morning, but Jay gasped, eyes widening as he doubled over. Cole snatched back his hand. "Jay? What did you do?"

"It's… nothing, Cole," Jay hissed. "You just surprised me, alright? Just gimme a minute."

Cole met his eyes. "I'll decide if it's nothing. Take your shirt off- now."

"Oh, fine, Mr. Control Freak," Jay mumbled, but his fingers were a bit unsteady as he drew off his shirt and exposed his back.

"Shit, Jay," Cole breathed. "What did you do?"

The scars were angry and red, and though there was no blood, they looked inflamed.

"We need to get these re-wrapped," Nya said, moving in. "Lloyd, go get me the soft compression bandages from my closet."

"You are staying here when we find Pythor," Cole told Jay. No buts-" he said when he opened his mouth to protest. "I can't have you getting infected or something because you're too thick-headed to listen to orders."

"But if Pythor releases the Devourer, nowhere is gonna be safe for me."

"He's not going to," Cole repeated. "We're going to stop him."

It was harder and harder to believe that as the minutes ticked by. Cole alternated between tracking their progress on the map in the bridge and standing on deck, searching for the elusive city.

"You said Jay was bitten by a Fangpyre," Sensei Wu said quietly. Cole twitched, having not heard him approach. He turned to face him. The sensei had a troubled look on his face, and Cole felt a wave of unease as their eyes met.

"Those… scars… are not the work of their venom," Sensei said. "Cole, what have you gotten yourselves into?"

Cole opened his mouth. But a shout from Zane cut them both off, and their heads snapped over to him.

"Look! Down there!"

A walled city loomed out of the sand. The snake statue from Cole's memory stood at its head, its outline a stark relief to the fading light. Cole looked back to Sensei Wu, but no words came. The teacher studied him without saying anything. Cole swallowed and looked away.

"Okay, team!" he shouted. "Prepare to engage."

The Bounty moved in. Cole was scrambling down the ladder before it even stopped moving, jumping the last five rungs to the ground. The sand dispersed around his feet.

The serpentine bikes were propped at the entrance to the city. But the serpentine themselves were nowhere to be seen.

"Where are they?" Kai asked, pulling his hood over his eyes.

"I don't see any serpentine," Zane said, eyes scanning the walls around them. 'My battlesight shows nothing in the buildings above us.'

Cole nodded. "I don't like this. Keep moving."

"Follow my lead," Sensei Wu said, holding an arm in front of Cole's chest. Cole almost pushed past him before his mind registered the teacher's words. Oh. Sensei was technically the one in command.

The others were watching him, and Cole realized with a start that they were waiting to see what he would do. "Yeah, right," he said, taking a purposeful step back. Kai and Zane relaxed, but Garmadon was still looking between them all. Cole stared at him, but the dark lord met his stare squarely. There was something contemplative in his eyes that Cole didn't like.

"The center of the city is this way," said Sensei, also watching Cole now.

They rounded the corner. The street opened up into a large courtyard, circular, and fenced in by walls on every side. The snake statue was directly across from Cole. There was a chair of some sort at its base.

"There's serpentine," Zane shouted, "tied up in the center!"

Cole ripped his eyes away from the statue. Indeed, a mass of snakes was struggling in the center of the circle. "They're tied up," he repeated. "But- who?"

"It wasn't me," Nya said.

"Who did this to you?" Kai demanded, pointing his sword at one of the snakes.

"Pythor!" the snake practically screamed, shying away from the blade. "He'ssss a madman!"

"Pythor?" said Zane.

"He's betrayed them," Sensei Wu said. "The Devourer was never a way to get justice for the serpentine. He wants to control it and make himself king."

"That will never work," snarled Garmadon. "The Devourer listens to no one. Once released, it will consume everything in its path, including Pythor."

"That's what you were saying, Nya," Cole said. "We have to stop him."

Kai let out a grunt of frustration. "No kidding, Sherlock. Where is he -Up there!"

Cole followed the line of his sword. "Pythor!"

"Yes?" drawled the Anacondrai, slithering out from the statue's maw. "Very good. I see that you know my name."

"You're never gonna get away with this!" Kai shouted.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance too," sighed the snake. "Isn't that a bit cliche? Well, I'm afraid you're too late." He reached up and stuck the last blade in its place. "I'm already finished."

Green slime trickled down from the statue's fangs. The ground rumbled beneath him. And Cole stared at the cobblestone, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.

"He's done it," breathed Zane. "He's unleashed it."