Children of Destiny
Hi guys! Here's the next chapter but TBH, I'm not TOO proud of myself here. There's gonna be some answers to your questions from the last chapter & Luna will make her cameo but as I said, this isn't my best chapter. But I hope you'll have patience cuz I still have a lot of plans up my sleeve so please enjoy.
Chapter 15: Rise from the Dead
"Oh Mein Gott! Cole!"
Luna was startled the moment she saw her husband's bedraggled appearance at their doorstep.
"Meine Liebe! What happened to you!?" She immediately rushed to check for any wounds.
"I… There was a bit of an accident at work…" Cole answered aloud.
'Shit!' He cursed himself internally, 'Way to make myself look like a complete jackass!'
"What happened?" His wife still asked with genuine concern.
"Something went wrong with the engines and ropes. The logs fell and almost crushed everyone but it's a good thing my earth powers haven't gotten rusty."
"Oh thank goodness!" Luna embraced her spouse as if she'll lose him if she let go.
"I'm okay, Luna," Cole lifted her face to shower her with kisses, "That's all that matters."
The former idol was relieved but she still wanted to know what caused such a catastrophe.
"Cole, did you see anything suspicious before it happened?"
Cole thought back on the strange figure he saw shortly before the engines went out. Although that person was long gone, the former ninja can still feel his eyes hidden underneath the hood staring at him.
"Luna, you know about those hooded men the ninjas are currently going after, right?"
Even the former kunoichi of water knew about the mysterious men plaguing her daughters.
"What about them?" She asked.
"I saw one of them shortly before it all started."
Luna let out a frightened gasp.
It was clear that these enigmatic men were henchmen of the revived Overlord and they weren't just after the children. They were also trying to satiate their own thirst for revenge by tracking down and offing the original ninjas. They all knew what happened to Kai the other day.
"Should we tell our daughters?" She asked in concern for them.
"They'll find out sooner or later," Cole said, "But I'm not looking forward to telling them…"
Akira and Alex felt some déjà vu but understood how Amy and Melody felt when they panicked over the news on what happened to THEIR father back in Meerheim.
(*) "Vater! Are you okay!?" They asked their parent whose still unkempt face was displayed on the main screen in the bridge.
"I'm fine," The former earth wielder replied, "Besides, your dad's still got it."
As if to prove himself, Cole flexed his bicep, inciting exasperated moans from his daughters. The new generation also gave bored looks, having seen his supermodel-esque muscles before.
"Cole, we're relieved that you're safe but can you tell us exactly what happened?" Even Misako grew weary of Cole's cockiness. At least he wasn't as bad as Kai…
"Well, shortly before the engines stopped working, I saw one of those hooded men that's been bothering you lately. I still don't know how he was able to do all that without being seen. That makes me think that what you're up against may not even be human… at least not anymore."
"So they are going after the original ninjas…" The scholar mused to herself.
"Quoi?" The former earth ninja also noticed the old woman's mumbling.
"Cole, you and the original ninjas are in danger," Misako got straight to the point, "These men are on a quest for revenge. It's obvious with that incident between Kai and Jacob."
"Yeah. Who could forget that?"
Akira and Alex felt tense remembering what happened to their father but let Misako continue.
"You are the targets," The scholar continued, "But you are all capable of defending yourselves. Your children will also continue their training to discover their true potentials."
"But how can we focus if our parents are in danger!?" Amy exclaimed.
Cole still felt bad for making his daughters worry about him and having to go on such a long and difficult quest but as a father, he wanted to support his kids.
"Amy, Melody. We'll be fine," He consoled them, "You have to focus on your training and find your true potentials. Only then will you be fully capable of defending those you love. That's why your mother embraced her destiny when she was still reluctant. She would also do anything to protect you. We love you that much."
"Dad, will you be okay by yourself?" Melody asked.
"Don't worry about me," Cole reassured his daughters, "Your mother and I can still take care of ourselves and we don't want you to get distracted because of us."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course," The former earth ninja smiled earnestly towards his little girls, "We went through way too much to be taken down so easily and we'll do anything for you."
"We know, Vater."
Cole gave a knowing yet loving smile to his daughters before the screen went blank.
The Overlord didn't have enough energy to repeat his dark ritual but his patience was waning. The being he revived also needed to get used to being back in a physical body.
"My lord," Jacob spoke up, "What do you plan on doing next? What can we do now?"
