Things are moving along people.

"Last one in closes the door." Skales reminded the small Hypnobrai, before starting the bus. Once he pressed the peddle, they went on their way. He took a quick glance at the back before noticing that the bus wasn't as overfilled as the last few times. It seemed like he had managed to gather the last of the Serpentine, a feat he better hoped Pyhtor would congratulate him for. When he agreed to help the Anacondrai with another one of his plans, driving back and forth from Ouroboros to Ninjago City hadn't exactly been what he had expected. Not that there had been any better way to gather them.

But it had seemed the news of the uncovering of Ouroboros was as effective as Pythor had predicted. Even the snakes that hadn't believed him when he told them went along anyway just to be sure. It certainly made his job a bit easier.

The hardest part was simply trying not to fall asleep as he drove. It was fortunate that the roads were so empty, or else he might have accidentally crashed into someone. But as the night descended on the last trek of the journey, it became clear that they didn't need to worry about anyone interrupting their gathering. Not this time at least. He hadn't even as much as seen a glimpse of a ninja throughout the whole day, so perhaps they could finally have some peace.

Before Skales even knew it, they reached the desert, and after that, the formerly Lost City of Ouroboros. In contrast to the massive towers and buildings of Ninjago City, it was barely visible from a distance, looking more like a weird rock formation than a city. A perfect hide-out for the Serpentine. Of course, only until they didn't need to fear the surface-dwellers and their pathetic ninjas. Then they wouldn't need to hide anymore. Not on the surface and certainly not under the earth.

He drove past the large statuses that signaled the entrance, and right into the heart of Ouroboros, where he parked the bus, and let out a satisfied sigh for a job well done. He moved out of his seat and looked at his fellow snakes, whose faces were filled with the same awe as he had felt not so long ago.

"We're here." He proudly stated as he slithered out of the bus, before waiting outside for the rest to come out.

"Thisss way. There ssshould be sssome ssseat for you over there. Just follow the othersss." He said as the last Serpentine exited the bus. He pointed toward some others who were making their way to the center where the Slither Pit was, their excited chattering audible from even where they were standing. It seemed to rile the passengers up who quickly made their way over to the others. Once they were gone, Skales took the chance to stretch his stiff back.

"I don't understand how the humansss manage to drive these around all day." He muttered to himself, before noticing that his tail was stiff as well. Not that he had any idea of how he was supposed to stretch it. Perhaps Fangtom would be willing to give him some advice.

Speaking of the devil, Fangtom came slithering towards him, catching the Hypnobrai slightly by surprise.

"Oh, Fangtom! Didn't notice you there. I wasss planning on sssaying hello to you once I wasss done with being a chauffeur." He explained, with a bit of contempt in his voice. Something that Fangotm quickly caught on to.

"Ha! I would never have believed-that I would ever see you being forced into such-menial labor!"

"Trust me, it wasn't exactly my idea either," Skales said jokingly, before making his way to the center, with Fangtom following by his side.

"Then whose idea-was it?"

Skales nearly froze upon hearing the question. He had forgotten that he hadn't made his allegiance with Pyhtor official yet. Something that the Anacodnrai had encouraged him to keep to himself or else the entirety of his plan would fall apart. Not that he had explained yet what that plan was, but Skales was sure he would learn soon enough. But what mattered at the moment was keeping Fangtom in the dark.

"Oh, who do you think? Our dear old Anacondrai acquaintance. Hah! Wouldn't lift a sssingle finger to work even if it would sssave hisss life!"

"So it was-Pyhtor!" Fangtom exclaimed, his excitement very much the opposite of what Skales had wanted.

"What is it with you and him, hm? First, you convince me to come to his gathering-and the next I hear rumors that you-followed him all the way through the desert-to find the Lost City of Ouroboros. A bit suspicious, isn't it?" He recounted, which Skales couldn't help but agree that it did indeed, sound suspicious.

"Argh! Remember, it's nothing but rumorsss! Tell me, do you really think that I would walk through a desert with that pompousss ssserpent? Hah, asss if!"

