Some time had passed since the Amusment Park visit, and the lack of action was taking its tole on most of the group. While the boys were playing almost nonstop video games, Bunny and Kim-Ly were actually using the time wisely.

The Metal Ninja nodded to the blonde, who gulped. "Alright Bunny...Just punch me."

"A-are you sure this is okay?"

"Bunny."

"Y-yeah?"

"Punch me." ...Nervously Bunny lifted her fist...Then 'booped' Kim-Ly's cheek... "..That was the weakest thing I've ever felt..And I've had marshmallows dumped on my head before."

"Ugh...Maybe I...Maybe I should just go home, I'm not good at fighting...!" Bunny groaned out, sitting on the ground..

...

Cautiously Kim-Ly sat beside the City Girl, rubbing the back of her neck. How would her mom go about helping this girl?... "Well..Maybe offensive fighting isn't for you..."

"What?"

"Well...If this isn't working..Maybe defensive is more your thing." When she earned a confused look, the miner sighed.. "Ya know..Use your enemy's strength against them, and defensively attack?"

Another confused look.

"..Alright, get up." She grunted, standing and going to the training area. Bunny cautiously followed her. "Okay...Try and punch me."

"A..Are you su-?"

"Yes I am sure."

...

The Nature Ninja gulped, nodding as she threw a punch. Kim-Ly grabbed her hand and arm, and used the momentum to flip Bunny.

"There...Like that."

"O-oh...Uhm..O-okay..." Kim-Ly nodded as she started to walk away... "Kim-Ly?"

"Hm?"

"Can..You teach me how to fight like that?"

"...Sure thing kid, c'mon, let's get you in some gear and we can-"

"YOU GUYS!" Kai ran out, grinning. "C'MON! LORD GARMADON'S BACK!"

The two girls watched as the male ninjas rushed to the dragon's den, before Sensei Wu and Nya came out also. "It's true..You guys better get going."

"S-Sure thing, Nya." Bunny smiled softly, and followed after Kim-Ly down the mountain a bit.

Grace had taken up the duty of helping to keep the Dragon's taken care of. She had even helped in naming all of them, when she could.

Rocky for Cole, Flame for Kai, Wisp for Jay, Shard for Zane, Shrapnel for Kim-Ly, and Thorn for Bunny. Both of the girls easily got onto their dragons. The same couldn't be said for the boys.

Zane got trapped by one of the doors. When Cole had gotten into his seat, his Scythe dropped out..Jay over-shot a flip he was trying to do to get to his seat, and ended up skidding across the floor a bit.

As Kai tried to mount his dragon, Nya approached. "Can I help?"

"Sorry, sis. Where we go, danger abounds. This is a job for the Ninja." As he tried to reach for the reigns, he found he couldn't... "Um, a little help?"

Nya gave him a look as she handed him the reigns.

The Ninja flew away on their dragons, and Nya looked to the father and daughter. "Will they ever reach their full potential?"

"In time. Maybe a long time, but in time." Sensei Wu sighed out, nodding his head.

...

"C'mon Nya, I'll show you how to work the training grounds." Grace grinned, taking the black haired girl's hand and ushering her back to the building.

Cole grinned down at his dragon as the group soared through the skies. "Just like old times, eh Rocky?"

"Do you believe what Sensei said about unlocking our full potential?"

"He doesn't gain anything from lying to us." Kim-Ly pointed out to Kai.

"I think he's on to something." Jay nodded in agreement with his team mates, looking at his Golden Weapon. "I mean ever since we got these Golden Weapons it's not like we've ever had to use them. I wonder what they do."

The Ice Ninja was a bit happy at the development. "I for one look forward to the future. If there's more for us to accomplish, let it be!"

"I don't know about you, but is anyone else feeling a little excited about battling Lord Garmadon? I've been looking forward to trying out some new Spinjitzu moves. Could be the perfect opportunity."

"Other than in your guys' video games?" Kim-Ly asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Jay laughed at the joke, and grinned at the group. "Race you there!"

Kim-Ly and Bunny looked to one another as the boys raced ahead..Before the Nature Ninja patted her dragon. "Take your time Thorn, we'll get there when we get there."

That was what the Metal Ninja admired to her softer companion. The City girl had a genuine kindness and tactfulness. One which Kim-Ly actually did want..Though, she didn't know how to procure it...

