Chapter 20: Thunder Dissolved (Part 2 of 4)
Jay hobbled through the castle, running as fast as possible on his broken leg. Every step stung his leg, and oh the pain throbbed up his thighs! But who cared? Certainly not the Anacondrai warrior chasing him down with a bone sword. After all, just a minute ago, he was lounging with a plate of shrimp on his patio…until Anacondrai warriors popped out of thin air and broke his plate in half. Now he was running for his life, only because Ryoko told him so.
"That Ryoko," Jay mumbled as he turned down a hallway. "She'll get me killed one of these days."
Just then, he tripped over the carpet, falling flat on his face and squarely onto his broken leg. Jay yelled, grasping at his leg to ease the pain. Then a long shadow appeared over him, as the Anacondrai warrior stopped before him. The snake raised his sword, ready to cut Jay down with one blow.
At the last second, Karlof t-boned the Anacondrai in the hip, sending the snake flailing into the wall unconscious. Then Karlof helped Jay to his feet.
"Ninja no good dead," Karlof stated.
"Thanks," Jay mumbled. "How's the fight?"
"Not good," Karlof replied. "Elemental masters strong and quick, but Anacondrai slippery and agile. We retreat to east wing and hold out."
Jay limped after Karlof, following him to the east wing of the palace. There, Karlof and Jay rejoined Ryoko and the others, staying in the fortified command center.
"Everyone here," Ryoko called out.
"Yes, Ryoko," Neuro nodded. "Karlof and Jay were the last two."
"Those Anacondrai sure are feisty," Speedo said. "If it weren't for my speed, I'd be French toast right now."
"How'd they get here anyway," Chamille asked.
"Pythar fired the forward time claw," Ryoko answered, "and these guys appeared as a result."
"But aren't the Anacondrai from the past," Jay questioned. "Surely Pythar would have summoned something from the future, wouldn't he?"
"Good point," Neuro nodded. "The forward time claw cannot control the past; it can only affect the future. Therefore, a different power summoned the Anacondrai to the island."
At that moment, they heard a loud thump against the door, followed by shouting and hissing from the Anacondrai outside.
"How long will door hold," Karlof asked.
"Hopefully long enough for Skylor and Nya to arrive," Ryoko shrugged. "I just hope they get here in time."
"Why do you stall, ninja," Pythar taunted. "Surely your friends are more important than defeating me?"
"Maybe," Nya shrugged, "but beating you would sure make everyone's day."
Nya surged forward, swinging her katana toward Pythar's chest. Pythar deflected with the time claw, reflecting the blade toward the right. Then he tried to stab Nya's right hip, but all he hit was thin air. Nya jumped to the right, landing a kick on Pythar's side.
Skylor charged, striking for Pythar's left while Nya attacked the right. Pythar deflected both katanas in quick succession, then jumped back to avoid the counterattack. Back and forth the claw and katanas flew, clanging and clinking against each other like a cacophony of triangles. Nya and Skylor's attack pushed Pythar back, but Pythar's deflections offset their gains. Soon, they neared the side of the waterfall, where mist from the rapids hovered in thin clouds around them.
"You fools," Pythar laughed. "Now you've lured us all into our coffins. One wrong step and it's over the side for you."
"He's right," Skylor sighed. "We slip here and we'll crash into the waters below."
"Then tread lightly," Nya remarked, "and let the water ninja do her bidding."
Nya sheathed her katana, then lifted her hands upward toward the sky. She closed her hands, then thrusted her raised arms into the vapor clouds. The waterfall began to slow, then started flowing back up the cliff to an outcrop right above Pythar's head. All the moisture was sucked away, leaving dry ground for the ninja to fight.
"Hold it steady," Skylor said.
"I'm trying," Nya cringed.
Skylor charged, striking at Pythar with her sword. They once again engaged in blade-claw fighting, deflecting and attacking each other as they waltzed underneath the falls. Then, as Pythar blocked one of Skylor's attacks, his hand slipped, causing the time blade to get stuck on the katana. Skylor tried to shake off the time claw, but it remained firmly hinged on her blade.
"Nice going," Pythar quipped. "Now neither of us can get the time claw."
"That's what you think," a voice answered.
Pythar and Skylor turned around, finding Dareth in a brown ninja suit standing behind them. Nya also glanced at him, then returned her focus to the waterfall.
"Dareth, what are you doing here," Skylor asked.
"Get off the waterfall," Nya ordered. "I can't hold it back much longer."
"Yeah, get lost, hippie," Pythar snarled.
"Oh, I'm no hippie," Dareth smirked. "I'm the Master of Brown."
Pythar burst out laughing, slapping himself uncontrollably and wagging his head up and down. He wiped away the tears in his eyes, then faced Dareth again.
"Master of Brown," Pythar laughed. "You mean the master of making messes?"
"By the power of brown, you're going down," Dareth quipped.
Dareth jumped, launching himself into the air. Skylor and Nya ducked, expecting Dareth to fall flat on his face on the edge of the cliff. Instead, Dareth flew over their heads, smashing into Pythar head-first. A large ball of brown energy erupted upon impact, shooting at everything within the blast's radius. Nya and Skylor were blasted off the cliff, flying toward the DX tank like bomb-diving seagulls heading for Jay's noodle carton. Then the waterfall surged forward, pummeling the cliff with large blasts of water.