"Perhaps you're right-but rumors don't start out of the blue," Fangtom said, his tone somewhat accusatory.

"Are you accusing me of sssomething Fangtom? I don't understand what hasss got you ssso riled up about this. Whatever it isss you think isss going on between me and him, isss nothing but baseless rumorsss! Now, can we ssstop discussing thisss? I heard there ssshould be a fight, and I don't want thisss conversation to sssour the mood." Skales stated, starting to feel the weight of lying to his friend. Even though it wasn't out of malice, but simply a necessity, he still couldn't shake off the feeling that perhaps what he was doing was wrong. But he reminded himself that there were more important things than his emotions. The future of the Serpentine was at stake. He couldn't let such things as his own feelings get in the way.

Luckily, it seemed like his performance was enough to make Fangtom give up. For now at least.

"Oh, the-fight! I hope it's gonna be worth it-it wasn't exactly a pleasant trip over here."

"At least you weren't the one driving!" Skales said before both of them let out a hearty laugh. But it didn't last long, as a Constritai came running over to them.

"Skales! I have a message for you!" He exclaimed, with both the Generals giving each other confused looks. The messenger then approached Skales, who bent down so that the small snake could reach his ear.

"Pythor wants to see you." He whispered to the Hypnobrai, who really wished that he could have chosen a better time to summon him.

"What is it?" Fangtom asked with Skales' mind racing to try and come up with a believable lie.

"O-oh, uh…it'sss, my tribe! It seemsss sssome of them have gotten into trouble with a few other Serpentine. I have to go sssort it out, I'm sssure you understand. Sssee you when the ssshow ssstarts!" He told the Fangpyre before slithering away, the Constrictai looking at him confused, before shrugging his shoulders and scurrying away.

"See you-when the fight starts!" He yelled back, with Skales letting out a sigh of relief to see that his lie had worked. He hoped that Pythor could get on with his plan so that he wouldn't need to keep lying to the others. For someone that betrayed his own General, he was surprised to see how much he disliked being dishonest with his friend. But he was still wondering whether it was a weakness or a virtue. Perhaps it was both.

As he made his way through the streets of Ouroboros, he caught a few glimpses of the Slither Pit and the many Serpentine who had already found their seats. He would guess that it wouldn't be too long before Pythor would start the show. He wasn't sure what exactly he was going to do, but the thought of a fight did excite him. The question was who was going to fight?

It didn't take long before he reached the other end of the center, where Pythor had made his little abode, close to the giant statue of the Devourer. Not the most welcoming sight, but it sure was awe-inspiring to behold. There he finally found Pythor, who looked to be going over his plan one final time, as Skales could hear him muttering to himself. Once he got close enough, the Anacondrai finally noticed his presence.

"Ah, my dear Skales, there you are!" He said, before moving up in front of him.

"I can hear you have done an adequate job at gathering the rest of the Serpentine in time for our big performance."

"Adequate?! You try driving all the Ssserpentine all the way to thisss desolate place!" Skales stated, feeling entitled to just a bit of praise.

"Yes, it must have been quite the task…which is why I made you do it," Pythor explained with a sly grin on his face. Skales wanted to say something back, but he was starting to get impatient when it came to hearing the next part of the plan. It wouldn't have been too much to ask, considering how much he had helped him already.

"Ugh…can you now tell me what'sss the point behind all thisss? You already tried gathering the Ssserpentine before, and we both know how that went."

"Trust me, we won't have a repeat of last time." He said with a bitter tone, before turning around toward the arena, where the loud voices of the other snakes were being carried over to them. It seemed like Pythor was listening to it, with an almost resentful expression.

"If those fools won't listen to reason, then perhaps violence will get through their thick skulls."

"What'sss that sssupposed to mean?" Skales asked, somewhat concerned by the angry tone the Anacondrai was using. But just as quickly as it was there, it disappeared in a flash as he turned around to face Skales again, taking him by surprise.

"It means, since I can't win their respect by words alone, I need to use more primal methods…like a fight!" Pythor explained, the excitement in his voice growing with each word. It was clear that he came up with something he thought was quite genius.

