Chapter 4: Pyre of Prejudice

"Ssseriousssly? I missssssed that much?" Solo questioned in disbelief.

According to Zane, the current 'Pink Ninja', while she had been asleep, all of the Serpentine had been rallying in the sewers underneath Ninjago City. The ninja had infiltrated the gathering and completely ruined any chance of unity the four Serpentine tribes had, before making a hasty escape on Zane's snowmobile. "The sssewersss? My people have sssunk to a new low if we're gathering in a massssive pit of poop," Solo sighed.

"What is more worrying is that Pythor was attempting to unite them under the cause of waking the Great Devourer," Zane told her. But at this, Solo burst out in laughter. "Bee-he-he-he-he-he! He'sss ssstill going on about that old fairy tale? The Devourer isssn't real, it'sss an old bedtime ssstory. At bessst," she chuckled. "The Constrictai definitely seemed to take it seriously, if their wall paintings were anything to judge by," Zane pointed out. "From what I heard from my ancestorsss, the Conssstrictai alwaysss had more appetite than common sssenssse," Solo snorted. "The Devourer'sss a myth, and nothing you can sssay will convinssse me otherwise," she told him. "The same was said of the four Golden Weapons, and the Serpentine themselves, and we all know how that turned out," the White ninja reasoned, absent-mindedly twirling his magical golden shirkers in his hands. Solo paused. "Good point,"

"Zane! Come on, there's a package for us!" Kai shouted, grabbing Zane's wrist and pulling at him like an excited child. "Dare I assist what it isss?" Solo frowned. "Nothing for you," the Fire ninja snorted. "Probably not," Solo nodded. "I'm going to go above deck and train," she decided, turning and moving in the opposite direction.

"Train?" Kai demanded of Zane once she was gone. "Sensei Wu is attempting to teach her Spinjitzu, and has provided her with the necessary material to master the Serpentine art of Fang Kwon Do," his brother explained. Kai groaned. "Yeah. Because we want a snake knowing how to do Spinjitzu. We might as well have Lord Garmadon living with us and learning all our secrets!" he exclaimed in anger, throwing his arms up.

Zane stared him in the eye with a quiet frown. "She is my friend,"

X

"Over the planksss," Solo twisted her tail and dodged between the planks, her lithe form narrowly avoiding the heavy pieces of wood. "Dodge the ssswordsss," she continued the mantra Cole had taught her yesterday, using her tail as a spring to jump over the swords. "What wasss the next bit?" she wondered, landing somewhat awkwardly the wrong way around, staring back at the rotating swords.

The Anacondrai was knocked to the ground, flopping onto the floor of the deck as a heavy wooden dummy crashed into her back. She breathed heavily, wincing in pain. "Oh yeah. Here comesss the dummy," Solo groaned. "Keep trying. You'll get it," Nya advised her from the top of the steps, where she was watching. "It'sss harder with a tail," Solo groaned, picking herself up as the course ground to a halt. "Thisss thing wasss built for people with legsss,"

Nya jumped down and helped her up. "I've been wondering about that. I thought only the commanders of each Serpentine tribe got the big tail, and the rest had legs. And Pythor's obviously the commander of the Anacondrai, technically speaking at least, so, uh, why do you have a tail, not legs?" she asked, nervously trying not to offend Solo. "The Anacondrai are sssupposssed to be the 'alpha race' of the Ssserpentine," Solo told her. "To emphassssissse that sssuperiority, sll Anacondrai have commander tailsss, except onesss who are being punissshed for sssomething or other," she explained. Nya paused. "Then, how do you know who the leader of the Anacondrai is, if you all have snake tails?" she asked. Solo chuckled. "Usssually, the one holding the big golden ssstaff isss the leader," she pointed out. "Oh yeah," Nya nodded with a self-decrepitating smile. "I guess that seems kinda obvious,"

The Serpentine paused. "Wait, Pythor'sss the commander becaussse he has the ssstaff . . . he could ssstrip me of my tail!" she shrieked, panicking. "Why? It's not like you're a criminal," Nya pointed out. "I betrayed my own people and sssided with their mortal enemiesss. You don't get more criminal than that," Solo reasoned.