Besides, being soft just..

Wasn't her..

Once Kim-Ly and Bunny had landed, the boys had stopped an argument in favor of listening to the villager's screams..And listen to a voice maniacally laughing through the chaos.

"Mu ha ha ha ha ha. Mwa ha ha ha ha. MWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The group lowered their hoods, and drew their weapons as they watched a menacing shadow cross the rocks, getting closer. Bunny scooted a bit behind Zane.

"Stay sharp, fellas." Kai advised the group. "Whatever happens, never let your guard down."

The laughter soon started growing closer, and..More high pitched? They all watched as some little kid dressed in a black hoodie came around the corner, laughing. "It is I: Lloyd Garmadon! I demand all the candy in town- or else! Muhahaha!"

Jay was the first to address the elephant in the room. "Lloyd Garmadon? I thought we were gonna face Lord Garmadon."

"It's his son. He must have escaped his Boarding School for Bad Boys again. And to think we could have been doing Spinjitzu already." Okay, so the boys were a bit peeved at not being able to fight..The group started to go towards the shouting kid, who wasn't giving up.

He backed up a bit on the fountain, looking just a tad bit nervous. "Gimmie your candy or-or I'll release the Serpentine on you."

The villagers started to boo, while Kim-Ly actually stayed a bit behind at the threat, looking...Well, uncaring. However something about her seemed to freeze up.

As Lloyd continued, he pulled out a can and unscrewed it, with plastic snakes flying out. This didn't please any of the villagers, who continued to boo and started to throw vegetables at him. "I asked for candy, not vegetables! I hate vegetables!"

"I'm getting odd deja vu about my sister.." Bunny murmured as she listened to the little boy, rubbing the back of her neck.

Kai rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, he's going to have to do a lot better than to use an old bedtime story to scare people."

"The Serpentine are real, Kai. They are not something to joke about." Zane informed the male, yet Kai just scoffed at it.

"Serpentine? Real? You're talking about the ancient race of snake people who once ruled Ninjago and were supposedly locked underground."

Jay though believed in the myth too, gulping. "Sealed in five different tombs to ensure they unify, to exact their revenge on those who put them there!"

"It was an old wives tale, to teach kids not to poke their noses where they don't belong. Come on Kim-Ly, back me up here."

Kim-Ly shook her head. "Sorry, but I believe in them."

"Wha-Oh come on. You can't be serious!"

"Says on of the six ninja that came to this town on an elemental dragon, which we got after getting golden weapons of elemental power. Which we got only after fighting skeletons, and meeting a dark lord with four arms."

...Kai grumbled, rolling his eyes. "Okay...Well, what about you Bunny?"

"I've uh..Never heard about Serpentine before."

"What?!" All the ninja looked at her in shock.

"My parents didn't want us hearing things like that...They thought it just wasn't good for us to talk about those kinds of things around the shop."

The Fire Ninja sighed, before looking at the group. "Don't you think it's a little bit suspicious no one has ever found one of their tombs?"

"That's because you'd be a fool to look for one. If there was anything I hated more than dragons, it was snakes, rubber or not." Cole went over to the shouting boy, and easily picked him with the other male ninja's help. "Don't worry folks. We'll take care of this. Nothing to see here."

The little 'evil' boy didn't stop though, flailing. "Bow down to me, or suffer my wrath! I'll give you to the count of three! One! Two!"

"What are we supposed to do? Spank him?" Kai asked the group as Lloyd didn't stop.

"Two and a half!"

~X~

The boys had strung up Lloyd on a banister of a house, the villagers and the male ninjas laughing. The 'evil male' continued to threaten them. "You just made me your nemesis. Mark my words, you'll pay for this!"

Zane smiled as he bought some candy for his friends. Kim-Ly got rock candy, Bunny and Zane got lollipops, Kai got licorice, Cole got a jaw breaker, and Jay got cotton candy.

The Earth Ninja chuckled out, looking up at the little boy. "Next time, try paying for your candy."

"Crime doesn't pay, muchacho. You can take that to the bank." Kai agreed happily, as Jay hummed as he ate his treat.

"Mm. Cotton candy!"

As the others were departing, and the villagers were leaving...Bunny carefully helped Lloyd off of the banister, and handed him her lollipop. Before he could even ask, she ran off to catch up with the group.