It took a moment before Skales was able to piece together what he was planning to do. He only figured it out when he thought back to the last time he needed to fight for respect. The same fight which led to him becoming a General.

"...You're gonna fight the other Generalsss!" Skales accidentally blurted out, sounding more surprised than he had anticipated. Not that it could be helped, he barely won over Slithraa, and there Phtor was planning to fight each General. It wasn't something that any snake could just do, Anacondrai or not.

"YES! Ah, I was worried for a while, but I just knew that you weren't another mindless brute like the others!" Pythor excitedly exclaimed, seeming almost relieved at hearing Skales figure his plan out. Meanwhile, Skales couldn't help but find his wording a little strange. Besides of course that he had just been indirectly insulted to his face

"You're still missing a few key details, such as me having to fight you as well, but that's just technicalities in the long run," Pythor stated casually, giving Skales quite the shock.

"You're gonna fight me asss well!" Skales asked bewildered, not sure whether he had just been betrayed, or if Pythor was just throwing him for a loop. Luckily, it would prove to be the latter.

"Don't sound so melancholic, it's all part of the plan. And if you follow it well enough I shouldn't end up hurting you…too much." He remarked with a teasing tone, earning a disgruntled stare from the Hypnopbrai.

"Then will you finally tell me the plan?" Skales retorted back, wondering how exactly Pythor was going to move things in his favor.

"Again, it's so remarkably simple, that even you could have come up with it. I'm gonna begin with a nice speech, which I'm pretty sure won't last very far before the protests from the Serpentine will drown it out. Then I'm gonna dramatically challenge the Generals for their staffs…at once…"

It was clear that Pythor was getting some enjoyment from seeing the flabbergasted look on Skales' face. His face was practically oozing satisfaction from the devious smile on his face.

"Are you crazy! Perhapsss you could take out one of the Generalsss, but certainly not all of them at once! It would practically be impossible! I sssuspected that you might have been mad, Pyhtor, but thisss is too much, even for you!" The Hypnobrai yelled desperately, unsure of whether he was simply chastising the Anacondrai, or trying to make him see reason. Not that it mattered as Pythor continued to stare at him with that same smile, and with a predatory glint in his purple eyes. Which only infuriated Skales even more, as he pondered what exactly Pythor knew that he didn't.

"Tell me, how exactly are you planning on defeating them all by yourself!"

There was a moment where Pythor simply chuckled, as he slowly pulled out something from behind him.

"With this!" He loudly declared, holding a wooden flute toward Skales, who for a moment was sure that Pythor had gone completely mad. But it couldn't have been farther from the truth, which Skales would realize as he finally recognized the object in front of him.

"The…the Sacred Flute!" He muttered in a panic as he recoiled in fear, backing into the wall behind him and pressing himself against it as if the flute was gonna leap at him.

He had heard the stories. Every Serpentine had heard of the terrifying power of the Sacred Flutes, which nearly single-handedly won the Elemental Alliance their victory over them. The exact same flutes that were used to trap his kind beneath the ground in tombs for decades. After attacking Jamanakai Village and not finding a single one, he had been sure that they had somehow been destroyed, or lost. And yet there it was, right in front of him. He wasn't sure if he should only worry about the flute itself, or the fact that Pythor was the one holding it.

"Yes, the flute. I can see that I don't need to explain to you what it is cable of." Pythor said calmly as if he wasn't holding the most powerful weapon against his own race. Though his tone did help calm down Skales, if only slightly.

"You're…gonna use it against the Generalsss?" Skales asked though he could already guess Pyhtor's answer from looking at his reaction.

"Precisely. With this, even the power of three, or should I rather say, four Serpentine Generals won't be enough to beat me. With the flute, I will defeat each and every one of them, and at last, my claim as Serpentine King will no longer be contested!" Pythor confidently explained as if his victory had already been assured. Which it might as well have been.