Suddenly, Nya's bracelet started beeping. "Serpentine sighted at Mega Monster Amusement Park?" she read. "We'll have to finish this later. Samurai X at the ready!" she grinned, rushing off. "Alone again," Solo sighed, distantly hearing the sounds of the Samurai X mech taking off and aiming down to earth as she turned back to the training course.

Two minutes later, a massive spiked club whacked into her, sending her flying across the deck, and crashing into Cole and Jay on the edge of the ship.

Zane helped her up, and with an apologetic look she picked Cole and Jay up. "Sssorry,"

"Hey, no worries," Cole nodded. "Yeah. We've all been knocked around by that course," Jay agreed, then, seeming to remember who he was talking to, winced, shooting a guilty look at Kai, who frowned at him.

At that point, Solo noticed they were all wearing new gi. "Nissse outfitsss," she commented. Jay smirked and tapped the new armour on his shoulders. "Solid steel. Fangpyre teeth ain't getting through this stuff,"

"Do not become overconfident. Just because we have new outfits does not make us invincible," Zane told his teammates. "Yeah. Still, can't stop to chat. Serpentine have been sighted at Mega Monster Amusement Park," Cole explained. "That'sss bad . . . how are you planning to get there?" Solo frowned.

Jay facepalmed. "She hasn't seen the vehicles yet, has she?"

"Watch this," Cole grinned, raising his Scythe into the air. It glowed with a golden light as the ninja stood back. Solo blinked, and, when she opened her slitted red eyes, the scythe had transformed into a heavily armoured black car on the ship's deck. "See you later! Cowabunga!" Cole shouted, flooring the accelerator. Solo's eyes widened. "Wait!" she shrieked, but Cole was already gone, and the other ninja were already summoning their own vehicles. Zane looked down from his snowmobile. "What is it?"

"Isssn't it a bad idea to drive a car into mid-air?" the Anacondrai demanded. "Probably. But who cares?" Kai grinned, gunning his oversized motorbike's engines and screeching into the sky. "Hey, I got nothing to worry about!" Jay smirked, closing his blue fighter jet's cockpit and streaking into the sky. "I am aware that it may be unwise, but we must reach the amusement park and this is the fastest way," Zane told her. "I sssuppossse," Solo frowned. "Well," she looked back at the training course and how unappealing it suddenly looked. "Can you take me with you? I've never ssseen an amusssement park before!" she begged.

Zane smiled. "Very well, go ahead,"

The Serpentine grinned, showing her fangs, pulling herself onto the snowmobile's seat. Zane didn't waste a second, accelerating into mid-air, and his passenger shrieked as they left the deck of the ship.

A moment later, Sensei Wu appeared. "Solo?" He looked around. "Solo?" he asked again, before sighing. "And here I hoped she would babysit Lloyd while I went to the amusement park,"

X

Solo whooped, a noise somewhere between a hiss and a shriek as Zane accelerated. "How fassst are we going?"

"I do not know! This popsicle stand does not have a speedometer!" Zane replied, the wind whipping his words away milliseconds after the snake heard them.

She waved as Zane fault up with the other three. Kai scoffed. "You brought her?! She won't help! It'd be like bringing Lloyd to the battle! She'd probably help her cousins over us anyway!"

Solo gulped, shrinking in her seat and blushing, before turning invisible on instinct. Zane looked back in surprise, before uncertainly waving his hand. He was rewarded with a shrill squeal. "My apologies, I was making sure you had not fallen off," he awkwardly explained. The white ninja felt the end of an unseen tail wrap around his leg, but the Anacondrai remained invisible as the snowmobile sped onwards.