"Nya, are you alright," Skylor asked when they landed.
"I guess," Nya shrugged, rolling her shoulders. "Where's Dareth?"
They both turned toward the waterfall. To their amazement, Dareth walked unscathed from the falls, carrying their katanas and the forward the time claw. He brought them before Nya and Skylor, then put them in Skylor's hands.
"I believe these are yours, Sally," Dareth asked.
"Dareth, you…" Nya gasped, embracing him in a tight hug.
"Whoa, Nya," Dareth chuckled. "Relax. I still have back problems, you know."
"Dareth, you amaze me more than ever," Nya remarked.
"But what about Pythar," Skylor asked.
"He, well, went poof," Dareth replied. "At least I think I made him poof."
"Well, we can worry about Pythar for another day," Nya interrupted. "Come on, our friends need our help back at base."
As Nya and Skylor raced back to the palace, Ryoko contemplated her next move. For ten minutes now, the Anacondrai had pounded the doors, but thus far, they had not been able to break through. And while they pounded, she, Jay, and the elemental masters waited, unsure of how to defeat their foe.
"Anybody else have a good idea," Ryoko asked the group.
"Karlof have one," Karlof said.
"Alright, Karlof, what is your proposal," Neuro asked.
"We go out, smash snake skull," Karlof boomed, punching his fists for effect.
"But we already ruled out that plan," Chamille sighed. "The Anacondrai have us outnumbered three-to-one."
"Sneaking out might work," Mr. Pale sneezed. "Are they any escape routes or secret tunnels?"
"Not that I know of," Ryoko sighed.
"Surely Chen had a button to a secret escape hatch somewhere," Jay laughed. "The guy was in love with buttons."
"Skylor and I disarmed most of them," Ryoko sighed. "And besides, we could end up anywhere in this palace."
"Then we're stuck until they break in," Neuro sighed.
"Wait," Jay suddenly exclaimed. "Karlof, you're a genius."
"I am," Karlof questioned.
"Yes, your plan is genius," Jay laughed.
"Care to explain," Neuro asked.
"Listen here," Jay continued. "Anacondrai are smart, cunning, and quick, able to thwart elemental attacks with ease. But what if we play rough as Karlof suggests and throw everything we've got at them?"
"Alright, Jay, but you owe me if this fails and we get captured," Ryoko shrugged.
Jay motioned for the elemental masters to begin charging their elemental powers, then ordered Karlof and Ryoko to open the door. As soon as the doors opened, the Anacondrai poured inside, charging straight toward the elemental masters.
"Fire," Jay ordered.
All the masters fired, sending huge salvos of power into the Anacondrai. The Anacondrai dispersed, flying every which way into the walls and through the windows. Those who were hit were knocked unconscious, while those not touched fled down the halls for their lives.
"Good thinking," Neuro complimented. "Now do we pursue?"
"No need," Ryoko pointed out. "Look."
The fleeing Anacondrai stopped short of the door, then suddenly turned a bright green and dissolved into thin air. All the other Anacondrai dissolved as well, leaving only piles of weapon and knocked over furniture. Then Nya and Skylor emerged, the time claw still radiating from the fired blast. They embraced Jay and Ryoko, then glanced around at the mess.
"Quite a battle, huh," Nya asked Jay.
"Quite the finish too," Jay laughed. "I thought we were done for five minutes ago."
"Don't worry, Jay," Skylor chuckled. "We elemental masters look out for each other."
"You got the time claw back," Ryoko remarked. "How did you find it?"
"Long story," Skylor laughed. "But for now, let's celebrate. We all need our rest after what happened here today."
A black, sleek invisible jet cuts through the skies of Ninjago, flying toward Chen's Island faster than the speed of sound. Then it slows, descending toward a hidden strip deep within the island's jungles. It lands without a sound, then decloaks and extends a staircase for its passenger to disembark. Pythar waits at the bottom, kowtowing as his guest steps onto the strip.
"Welcome, master," Pythar bowed. "We are honored by your presence."
"Cut the formalities, you blubbering fool," Master hissed. "I gave you one mission, you snake. Tell me what that mission is."
"Retrieve the forward time claw and bring it to you," Pythar murmured.
"Not only did you disobey my explicit command, you allowed the ninja, our worst enemy, to retrieve it successfully," Master boomed. "Now your incompetence threatens to ruin all my plans! I should have you executed for this, but you're too valuable to lose yet."
"My lord, I can fix everything," Pythar pleaded. "The ninja have it at Chen's Palace. I can have our forces ready to strike within the next hour."
"No, you've caused enough trouble," Master chuckled. "Effective immediately, you will answer to Laisha concerning the time claws. Obey her as you obey me, or else I will kill you myself."
"But who will lead the Serpentine on Chen's Island," Pythar questioned.
"All we need is that time claw. The ninja can have everything else here."
"Should I prepare the assault on the palace then?"
"No. Report to Laisha on the mainland with your army. I will retrieve the time claw myself. Then the ninja will know better than to play with fire."