Chapter 14: Dareth Dissolved
"Kai, Kai, are you awake?"
Kai yawned, then rolled over onto his left hip. Faith and Daddy No-Legs were standing next to him, their packs fully loaded with goods and strapped onto their back.
"Is it sun-up already," Kai yawned.
"It's nearly noon," Faith laughed.
"Fire ninja heavy sleeper," Daddy No-Legs chuckled. "Lazy as a fat dragon, lazier that I recall."
"Very funny," Kai grumbled, rising to his feet. "What's today's plan?"
"Heavy Metal scouted last night while you slept," Daddy No-Legs nodded. "Says she found a bone shuriken and a pair of metal boots."
Kai followed Faith and Daddy No-Legs to a small pit outside the Dieselnaut, where the items Daddy No-Legs mentioned lied on a pile of rocks. Various pieces of metal and half-eaten food appeared, discarded no doubt by a rushed or careless scout. Then Faith stepped into the pit and retrieved the shuriken from the pile. She handed it to Kai.
"Look it over," Faith nodded.
Kai flipped the shuriken back and forth a few times, then launched it into a nearby rock. The shuriken struck the rock, chipping a piece off as it hit the ground. He picked it up again. No scratches appeared on the spot of impact.
"Seems like a regular bone shuriken to me," Kai shrugged.
"You certain," Faith asked.
"Trust me," Kai replied carelessly. "I've handled all sorts of shurikens in my lifetime. I should know if this one is unusual."
"Shuriken odd," Daddy No-Legs observed. "Weapon like that isn't Dragon Hunter style."
"He's right," Faith agreed. "Our tribe doesn't use shurikens."
"Then this one must belong to the kidnappers," Kai nodded. "But why leave all this food and armor behind? Seems to me like they're being lazy."
"Or perhaps rushed," Daddy No-Legs remarked. "Perhaps enemy got frightened and scattered for the plateaus."
"Or toward the Oni lands," Faith gestured.
Faith pointed at a faint line of footprints heading westward, then gestured at a piece of black cloth dangling in a bush.
"Dragon Hunter footprints," Daddy No-Legs gasped. "Good eye, Heavy Metal. Always the sharp one, you were."
"They lead west," Faith said.
"How can you tell," Kai asked.
"Desert instincts," Faith smiled. "This trail will certainly lead us straight to their camp."
"You expect to walk there," Kai questioned. "It'll take days to get there, and they have a head start."
"We'll take the Dieselnaut or at least the usable portion," Faith ordered. "Daddy No-Legs, fire the Dieselnaut up. We set out at once for the Oni lands. Fire ninja, collect the armor. They might hold some clues about this mysterious enemy we're up against."
Of all the hidden treasures of Ninjago, none are as mysterious or as treacherous as Yoshi's Labyrinth. Thick, towering jungles extend for miles, a tapestry of green dotting the landscape from above. Vine-covered paths slither through, zig-zagging left and right in endless circles and dead ends, all but one leading to nowhere. And of those who find the hidden springs in the center, only three have exited alive…until today.
Today, Dareth, the brown ninja, master of fake trophies and of zoojitzu, relaxes in the springs, the boiling waters lapping against his hairy chest. He slurps on a small glass of lemonade, then motions for his companion Pixel. She trudges over from her parked samurai suit, carrying the pitcher of lemonade.
"Dareth, are you almost finished," Pixel sighed. "Your current appearance is causing my circuits to blush."
"Hey Sally, chill," Dareth winked. "The brown ninja takes his time…always. Pour me a glass, will ya?"
"We do not have time for this, Dareth," Pixel insisted as she poured the glass. "If the intel that Borg Tower intercepted is correct, Lord Garmadon will be somewhere in Yoshi's Labyrinth, and I have orders to report him in if we meet."
"Fine, Sally, but you'll be sorry," Dareth grumbled. "The brown ninja ain't sharp when he's rushed."
Dareth climbed out of the springs, then dressed while Pixel activated her scanners. She scanned the surroundings, looking for the slightest trace of a dark energy signature.
"Negative," Pixel reported. "No Garmadon in sight. We'll have to try again at a different location."
"Not again," Dareth sighed. "I hate it when we fly…makes me feel sick to the stomach."
"Well, I could try to extend the range of the scanner," Pixel shrugged. "Hang on. I'm receiving a call from Borg."
Pixel activated the holographic camera on her right wrist, which beamed out a holographic image of Cyrus Borg over the spring. Cyrus Borg lounged in his wheelchair, sitting next to Lloyd in the control room on the Destiny's Bounty.