X

The other three caused their vehicles to turn back into weapons and landed in a skid, but Zane slowed his to a halt and looked to where he assumed Solo was. "We have to get off now," he apologetically told her. Solo became visible and nodded, "I'm ready," as Zane returned the snowmobile to it's shuriken state and they both landed on the ground.

The four ninja strutted in through the entrance of the park, with Solo nervously trailing behind them. "Alright, where's the Serpentine?" Jay smirked, twirling his nunchucks.

"Uh, guys? Why are they already tied up and beaten?" Cole frowned, pointing the Scythe of Quakes at a group of about a dozen Serpentine, who, sure enough, had been tied together with a massive piece of rope. Solo noted with surprise and concern that members of the Fangpyre, Venomari AND Constrictai were present. The only tribes not represented were Hypnobrai and Anacondrai - not unbelievable, as counting herself, there were only two Anacondrai left in the world.

"What happened?" Zane asked a passer-by. "Oh, you, like, totally missed everything. The Serpentine were destroying everything, but then this big mysterious samurai showed up and kicked all their asses! It was totally amazing," she explained.

Kai fumed as he heard a kid pass by, whining, "Don't wanna be a ninja, I wanna be a samurai!"

"SNAAAAAKE!" someone suddenly shrieked, pointing at Solo. "Get her!" someone else shouted, angrily brandishing a piece of cotton candy. "Eep! Don't hurt me!" Solo begged, instantly turning invisible again. "Hey, where'd she go?" the rapidly forming mob frowned as one.

"Uh . . Ooh! Over there, I think I saw her over there!" Jay took the initiative, pointing in the opposite direction to where Solo actually was. "Follow me!" he shouted, brandishing his nunchucks and rushing towards the rollercoaster. Eager for a manhunt, the mob followed him out of sight, leaving Mega Monster's main area empty.

Cole walked towards Solo and awkwardly began waving his arms close to the ground. "Solo? Are you still here?" he asked. Seconds later, his hand brushed against something cool, scaly and somewhat oval-shaped. Less than seconds later, his arm was slapped away and an invisible claw slapped him in the face. "Pervert!"

It took Cole a second to realise what had happened. "Oh, uh, sorry! I didn't realise that was your, uh, it is hard to tell when you're invisible, I, uh." he trailed off. "Sorry," he gulped. The purple Serpentine reappeared, her head turned down towards the ground. "Thisss ssstinksss," she sighed. "Hey, we'll figure it out. After we've taken care of the Serpentine," Solo fixed a baleful, slitted red eye on him. "The other Serpentine," Cole hastily covered up his mistake, "we can get everyone to understand that you're different, that you aren't like the other snakes. You aren't evil,"

"He is correct," Zane added, moving towards them. "I am certain that we can come up with a solution,"

"Makesss one of usss," the Anacondrai sighed.

"Hey guys! I see the Bounty!" Kai shouted from behind them. Sure enough, the great flying ship was approaching the amusement park. "Sensei, Lloyd and Nya should be on board," Cole grinned, before looking back down at his friend. "I sense that she will require some time to calm down," Zane advised. "Yeah, no kidding. Hopefully Sensei can help,"

"I'm right here," Solo pointed out. "I know," Cole nodded, wrapping his arms around her midsection and picking her up, draping her sinuous body over his shoulder, as the Bounty landed just outside the amusement park. "Little forward, given you've known me for four daysss," Solo weakly tried to joke. Her smile failed to reach her eyes. Cole reassuringly patted her lower back. "And I've been your friend for three and a half of them. Frosty, go get Jay and Kai, and tell them we're leaving. I'll take care of our purple friend," Cole commanded. "You are the boss," Zane saluted, turning and heading back into the park.