"I'll need more time," The true dark lord said, "Doing nothing will only make those insolent little brats more suspicious… I need… a distraction!"
Then an idea formed in his twisted mind. It would be too obvious to send out just one group of his goons and it'll be too easy for the ninjas. He planned on doing things a little different today.
"You!" He floated over to his hooded cohorts, "You will go out and hinder the ninjas."
The creature revived by the Overlord also grew impatient to see the light of day once more.
"Pardon my impatience but I would like to see how much the world has changed since I left."
The Overlord contemplated the idea of showing the creature to the world.
He definitely knew that all of Ninjago will be in an uproar once they see it again and it'll be only a matter of time before that happens. He still had a lot of work to do so why not delay the ninja and kunoichi with a surprise?
"You will go to the Sea of Sand," The evil being floated over to his newest minion, "You would know of that place better than the other henchmen."
"Of course."
The creature's lips curved into a cruel smirk…
It wasn't long after Cole's call when the alarm went off but everyone knew the drill.
"Two locations are currently endangered." The computer's feminine AI voice droned once the ninjas, kunoichi, and Misako were in the bridge.
"Show us!" Amy commanded.
"Enemies have been spotted just south of Arbouria." The map displayed a few red dots nearing the forests surrounding the English town.
"That's where Mom and Dad are!" Forrest exclaimed.
"Ronin, Jacob, and the remaining hooded men have also been detected at the Sea of Sand, near the ruins of Ouroboros," The feminine voice continued, "They are also accompanied by an as of yet unidentified figure."
Another screen displayed the five cloaked men. The ninja and kunoichi already knew Ronin and Jacob but they had no idea who the sixth figure following them was. All they can see of it was a cloak that looked almost identical except that the robe trailed a bit from the figure unlike those of the men they encountered before. Also, they can see faint embroidery all over the robes so it's obvious that this person could be far more dangerous than the rest.
"I don't know who that guy is but I have a bad feeling…" Kyle muttered.
"This might be a trap," Misako warned her students, "The Overlord may be sending the groups to do nothing more than distract you while he follows through with his true motives. This may be what he wants, to divert you away from his nefarious designs."
"So we'll just let them do as they please?" Alex asked but gave her teacher an expression as if saying 'Are you crazy!?'
"It might be a mere trifle but perhaps we'll get something out of this."
"Like what!?"
"Distraction or not, you must go. You could use these encounters to your advantage to extract any information the Overlord's henchmen may have."
"I guess I can see that…" Amy said.
"Liana and Forrest, you know more about Arbouria than any of us so you'll be heading there."
The Julien siblings only nodded in understanding.
"Willow, Alex, and Chris will accompany you. The rest of you will go to the Sea of Sand."
"Got it!" Akira affirmed for the rest of the team.
"Okay team!" Chris rallied his younger teammates out onto the deck, "Let's go!"
The elemental ninja and kunoichi hopped off the flying ship and whistled for their dragons. Just as they had done with their parents, the dragons flew just in time to catch them. With the Ultra Dragon no longer with them, Leon and Willow hitched a ride on Flame and Shard respectively. Half of the dragons headed northwest while the other half flew towards the Sea of Sand.
The forests near Arbouria were as quaint as ever.
Liana and Forrest felt nostalgic being surrounded by the familiar trees but they weren't here to catch up with their parents. Even if they do see them again, they still had to protect them.
"I wonder if we'll see Mom and Dad again…" The teal ninja mused aloud.
"We can't slack off," Chris reminded his team, "We're here to fend off the Overlord's minions."
The group walked in silence but Alex was really itching to tell Liana something. Yes, she'll finally talk to her about Akira's true colors. She felt bad for dashing the white kunoichi's hopes but she only wanted her to be more cautious…
"Liana, there's something you need to know about Akira." Alex decided now was the chance to warn the kunoichi of ice of her brother's philandering ways.
"And what's that?" Poor Liana was oblivious to the fire ninja's flirtatious attitude. It broke Alex's heart to crush her hopes but she had to know the truth.
"Liana, there's a chance that my brother- "
"Well lookie here!" A detached voice taunted the small group of ninjas, interrupting the orange kunoichi's warning.
The group readied their weapons in an instant.
"What do you want!?" Forrest growled at the thugs.
"Five against five," The pseudo-leader observed, "It doesn't matter. We just wanna have fun."
"Well the party's over before it even started!" Bolts of lightning crackled around Chris' hand.