"Hello, Pixel," Cyrus Borg smiled. "Glad to see that you received my transmission. Our satellites often have no reception in thick places like the labyrinth. Any luck in finding Lord Garmadon yet?"
"No," Pixel replied. "My scanners cannot detect any trace of him. I was just about to fire up my long-range scanners."
"How disappointing," Borg sighed. "I hoped that Garmadon would at least be located. But we can't always succeed the easy way, I guess."
"Shall I scan for Lord Garmadon again," Pixel asked.
"That won't be necessary," Lloyd answered. "I too want my father found, but we have more pressing matters to attend to. While you're at Yoshi's Labyrinth, secure the fragments of the Realm Crystal."
"Are you concerned that the enemy will try to steal them," Pixel asked.
"Uloe's report doesn't quite add up," Lloyd admitted. "Nevertheless, if she's right, we need to ensure no one can rebuild the Realm Crystal."
"Over and out," Pixel acknowledged. "Should I bring Dareth with me?"
"Dareth," Borg questioned. "How did he get into the labyrinth?"
"He was here when I arrived," Pixel sighed. "I'm heading for the fortress now. I'll report back once the Realm Crystal is secured."
Pixel switched off the camera, then turned to face Dareth. Dressed in his brown ninja suit, Dareth was practicing his zoojitzu, using a large boulder as his target. He kicked the boulder with his foot. Immediately, he yelped and grabbed his foot, a large bruise forming at the place of impact.
"Oh Dareth," Pixel sighed. "Come on. We have orders to carry out. You can practice your fake martial arts later."
"You mean my zoojitzu," Dareth asked.
"Yes, your zoojitzu," Pixel nodded. "Now climb aboard. We don't have any time to waste."
Pixel and Dareth soon arrived at the fortress, where the Realm Crystal had formerly been stored before its removal to Borg Tower. Dareth jumped to the ground, then kissed it several times frantically.
"Oh sweet patch of dirt," Dareth rejoiced. "Don't you ever leave my sight again."
Pixel sighed, then scanned the perimeter for enemies. When her readings returned negative, she proceeded to enter the fortress. She soon unlocked the sealed doors, which slid open and revealed a long hallway of disarmed lasers and traps.
"Ready, Dareth," Pixel asked.
"I…I guess so," Dareth chattered. "Is it safe?"
"Everything's fine," Pixel laughed. "No one Zane calls you a worrier. As long as you don't touch anything, everything will be alright."
They entered the fortress, then strolled down the long hallway through another set of doors. On the other side, they found two hallways, each one splitting off in a different direction.
"Oh dear, two halls," Dareth sighed. "I'm terrible at mazes. Which one do we choose?"
"My scanners aren't working," Pixel replied. "I wish I knew, but the reception is terrible and I can't tap into the crystal energy signatures. We'll have to split up. Take this commlink and go to the right. Signal me if you reach the chamber."
"You sure," Dareth asked.
"Any better ideas," Pixel asked.
"No, I guess not," Dareth sighed.
Dareth snatched up the commlink, then proceeded to walk down the right hall. He immediately turned left, then right, then left, then right again, then left…until his legs ached from walking for so long. Twice he smacked into the wall due to misdirection, but at least there were no dead ends to puzzle him further. Eventually, after a thousand turns and two laps around the same section of the maze, he entered the vault. Nothing greeted him except a pile of bluish shards lying on a table, illuminated by a blue light glowing above them.
"This must be the place," Dareth mumbled. "But what exactly am I looking for?"
Just then, he heard a low rumble. For a moment, he feared that he set off a booby trap and so grabbed ahold of the wall. But when nothing happened, he opened his eyes again.
"Poor me, my tummy's hungry," Dareth mumbled. "And I ate the last of my puffy potstickers hours ago. I must be starving. Maybe that pile of chips over there will help."
He walked over to the table, then picked up one of the shards and examined it.
"Weird-looking potato chip," Dareth noted. "Must be made out of that disgusting blue-cheese Ronin hates so much. Oh well, at least it's better than starvation."
Dareth stuffed the shard into his mouth, crunching it to pieces before gulping down the crumbs that remained. Suddenly, his stomach stopped growling and his legs felt lighter than ever before. He plopped down onto the floor, then grabbed at his legs.
"Dear me, Sally, I don't think that blue cheese settled well," Dareth gulped. "I think I'm going to be sick. I wish I was back on a cozy couch."
As soon as he said those words, Dareth began to dissolve, turning into particles before he had time to react. A great whirlwind shook the room, scattering little tea leaves every which way before quieting down again. All the particles dissolved, leaving no trace of Dareth anywhere. Only his commlink remained, discovered by Pixel when she entered the room a few minutes later.