X

"Thanksss," the Anacondrai nodded, drinking a cup of tea and lying on her bed, occasionally momentarily shimmering in and out of view. "This should soothe your nerves," Sensei Wu told her, before handing her the Fang Kwon Do scroll. "Here. You should have something to read,"

Solo took one glance at the scroll. Her pupils contracted, and she savagely tore it into pieces. "I don't want anything to do with - with - them!" she spat.

Wu gently put his hand on her shoulder. "Anger is a good motivator, but do not let it consume you," he warned her. But they both turned in surprise to see Jay carrying his video game system into her room and plugging it in, with Cole lugging a spare monitor from the control room behind him. "Jay?" Solo blinked in surprise. "Figured you'd need something a little more distracting than old scrolls to cheer up, and," he paused awkwardly. "I'm sorry for being mean to you for the last couple of days. It's just," he paused again, scratching the back of his neck and looking down in embarrassment . "Been hard to get my head around the fact that there's a good snake out there,"

Solo rolled her eyes, but accepted the game controller he offered her regardless. "I think we should give her some alone time," Cole suggested, and the three humans left the room, gently closing the door.

The Serpentine cast a derisive look towards the tattered pieces of scroll on the floor, and took a moment to adjust her claws to the game controller. She shrugged as the game booted up. "Better than Fang Kwon Do,"

X

"I'm really getting sick of that Samurai. He's always getting in our way and hogging all the glory!" Kai protested. "Yeah yeah yeah, Samurai sucks," Cole waved him off. "Are you not hearing what I'm saying? Everyone's forgetting us! If we aren't careful, Fist to Face 3 will have Samurai X as a playable character!" Kai was on the verge of panicking.

"We have bigger issues than your ego," Zane frowned, stirring a pot of stew. "Like what? That snake?" he scoffed. "You're too hard on her, Kai. Give her a chance, she can be really nice," Jay told him. "Fine, whatever," Kai groaned, seeing he wouldn't get anywhere in this argument. "Still, what about the Samurai?"

"I will admit he is extremely annoying," Zane put forward. "Thanks, Frosty," Kai smiled. "I say we gang up on him! Next time he shows his faceplate, all four of us get together up and pone on him," Cole grinned.

"Yeahyeahyeah, great. Have any of you seen Nya?" Jay suddenly asked. "I haven't seen her since this morning," Cole shrugged. "Me neither," Kai frowned.

"Ah-I'll go look for her, if you guys want!" a voice suddenly interrupted. "Lloyd!" Jay smiled.

"I haven't seen Nya either," the kid told them. "I'll take a look around the ship,"

"Good idea. Nice to see you're being helpful, kid," Cole grinned, and Lloyd mock saluted. "Yes sir!"

"Kai, go keep an eye on him. It's your turn to babysit him anyway," Cole commanded. "What?" the red ninja demanded. "Better him than me," Jay mischievously shrugged. "He deserves a punishment regardless, after the way he treated Solo earlier," Zane frowned. "Then we have a majority," Cole smirked. "Kai, you're babysitting,"

"I don't need a babysitter!" Lloyd protested. "You're nine," Cole raised a knowing eyebrow. "So? Jay's only seventeen,"

"That's still a pretty big gap," the ninja of lightning pointed out.

"Fine, whatever. Come on, Kai," Lloyd groaned, walking away. The red ninja followed him, equally annoyed.

X

Solo cocked her head as someone knocked on the door, pausing the game and calling, "Come in!"

Jay poked his head in through the door. "Feeling better?"

"Yessss," the Serpentine nodded. "Thanksss for," she inarticulately gestured to the game system, "thisss," she self-consciously shrugged. "Sure," the blue ninja nodded, before pausing. "You know I want it back when you're done, right?"

Solo rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile through her fangs. There was just something about the youngest of the four ninja that rendered people unable to dislike or hold a grudge against him. He was annoying, but funny and endearing in a way that she, and everyone else she knew who also knew him, couldn't help but like. "Sssure, go ahead," she grinned. Jay took a look at the screen. "Screen left and jump on the back of the giant spider, then use it to get up to a hidden ledge. There's a collectible up there," he advised. "Thanksss," Solo nodded, executing the manoeuvre. "This is the first time you've played a video game, isn't it?"