"You will NEVER reach Arbouria!" Liana raised her silky voice in an almost uncharacteristic way.
"We'll see about that!"
The thugs lunged at the ninjas but they too had quick reflexes.
"NINJA-GO!"
With the elements on their side, the ninja and kunoichi were already prepared to do battle.
At the Sea of Sand, the remaining half of the team trudged across the desert.
"It's SO hot!" Akira whined.
"Why are you complaining?" Leon retorted, "You're the fire ninja for heaven's sake!"
"Guys! Stop arguing!" Amy stood between the bickering ninjas, "We have to find Ouroboros!"
"How will we find it?" Melody asked, "There's nothing but desert here and we'll end up chasing mirages! We'll never find Ouroboros!"
"Don't call it quits just yet!" Kyle exclaimed, "I know how we can get there!"
"How?" The kunoichi of earth asked.
"With this!" Kyle showed off a device that looked like a watch. The other ninjas couldn't believe they never noticed it until now.
"Where did you get that!?" Amy finally asked.
"My Mom made it for me and Chris to use in case we get lost," The metal ninja answered, "It's a good thing I brought it with me today. It has a built-in compass and a full map of Ninjago and can even track down the rest of you guys."
"Then what are you waiting for!?" Akira complained, "Use it!"
"Okay, okay," The hazel-eyed ninja brushed off his cousin, "Display the map." He commanded.
A holographic globe popped up from the gadget. Like the globe on the Bounty's computer, the map displayed five dots that indicated the ninjas.
"Which direction is Ouroboros from here?"
The globe zoomed in on the group's location and performed a quick scan of their surroundings and then a pinpoint of light like a laser pointer pointed southeast from where the group were.
"You've seen it folks," The yellow ninja said nonchalantly, "That's where we're heading."
"But does that thing even know what Ouroboros is!?" Leon asked.
"Of course it would," The metal ninja rolled his eyes, "It's got every single bit of information on Ninjago's geography installed in it."
"Kyle! Leon! Quit arguing and let's go!" Akira beckoned his figurative brothers to get a move on.
With Kyle's device as a guide, the small group trekked through the Sea of Sand but it was taking such a long time to reach the ruins. They felt like they were walking around the dunes in circles, even if the yellow ninja kept saying his gadget knew the way.
"Is that…?" Melody pointed at a vague shape jutting out of the seemingly endless sands.
The group cautiously approached the shape and saw that it was actually ruins of some ancient sculpture or building.
"Is this the ruins of Ouroboros…?" Akira wanted to believe they were at their destination but he still doubted that it was the real thing. The desert heat can make people see things…
"Nah, it might be a mirage…" Amy sighed.
"No. This really is Ouroboros." Leon felt the warm stucco that may have been a wall. The dusty ruin felt rough yet smooth at the same time.
Since the ruins didn't disappear to only be an illusion of something very unpleasant, the ninjas were sure this was the right place. They can only imagine what happened here. All they knew of Ouroboros was that it was the capital of the Serpentine tribes and the city was demolished by erosion and deliberate destruction. At one point, it was nearly leveled by Garmadon back when he was still evil and since the deaths of the Serpentine, the ruins was completely abandoned.
But where were the Overlord's henchmen?
"I never thought you'd make it." A disembodied voice said all of a sudden.
"W-who's there!?" The group brandished their weapons just in case…
"Why, it's us."
The cloaked men came from behind the larger stone ruins. Only Ronin and Jacob took off their hoods since the ninjas already knew their identity. Behind them was the enigmatic sixth person they saw on the computer back on the Bounty.
"I've seen your faces before..." The unknown person spoke in a clearly masculine voice that was silky smooth but it didn't have that comforting quality that Zane's voice had. 'His' voice seemed to drip with poison as if he never meant anything he said.
"Who are you?" Akira asked.
The sixth being decided not to delay the inevitable and took off its hood, allowing the billowing cloak to be carried away by the winds.
The humans gasped in horror at the revealed person… or thing…
"I-I thought they were all gone…!" Melody was too shocked to say more.
"That's what you think." The creature sadistically smirked at the humans.
"B-but you're…!" Kyle stuttered, his voice already too weak from shock.
"I'm sorry," The formerly deceased being sneered, "I never really introduced myself. I am none other than the legendary Pythor of the Anacondrai, one of the five tribes of the Serpentine."