~X~

The Ninja were carefully mounting their dragons, when Kai pauses as a scroll fell out of his bag..He hopped down, and picked it up. "I don't remember putting this here..."

"That's Sensei's bag." Zane explained to him, pointing at the satchel. "You must have accidentally took it in the rush."

"What is it?" The Lightning Ninja's curiosity earned him a sarcastic response from Kai.

"It's a scroll, windbag."

"I know it's a scroll but what does it say?" He looked at it as Kai opened the document. "It's written in chicken scratch."

Yet Zane was more than happy to clarify. "Not chicken scratch. It's the ancient language of our ancestors."

"Can you read it?"

"Well I can try..." Zane responded to Kai's question, looking over the paper..Before pointing out one of the pieces of text. "This symbol means "prophecy"."

"Prophecy?"

"It means it tells the future."

"Of course." Jay awkwardly laughed at his little interaction with Kai. "I knew that."

Zane continued to read. "One ninja will rise above the others and become the Green Ninja. The Ninja destined to defeat the Dark Lord."

"Ooh look, a picture!"

Cole, Bunny, and Kim-Ly soon gathered around as Jay exclaimed.

"Dark Lord?" The Earth Ninja echoed. "Do you think it means Lord Garmadon."

"Wait a minute. Is that us?" Kai asked, pointing out the pictures of six differently colored ninja that was surrounding the Green Ninja... "Is anyone else thinking what I'm thinking?"

"You mean how good I'm gonna look in green?"

Kai scoffed at Jay's question. "Isn't it obvious I'm going to be the Green Ninja?"

"The color obviously suits me."

"Technically I am the best." Zane pointed out. Kim-Ly was about to stop the group, when Cole beat her to it.

"Everyone stop it! Remember why Sensei brought us together in the first place. We're a team. We weren't supposed to see this and probably for good reason. Come on lets head back home. We have training to do."

"It's about time I added some finesse to my routine."

Zane had the same thing in mind as Jay, nodding his head. "Well I could use some exercise."

"Yeah. I've been working on some new moves."

After Cole spoke up, the three males flew off on their dragons, with Kai murmuring to himself... "Could I be the Green Ninja?"

...

Kim-Ly and Bunny looked to one another as the Fire Ninja flew away.. "S..So..Uhm..Do you think you're-"

"No."

"H-huh? Why not?"

"Why would I be?"

"Well, you're a great fighter and-"

"But we were all in the picture." Kim-Ly pointed out. "None of us are the Green Ninja...Since we are all already a different Ninja."

"Oh.." Bunny frowned, what little hope that was inside of her dying. She had actually been hoping that maybe she could have been the Green Ninja...After all, Nature..But...Perhaps Kim-Ly was right..

"...Let's go home."

"Y-yeah."

"So then we all agree." Jay hummed out as the group started up towards the Monastery, having parked the dragons in their den. "The prophecy states that one of us will become the Green Ninja and the issue will not rest until it is decided."

"May I suggest a tournament?" Bunny paled a bit at Zane's offer. "Last ninja standing is the best."

"And will be declared the Green Ninja. Ha! I love it!" Kai was grinning under his mask, they all could tell.

"Then it's a bet. May the Green Ninja win."

Kim-Ly sighed after Cole's statement. The group made it to the gate of the Monastery, and heard Nya training from within. The Lightning Ninja carefully pushed open the doors, and watched as the Fire Ninja's sister almost elegantly went through the course..Only to get smacked in the face by a fake ax.

Jay gulped, and went over to the girl, smiling down at her as he took off his hood. "Oh hey Nya. Any closer to beating your brother's speed record?"

"I'm getting there." She was hopeful, smiling as Jay helped her up. "I heard what happened in town. Just a false alarm?"

"Yeah. But we're going to need the space. Sorry, sis."

As Kai apologized to Nya, Cole got out some of the training gear, distributing them as he instructed everyone. "Three matches. Then the winners of each face off for the title. Armour for our own protection. It's time to see what these babies can do!"

He was grinning as he held up his Golden Scythe, and Kai looked to his sister. "Hey Nya. Wanna stay and watch me mop the floor with them?"

However...The female had other plans. "No thanks. I think I'll go visit Jamanakai Village. Knock yourselves out."

Yet before the matches started, Kim-Ly shook her head as she made her way inside. "Count me and Bunny out..We're not that interested in this."