"Sssecond. Cole showed me the basssicsss a couple of daysss ago," the Anacondrai shrugged. "Cool. Of course, if you want tips from a real pro gamer, Mr. Rocks isn't the best person to ask," Jay smirked, then frowned, remembering why he came in. "Anyway, Nya's been missing since this morning, shortly after we got back from Mega Monster. I thought you should know,"

"That'sss a problem," the Serpentine nodded, frowning. "Yeah. I mean, I know she can take care of herself, but still. Not to mention that Samurai, either! He's been badgering us all day, totally hogging the spotlight! It bugs me," Jay snorted. Solo couldn't help but chuckle. If only he knew.

She suddenly became aware of an uncomfortable cramp in the back of her tail. Solo dropped the controller and stretched, before picking herself up and carefully getting off the raised bed. "Remind me to ditch the bed and put the mattressssss on the floor," the snake resolved. "Ssstill, enough lying in bed and feeling sssorry for myssself. Ssspinjitzu won't masster itself," she smirked.

"That would be both weird and really cool," Jay commented. "Well, if you think about it, Ssspinjitzu massstering itssself would be quite a sssight to sssee," Solo nodded with a grin. "You can have your video gamesss back,"

X

"Again? Ssseriousssly?" Solo hissed as the wooden sword wielded by a training dummy poked her in the ribs. "Patience, young student," Sensei advised her from the steps of the main deck. "Getting on my nervesss," Solo hissed under her breath. "I heard that!" Sensei called. "Trust me, everyone else on this ship felt the same when they were mastering this course,"

The Anacondrai looked up, hoisting herself upright. "What doesss thisss courssse have to do with Ssspinjitzu anyway?"

"The course teaches you all you need to know to find the key to Spinjitzu within yourself," Sensei Wu explained. "And that meansss?"

"You must discover that for yourself," he sagely nodded. "Now, let us see if you can complete the course by the time I have finished my tea,"

"I do like tea," the Serpentine nodded. "Start on the count of three," Sensei commanded, and Solo readied herself. "Three," he off-handedly commented in a manner of checking the weather. Prepared for tricks such as this by being raised by snakes, Solo immediately started, and her mentor nodded in approval at how easily she responded to his attempt to catch her off guard.

She weaved through the logs and under the axes, taking advantage of her long, sinuous body to twist and dodge the blades. "Here comesss the dummy! Not today!" the Serpentine hissed, rearing up and striking on instinct. Her sharp, curved fangs decapitated the stuffed training dummy and she charged onwards, weaving through and over the third and final set of planks, ducking under a spiky club and weaving through the suspended sandbags. "How'd I do?" she breathed, looking back up at Sensei Wu, who had already finished his tea. "You could have been nicer to the training dummy," he commented, gesturing to the headless, stuffed corpse lying on the ground. "And you need to be faster. But otherwise, good job," he nodded.

It was about then the phone rang. "Hello?" the elderly man listened to the call. "Ah, hello Zane," He suddenly grew very still. "What?"

Wu listened some more. "Oh no. Be careful. Good luck," he advised, before hanging up.

"What isss it?" Solo asked in concern, and Wu looked straight at her, his face full of worry. "The Serpentine have captured Lloyd,"

A/N

A/N

Quite possibly the longest chapter I've ever written. Unfortunately, this is probably gonna be recurring that Solo stays on the ship while the ninja handle things for the extent of the Rise of the Snakes arc of the show. But it's realistic - she isn't well-enough trained to take part in missions, and the friction between her and Kai would be an issue anyway. To the point where Sensei would stop one of them from working together even if she was ready.

MMM, wait and see.

kame-otaku, ever consider that maybe females of the species look different?

Anyways, peace!