The Anacondrai looked the same as he had before his death. His purple and black scales shone just a little bit under the hot desert sun. His tail slithered behind him and his long thin neck had him towering above the humans, allowing him to literally look down on them with his magenta eyes glowing with malice.
(*) "Fukanou! Y-you're supposed to be dead!" Leon began to shake in fear.
Pythor eyed the young man, recognizing much of his features. The sole Anacondrai can't deny the eerie similarities between this naïve boy and Lloyd, the green ninja who ended his first life. It's been a very long time since his first passing and wouldn't be TOO surprised if he really was that brat's son.
"How many years has it been since I've last shown my face?" Pythor slithered around the group to get a good look at them, "I still haven't forgotten their faces. I can still see them in you."
The young ninjas knew about the treacherous Pythor from the stories Lloyd and Iris told them. He even managed to use the former to fulfill his wishes and lusted for the latter, which brought upon him his gruesome death at the hands of the one he used.
But Pythor still wasn't fully accustomed to being back in a physical body. The anthropomorphic snake suddenly keeled over and heaved violently, disgusting everyone.
"Pythor, we wouldn't recommend you exposing yourself so early." Ronin stepped up.
"I don't need help from a human!" Pythor glared at his own cohort, saying the last work like it was toxic, "Just because we both work for the Overlord doesn't mean I don't think any more of your kind!"
Apparently, there was no love lost between the Serpentine and mankind.
But the ninja and kunoichi didn't give their enemies a chance to get away.
"NINJA-GO!"
Five human-sized tornadoes spun across the old ruins. The cloaked henchmen moved with their unnatural speed to keep up with them while Pythor was still too weak to fight.
'Curse this mortal body…' The Anacondrai loathed his situation.
He can do little more than watch the ninjas and the Overlord's agents brawl. He can't help but feel a little nostalgic of the old days before his death when he fought the original ninjas. Maybe he can see how they were doing…
"Fire!"
It took Akira one swing of his sword to surround the mysterious men and Pythor in a ring of fire.
"Which one of you tried to kill our Dad!?" Melody demanded answers to the incident that put the former ninja in danger.
Amy noticed one of the cloaked men tense just a tiny bit…
"It's you!" The kunoichi of earth pointed at him, "You were the one responsible!"
Without saying another word, the person whispered some arcane incantation and a strange fog surrounded him, his cohorts, and Pythor.
(*) "Warten Sie!" Melody shouted through the dark mist, "We're not through with you!"
(*) "Lâches!" Amy cursed once the fog cleared.
The men and Pythor were gone.
The ninja and kunoichi were at a loss on what to do. Pythor was back with a vengeance and the Overlord and his henchmen will only become more ruthless after this.
But their biggest question was how they'll break it to everyone else…
Back in the northwest parts of Ninjago, the other half of the team were also duking it out. Just like previous encounters, these punks were small play.
"Nature!"
Being surrounded by his namesake, Forrest had the greatest advantage of the ninjas. The trees around him grew extra boughs that lunged at the gangsters and wrapped tightly around them, squeezing the air out of them.
"What do you know about the Overlord!?" Chris finally interrogated the gang.
"L-like I'm ever gonna tell you…!" The leader managed to wheeze out.
Forrest only looked on coldly as he commanded the branches to squeeze tighter. Despite their desperate need of oxygen, the gang refused to give in but this only provoked the plant wielder to command the trees to suffocate them.
"O-o-okay! Okay! W-we'll tell you!" The thugs finally squealed in exchange for fresh air in their nearly crushed lungs.
"Tell us!" Alex commanded once the boughs loosened.
"The Overlord wants to bring them back!" One of them confessed.
"Who's them?"
"The Serpentine!"
To say the ninja and kunoichi were shocked would be an understatement.
They thought the Serpentine were gone forever, never to return since their parents wiped them off the face of Ninjago but were they really back?
"Prove it!" Chris raised his voice.
"T-t-that purple guy…!" One of them gasped, "I think… his name was Pythor… or something…! T-the Overlord already brought him back…!"
'Pythor…' Willow recognized the name immediately.
Her parents had told her stories of their past and how a purple Anacondrai named Pythor tried to destroy the ninjas and take her mother for himself. Her father said he was the most ruthless villain he had ever fought, second to the Overlord.
"But how!?" The twelve-year-old girl interrogated.
"D-don't look at us!" The thugs tried to defend themselves, "We're just in it 'cuz we're bored!"
"Pathetic." Chris spat.
Knowing he won't get anywhere with these lowly goons, Forrest finally let them go.