Skales could barely focus on Pythor's words as he stared at the flute, utterly terrified. Though it didn't pass him by that Pythor had just declared his endgame. To become the new Serpentine King. It made sense, for how else could he unite the Serpentine, if not under the banner of a new king? It had been his goal all along. And since he had the flute, he could make it a reality. What would he need Skales for with such a weapon? Perhaps he would need to test it on him first? Thousands of thoughts ran through his mind, and none of them were positive. Neither did it help that the Anacodnrai was slowly making his way over to him. Skales shut his eyes as if scared that Pythor was gonna attack him. While he had the flute, there was nothing Skales could do to protect himself. He was trapped.

Then in a strangely comforting act, Pythor placed his hand on the Hypnobrai's shoulder, whose eyes opened up and looked at him. Strangely, he suddenly felt calm.

"But…I'm going to need some help first. And I would much appreciate it if you were the one to help me." The Anacondrai said, in a normal, almost uplifting manner. Pythor couldn't possibly have been blind to Skales' fear, and yet he was talking to him like Skales hadn't just cowered in fear a moment ago. He wondered if perhaps it was the Anacondrai's attempt to comfort him.

"I can't just slither up and use the flute against them all willy-nilly. The other Serpentine would hardly accept such a victory, and then it would all have been for nothing. No, what I need is a bit of deception for my plan to work. That's where you come in."

Skales had almost recovered from his fear and now found himself in a much stranger position, with the Anacondrai practically pressed up against him, with a wall behind him. He had nowhere to go, but still, he was calm. It was like he was feeling safe, with the towering snake in front of him. He couldn't even look away, as Pythor stared into his eyes as he spoke.

"I need you to slip me the flute under the fight, so I can gain the upper hand, while simultaneously avoiding the others from discovering my secret weapon. We're both gonna get some protection from the flute's effects, so don't worry your pretty little head about that." Pythor continued to explain, and it really did seem like he enjoyed coming up with plans like these. It was like he reveled in outsmarting others and winning over them.

"And…in return, you're gonna get little reward."

It was then that Skales' interest was piqued, and he finally spoke up, even though he had been silent so far.

"What reward?"

Pythor put the flute away and grabbed him by both shoulders, with Skales letting out a small yelp in response.

"I'm gonna make you my second-in-command! If I'm gonna be ruling the Serpentine I'm gonna be needing an…advisor, yes! Someone to stand by and support me as I go forth with my plan to conquer all of Ninjago! And I want you to be the one by my side."

Skales' mouth slowly opened, though no words came out. His reaction came only out as a shocked expression. He had expected that Pythor would offer him something like that, but to hear him say it with such enthusiasm made Skales not sure whether Pythor just wanted him to help him complete his plan, or if he really was interested in having him by his side. In hindsight, considering Pythor called him his 'number two', It may have been his intention to have Skales ally with him from the start.

Thinking that Skales' silence came from hesitation, Pythor continued to try and persuade him to agree to the deal.

"Don't tell me you aren't interested? Being my Second-in-command is a worthwhile position, I can assure you! The power and authority you will wield will even surpass that of the other Generals! And all you would be required to do is help me achieve my goals."

"And that requiresss deceiving every Ssserpentine in Ninjago," Skales said, practically spitting out the words, as he turned his face away from Pyhtor's. Still, there wasn't any contempt in his voice. Only the bitter understanding of what Pythor wanted him to do. He wondered if he would go so far, just to get a chance to follow Pythor by his side, instead of behind him. Because no matter what Skales decided to do, he knew that Pythor would get what he wanted, one way or another.

He had expected an angry reaction from Pythor, perhaps a few select words regarding betrayal and what a certain someone would do for power and authority. But such words didn't come. Instead, Skales felt a hand gently grab his cheek, before it slowly pushed his face back to Pythor, who looked at him with sharp, but alluring eyes.

"Come on, Skales, don't tell me this isn't what you wanted? To be by my side in our quest to conquer all of Ninjago back to its rightful rulers? Isn't that why you followed me, why you helped me make this possible? At this very moment, we're standing together, aren't we? If your loyalty isn't with me, then I don't know whose it's with."