"Y-yeah.."

"Aw-what...?! But then we won't know...!" Jay frowned, looking as the two girls departed..Yet Kai waved it off.

"Let them have their way. Trust me Jay, it's useless talking a girl out of something most of the time..."

The two girls ended up joining Sensei Wu and grace for some tea...Until they started to hear the boys yelling and screaming about fire. The girls followed Sensei Wu as he opened the door, watching as fire was spread on the training grounds.

Sensei Wu stomped out, and took the Shurikens of Ice from the ground...Before the weapons spun in the air, and easily cascaded over the fire, extinguishing the flames. "What were you thinking?!"

...

Jay was the first one to speak up.

"We were trying to find out who was the Green Ninja-" He was cut off when Zane nudged him. "Ow! Wait-Did I say green? Oh no-Sorry, what I-What I said was lean. Ugh..."

Sensei Wu walked out, glaring at the group as Grace quirked a questioning eyebrow. "You were not supposed to see this."

"But Sensei, we want to know." Kai continued as he walked towards the bearded man, who was starting to walk away. "Which one of us is the chosen one."

"None of you, until you unlock your true potential."

"But my sword, it was so bright. Is this what you meant by unlocking our golden weapon?"

"You are only at the beginning and the road is long and winding, but yes, this is what I meant. If this is what it must take for you to train then so be it. But none of you are near the level of what it takes to be the Green Ninja."

The ninjas waited out in the training grounds, Grace followed her father as he went inside. "...Father?"

"..Are you curious as well?"

"A bit..."

"Grace..If you trust me, you will understand that I do not want you to go down this road...I never have, and for your own safety.."

"I-I understand Father, really I do..! But I can be a fighter! In my own sense though!"

...Sensei Wu turned to Grace, looking to her. "..Then prove me wrong, my child...Prove to me that you are a fighter on your own..And we shall see what Destiny has in store for you."

While this may not seem like much, Grace was smiling at just the chance to try. She bowed to her father, smiling. "Thank you, Father."

All of ninja were training with one another, trying to understand their Elemental Weapons... When Sensei Wu ran out of his room, looking frazzled. "The Serpentine are back! Everyone in Jamanakai Village is in danger!"

Cole frowned, approaching the male. "Calm down, Sensei. We were just there. It's just some kid who says he's-"

"The Spirit Smoke does not lie. An ancient evil has been released!

"What did I tell you?" Kim-Ly asked Kai, who had bigger things on his mind at the moment.

"Nya's there right now!"

...Jay got a determined look on his face. "Nya?"

The group raced down to the Dragon's Den, where Grace was feeding the dragons. Yet she stepped back, smiling at the newly trained ninja as they boarded their reptiles, and flew off.

"Stay close, stay together." Kai informed the group, with Cole chuckling.

"Would we do it any other way?"

~X~

"I'm never going down on the sugar I.. WOOHHOO!" Lloyd was happily laughing, grinning as he stood beside a wheelbarrow of candy..Before pausing when the ninja all flipped around him.

"Sorry to bust your buzz little Garmadon-"

"-But it's already past your bedtime."

...Bunny looked at Cole and Jay... "..That...Was terrible. Never make come backs. Never."

Lloyd turned around, grinning as he motioned to-THE SERPENTINE?! "Get them!"

"Seize them!" The General bellowed out, Kim-Ly's eyes widening as she looked around, the group starting to get surrounded.

"The Serpentine? They're real?!" As Kai exclaimed, the Metal Ninja bumped Cole, who looked back and paled.

"It's not just them we have to worry about. The whole village has been hypnotized!"

Jay started to power up his Golden Weapon, when Zane stopped him. "No! Our weapons are too unstable. We could do more harm than good!"

"Well I guess that leaves us with RUN!" The group followed the Lightning Ninja's advice, absconding from the scene.

They traveled over several rooftops, and hid around one of the corners...Before they all jumped when Nya appeared. Jay couldn't sound any more relieved. "Nya! You're okay!"

"Barely! They've hypnotized everyone in town."

"Mind control. How's that possible."

"When you hear them rattle their tails, don't look them in the eyes. That's how they get you." Kim-Ly murmured, interupting Jay and Nya's conversation...When the group gave her a questioning stare, she shrugged. "My uh...Dad was a big fan of folklore..."