"Run home to the Overlord… if you dare!" Liana growled at the thugs once the branches tossed them off like a worn out toy.
Predictably, the gang took off like a bunch of scared dogs but now knowing that the rest of the team may have to deal with the Serpentine, this so-called victory felt hollow…
"We now know what the Overlord's up to… but why am I not relieved…?" Willow mused.
"At least they didn't get to Mom and Dad." Forrest tried looking on the bright side.
"We still have to check on the others! Come on!" Alex whistled for Breeze, who soon swooped down with the corresponding elemental dragons.
"To Ouroboros!" Chris pointed in the direction of the Sea of Sand.
The four dragons roared and flew off to catch up with the remaining ninjas.
It was a good thing Chris also had his mother' invention with him. It only took several minutes for his group to find the others but the news they got were far from pleasant.
"Pythor's back…!?" Willow gasped.
"I never thought it was possible but he is." Akira replied.
"We don't have much time to explain things here," Amy said, "We'll have to tell Sensei."
"Yeah…"
With tense hearts and slight disappointment with their battles ending in 'stalemates', the new generation prepared for the flight back.
The ninja and kunoichi looked upset by the time they returned to the Destiny's Bounty. Misako can tell in an instant that something big had happened.
"Have you identified the mysterious person?" She asked the group that went to Ouroboros.
"I didn't think I'd ever see him but I did…" Leon started, "Pythor was brought back to life."
The normally cool woman loudly gasped at the revelation.
"H-how…?" She can barely whisper.
"We still don't know." Kyle confessed.
"Pythor's probably the only Serpentine revived but unfortunately, not for long." Alex spoke up.
"If that is so, then tell us more." Misako said.
"Our group managed to get some information from the gang near Arbouria," Liana answered, "Apparently, the Overlord plans on reviving the leaders of the Serpentine tribes out of a mutual lust for revenge. They still desire to have the kunoichi for their mates and the Overlord agreed, knowing that if they succeed, they'll be out of his way or even join his side."
"WHAT!?"
All of the ninja and kunoichi were appalled and disgusted by the thought of their mothers being the mates or even queens of the Serpentine. Akira literally gagged at the thought of his mother as a snake and married to one of those vile creatures and even Melody's face discolored oh so slightly over the image of her mother covered in scales and with a tail in place of legs.
"Honestly, I'm not that surprised but I'm still just as upset as I knew I would be," Misako sighed, "It's already clear that Pythor wants to resume his evil designs."
"The Serpentine tried to do all this before?" Akira asked.
"The Serpentine plotted to take the kunoichi, your mothers, as their queens to keep their kind from dying out. They almost succeeded until your fathers came to their rescue. The battle that ensued was brutal as the ninjas killed each Serpentine leader. Their rampage lasted until every last Serpentine were gone but nothing was more gruesome than Pythor's death at the hands of Lloyd, who was infused with the Great Devourer's venom."
Leon and Willow grew uncomfortable hearing about their father's past. They knew their father had some evil in him when he was born and it felt unnerving just thinking about it. Even though the venom was purged long before they were born, they still didn't like the thought of the same thing happening to them.
"As I said before, Lloyd was a very different person in his youth," The old woman spoke as if she read the green ninja and kunoichi of time's minds, "Just because your father had done all those things doesn't mean you have to. You are your own person."
The ninja and kunoichi already knew of their parents' adventures and wanted to be like them… but will they really be up for the task…?
"Your parents have faith in you," Again, it seemed like Misako can read their minds, "They used to be ordinary people but they were determined to protect those they love, including you. Their faith in you will be a very important factor to your destiny."
"How?" Kyle asked.
"Even the smallest and simplest of things can tip the scale. But our focus right now is finding the identities of the remaining henchmen and stop the Overlord and Pythor from bringing back all the Serpentine."
"We understand…"
The new generation had a feeling that things will only get more difficult from here on out…
And they were right…
(*) Vater = Father (German)
(*) Fukanou = Impossible (Japanese)
(*) Warten Sie = Wait (German)
(*) Lâches = Cowards (French)
HOLY F&#KIN' SH^T! PYTHOR'S BACK!
Unfortunately, he may not be the only one the Overlord plans to revive. There's going to be a LOT of stuff going on later in this story! Plus, to make up for this bland chapter, the next one will have quite a bit of drama & some big reveals! Also, my poll will end on the 15th so PLEASE send in your votes & as always, review!