Skales had no way to respond that wouldn't make him look like a spluttering fool. Pythor used no force to keep Skales focused on him, and yet the Hypnobrai felt like he was in an immovable position. And the way he was looking at him made him barely able to stand. He couldn't help but wish to know the reason why the Anacodnrai kept using such affectionate gestures with him. It kept making Skales lose his composure, and he had no idea how to respond. Perhaps that was what Pythor was banking on. But Skales still couldn't stop wondering if maybe he had other intentions behind his gestures, besides simply confounding him. He certainly couldn't deny that there was starting to be a certain…tension between them.

"What do you say my dear Skales…will you be my loyal number two?"

The crowd was starting to roar with anticipation. It didn't seem like they wanted to wait any longer. Fortunately for them, Skales and Pythor finally arrived, stopping at the base of the statue of the Devourer to admire the crowd that had been gathered. The other Generals were already standing in place as Pythor had instructed them to. All that was left was for Pyhtor to start the event. He and Skales had already prepared for the plan and had their cotton balls ready to be used as protection against the flute. An ingenious idea Skales was surprised hadn't been thought of before. It was then that Pythor turned to him, with the same calm and confident look on his face he had every time he was about to start a speech.

"Just do as I've said, and I promise you will be my second-in-command." He then turned his head away. "Forever."

That last part sounded strangely ominous, and Skales thought about mentioning it, but he could tell it wasn't the right time. He bowed to his future king, before placing the cotton balls in his ears, whereupon Pythor started his speech, as Skales slithered away.

"I bring you together to the Lost City of Ouroboros, before the statue of our very own Great Devourer, to speak of unity!"

Even behind the stands where the serpentine were sitting, and with the cotton balls in his ears, the Hypnobria could still clearly hear the Anacondrai's voice. Then came some shouts he couldn't hear properly before the entire arena was drowned out by the same sentence that was repeated several times by the crowd.

"Slither Pit! Slither Pit! Slither Pit! Slither Pit!"

Then back came Pythor's voice, cutting through the noise as if it was a sharp blade.

"Argh! You want a show?! You want to see a fight?! I ask for your allegiance but you will not give it!"

Right on cue, Skales had made his way all around the Slither Pit and joined the other Generals. It seemed they were too focused on Pythor to notice him.

"So I will take it!" The Aancodnrai continued, earning a few shocked shouts from some of the spectators though they were mostly drowned out by the rest of the crowd.

"What are you saying?" Acidicus exclaimed, still unsure of what Pythor was going to do next.

Skales had a hard time keeping himself together. Not exactly because of the pressure, but because he was dumbfounded at how much things were going according to plan. Everything was happening just as Pythor had expected. And soon enough it would be skales' turn to play his part.

"I challenge the four tribe Generals for their staffs and their allegiance. At once!"

Whatever shock or surprise the crowd was feeling was completely overshadowed by their excitement, as they roared and cheered at the prospect of a fight that they probably wouldn't have the chance to witness again anytime soon.

With encouragement from the onlookers, the Generals wasted no time talking. They had not only been challenged for their respect and loyalty but even for their right as General. Such a bold challenge must either be met by laughter or a fierce confrontation. They choose the latter.

"I fought hard for this staff and will not give it up easily." Claimed Acidicus as the four of them moved closer to Pythor.

"There's no way he can defeat the four of us at once!" Skalidor yelled booth as motivation and a way to mock his opponent. Fittingly, he was the first to attack, swinging his staff at Pythor. But with an unnatural speed only the Anacondrai possessed, he managed to dodge the attack, before swinging his tail at Skalidor, pushing him away. Seeing an opportunity, Acidicus rushed him, with his staff held high. But again Pythor managed to evade the attack. He then sent him back with a punch, but that didn't change the fact that the Generals had nearly surrounded him. It wouldn't be long before they would overwhelm him.

Skales had decided to try and stay out of the fight. If he was going to side with Pythor anyway, why burden himself with unnecessary damage? But he was starting to feel the anticipation of the fight. Sooner or later he would need to make the move that would secure Pythor his victory. But he had also been instructed to wait for the right opportunity. That, together with the slight guilt he was feeling, made him lose his concentration. He probably couldn't fight effectively, even if he wanted to.