The Lightning Ninja huffed, walking away a bit. "But what are we supposed to do? First we can't use our weapons and now we've got to to fight with our eyes closed! Ha! Perfect!"

"The snake with the staff is the general. He's the one in charge. The staff holds the anti venom. If we can get the staff, we can get the anti venom. If we can get that, we can save everyone."

Kai nodded after Nya's rant, and looked to the group. "Come on, guys. Forget about the whole "Green Ninja" thing. Let's make Sensei proud. The four of us. We're a team."

"...Uhm..W-we..We weren't a part of your Green Ninja thing.." Bunny murmured, glancing at Kim-Ly, who shook her head. It would be useless to argue at the moment.

"Oh, and Nya, you can be our honorary member."

..Nya didn't look that impressed with Jay's statement."Gee, thanks."

~X~

Kim-Ly blinked from atop a building, watching the group like a hawk. If someone was in trouble, she'd go on in...

She watched as Kai failed at his attempt at Spinjitsu, and saw Zane take out Lloyd with his Ice Shuriken. Both males were on it and-

"HELP ME!" A little girl was crying as the snakes were garnering around her, the little girl clutching a doll.

The Metal Ninja paused, looking to her team then back to the girl..Should she-

She paused the half step that she took as she saw Bunny race across a few buildings, and dropped down as a shield for the girl. "Don't worry, I got you...NINJAAA-GO!"

Bunny managed to collide and push back the Serpentine as Kim-Ly descended and helped get the girl into a safer area..The small child was sobbing, clutching her doll. "MOMMYYY! DADDYYYY!"

"It will be alright, we will get you to them once the situation has been handled."...Kim-Ly's monotone voice didn't ease her though, and the girl continued to cry.

Bunny quickly entered the scene, and picked up the girl, patting her back. "Shhh, shh...It's okay, we'll get you to your mommy and daddy, don't you worry.."

Kim-Ly could only watch the two, knowing that she wouldn't do any good in the situation...Yet as a mist fell over the ground, they all heard the villagers starting to come to.

"C'mon sweetie, let's go find your mommy and daddy."

"O-okay.."

The Metal Ninja followed the other two girls as a guard, and watched with Bunny as the child launched herself out of the Nature Ninja's grasp. The two teens looked as the once frightened female embraced her parents warmly, cheering that they were 'all better'...

"..How did you..."

"Hm?" Bunny looked at her companion, and giggled a bit with a shy blush. "o-oh...Well uh..I just..Did what I do with my little sister...I-I guess it just worked out in my favor...!"

"...Hm.."

~X~

"We're sorry, Sensei. If we had dealt with Lloyd before he became a problem, none of this would have been necessary." Kai apologized as he brought the Serpentine Staff to their Sensei, who had arrived to see if they had needed help.

"Even lessons learned the hard way are lessons learned. Hmm. An ancient evil has been released. I fear troubling times will come. This is only the beginning."

"Then we will train, and be ready for the Serpentine."

Bunny nodded in agreement with Zane, smiling a bit. "A-and for any other foe..."

"It May not be Lord Garmadon, but that doesn't mean we won't bring our A-game." Cole smiled a bit at his friends from beneath his mask.

The Fire Ninja looked to the bearded old man. "Help us train. Help us realize our potential."

"Yeah. Teach us the secrets behind the weapons of Spinjitzu."

"Teach us how to fight." Kim-Ly concluded after Jay, putting her Golden Gauntlets together.

"There is much to teach. Come. Let us return to the monastery." Sensei Wu guided the group out of the village, with Nya sighing a bit with a frown as they approached the dragons.

"When am I going to get my own Dragon?"

"Patience, Nya. Your time will come."

Grace gulped as she carefully went over to Nya, the two girls being one of the last to go to bed.

"Uhm...Nya?"

"Yeah Grace?"

"I..Have a proposition for you.."

The girl turned around, quirking an eyebrow. "Sure..What is it?"

"Well I...I would, i-if you like...I would like to train you."

"...Train me...? But I..I'm just..."

"You have a fire unlike any other within you." The Monastery girl smiled, going over and holding Nya's hand. "Together..We could even turn you into something greater than a ninja...!"

"Well..What's greater than a ninja?"

...The blonde had to think for a moment...Before giggling. "A samurai."