Then Fangtom made his turn, making a fast and wild swing at the Anacondrai who quickly dodged and swung his tail in retaliation. Whether intentionally or not, Fangtom's attack had served as the perfect distraction, as both Acidicus and Skaldior jumped on Pythor at the same time. Fangtom didn't hesitate to join them, and together they had Pythor pinned on the ground. There, the Anacondrai's strength wasn't enough to free himself. If he didn't have the Sacred Flute, he would never have had the chance to win. He was truly powerless at the moment, with the only thing he could do was try and endure their joined attacks as long as possible.

It was the perfect moment. Skales knew it. For a split second, just the slightest amount of time, he questioned what he was about to do. Was he truly willing to betray the Serpentine Generals, all four tribes, and even his friend Fangtom? Perhaps he would have listened to his worries of guilt if it weren't for his steadfast belief that too much was at stake. Not only did he have much to gain, but so did the entirety of the Serpentine. But only if they were under the command of Pythor.

Skales snuck over to Pythor while the others were busy beating his body and handed him the Sacred Flute. Almost immediately Pythor started playing it, and at first, the Generals were staggered by the sound. But it didn't take long before they backed away from him, howling in pain. Even Skales felt some of the pain from that cursed music, even with the cotton balls in his ears. He didn't even want to imagine what it felt like without them. It was a testament to Pythor's willpower that he didn't even show a single hint of agony on his face.

Yes, only Pythor could be the one to unite the Serpentine once again and lead them to victory. Skales had come to believe he couldn't do it himself, especially not after seeing how much Pythor had been able to do so quickly. He had gathered all the tribes under a single roof, found the Lost City of Ouroboros, and managed to find a way to beat every single General in one fight. There was no way Skales could even do a single one of those things. If he can't be the one to lead the Serpentine into the future, he might as well join the one who can.

"My ears!" Yelled Skalidor. Even his great strength wasn't enough to withstand the pain.

"It hurts!" Cried out Acidicus, suffering just as much.

Sensing that it was time to complete the next part of the plan, and starting to get tired of the sound, Skales threw his staff on the ground as planned. Pythor had meant for the other Generals to follow suit, but since they didn't, he took matters into his own hands. As he stopped playing the flute, he didn't waste any time before attacking his dazed opponents. One by one in a flurry of blows, they were thrown on the floor, their staffs laying in front of the Anacondrai as a monument to their defeat. He then picked them up, before turning his attention back to the Generals.

"Bow to your master," Pythor commanded with such seething contempt, that even Skales would have been hesitant to disobey him. He then turned to the crowd around them, while throwing the staffs in front of their correlating General.

"Bow to your master, Serpentine!" He yelled once again, this time to every Serpentine that could hear him. Haven being beaten, there was nothing else for the Generals to do but bow. The fight was over. And so the rest of the Serpentine followed suit.

It had been done. Pythor had won and was more or less the official king over the Serpentine. And Skales' position as his second-in-command had been secured as well. Everything was perfect. Then, the sound of rattling came from one of the podiums. Skales looked up from his bow and saw two maracas falling and landing in the sand. When he looked up at the stand they came from, he saw that Mezmo had already grabbed the owner, who upon further inspection, clearly was a human. And a familiar one at that.

"Lloyd?!" Pythor uttered with both a hint of rage and surprise. Skales found himself at a loss for words, before being able to speak, with more surprise than anger, though he wasn't exactly thrilled to see the boy again.

"Lloyd?!"

"Yes, that was what I said!"

There, another chapter is done. And what's that, I even got the title into the story. That was quick.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did. I find it weirdly entertaining trying to come up with explanations for certain plot elements in old kid stories. It really encapsulates putting too much thought into things that don't require that much thinking or speculation to begin with.

I hope you have a wonderful day, and that you will stick around for the next chapter. I don't want to spoil too much BUT…things might get a little interesting.