It had been weeks since the Ninja journeyed across Ninjago to collect the four Golden Weapons and Lord Garmadon had still yet to return.
Still Ninjago enjoyed the peace they earned as up in the Monastery the Ninja were preparing for the eventual return of the Dark Lord.
Or so one would think…
In his room, Master Wu was meditating as he heard the sound of fighting.
"Fire strike!" Kai called out, which brought Wu's attention, thinking that Kai might be practicing his moves as he stood up. "Oh, my gosh, is that the greatest move you have ever seen?" He asked the others.
"Stop trying to do it yourself. We need to attack as a team." Cole called out next as Wu stood up and walked outside.
Only to find only Lydie on the course practicing her swings with her bo-staff, she stopped as she saw her Uncle.
"Lydie? Where are the others? Weren't they supposed to be training with you?" Wu questioned with a brow.
Lydie simply pointed to the rec room, "I tried to tell them," She said before seeing the look on her uncle's face and sighed and walked away to where the boys were still talking.
"Zane, why are you wasting your special attack on me? You have to save it." Jay called next "Fantastic, now I'm out of lives." He complained.
"But the lesson is on and I am getting the hang of it. Hee-yah" Zane cheered, as the other ninja kept grunting.
Wu and Lydie entered the rec room to see the boys playing video games with pizza while the Golden Weapons were around them.
Wu shook his head and looked to Lydie as she sighed and nodded before walking past the boys and behind the TV, "Okay, now!" Cole called out as they used their characters' special moves on a rock monster boss, but then the TV turned off.
The boys groaned as they saw Lydie next to the TV, who was holding the plug to the TV. "Oh come on, Lyd!" Kai griped.
"What happened?!" Jay complained.
"It took us three hours to get there!" Cole complained.
"Why did you do that? Why?" Jay questioned while giving Lydie a look.
"Sorry, boys. But Wu's orders." Lydie said as they turned and saw Wu behind them giving a stern look.
"Just because Lord Garmadon escaped through a vortex doesn't mean he won't return one day for the Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu." Wu explained with his hands behind his back.
"He's right, boys." Lydie said in agreement. "Look I like to chill out and play games as much as the next girl, but Dad promised that he would return one day once he's strong enough to possess the four weapons." She reminded them.
"But Lydie, Sensei Wu, ever since he's gone, Ninjago has had nothing but peace." Zane reasoned.
"Yeah, peace is boring." Jay pointed out. "There's no one to save. There's nothing to do." He added.
Cole lazed on his back with his hands behind his head. "We can train tomorrow." He said.
"Never put off until tomorrow what can be done today." Wu said to them.
"He's right, guys. I get that there's been no action in Ninjago since our journey to the Underworld, but that doesn't mean that we should procrastinate on our duties." Lydie pointed out with her fists to her hips.
Cole then held up a slice of pizza, "Well, I was gonna eat this pizza tomorrow, so if that's the case…" He said as he was about to eat his slice, but Wu kicked the pizza out of his hand. "Ow!" He called out.
"No more pizza for you!" Wu sternly said as he twirled around. "In order to reach your full potential, you must all train." He lectured.
"Uh, remember when we did a little thing called the Tornado of Creation?" Kai reminded them in confusion. "I thought that was pretty insane." He said with a small smile.
Lydie just sighed and turned to her friends, "Guys, the Tornado of Creation was just a scratch on the surface of what we're capable of." She said as she walked around the boys, who were still lazing around, to the Sword of Fire which had a pizza slice on it, "I know there are still so many more secrets to discover, I mean these weapons have got to have something more than just creating worlds or warming up pizza." She said as she took the sword after knocking the pizza off.
Cole then picked up his Scythe and stood up, "You wanna talk secret powers? Check this out." He said before he skillfully used his Scythe to plug the TV back on as the game is still going.
The boys laughed excitedly as they continued to play their game. "Nice." Kai said as they all played.
Lydie and Wu sigh while Wu straightens his beard while Lydie shakes her head. "I should've unplugged the game system instead." She said to herself while rubbing her forehead.
"Don't worry, Lydie and master." Zane assured them. "We will be ready when Lord Garmadon returns." He said to them.
And just when he said that, Nya rushed in with an urgent look. "Guys, Lord Garmadon, he's returned!" She informed them.
"Already!?" Lydie asked in surprise as Wu gave a concerned look.
"He was spotted approaching Jamanikai Village." Nya informed them.
Lydie was alarmed by this, "Aunt Nao and Aunt Susan!" She gasped before she rushed out of the room, "Come on guys!" She ordered, already out of the room.
The boys gasped as they stood up, but kept bumping into each other as they fell to the floor while Nya crossed her arms with an annoying look.
The Ninja quickly put on their hoods as they rushed out after Lydie, but Jay tripped as he stood up as Nya came to him as she held up his Nunchucks to him.
"Uh, th-thanks, uh-" Jay stammered as he accepted his weapon.
"Hurry!" Nya called out.
"Okay!" Jay responded as he put on his hood and rushed after his friends.
Outside the Monastery, the five Ninja rushed to the Dragon Chambers where they kept their dragons. Lydie pulled the gate lever as she and boys rushed to their dragons, while she made it through with no issue, one of the gates hit Zane on the head.
"Sorry, Zane." Lydie apologized.
"No concern." Zane assured as he rushed to his dragon, Shard.
When Cole got on his dragon, Rocky, he dropped his Scythe.
Jay did some flips over to his dragon, Wisp, but he overshot it as he fell face first right in front of his dragon.
Wu saw this as he shook his head at his students, clearly seeing that the boys were out of practice with lack of training.
Lydie rushed to her dragon, Umbra, as she hopped on perfectly as she turned to her friends and facepalmed herself at their sloppiness.
Kai however got on his dragon, Flame, with no issue as he hopped on the saddle as Nya came beside Flame.
"Um, can I help?" Nya asked her brother.
"Sorry, sis, where we go, danger abounds." Kai said dramatically. "This is a job for the Ninja." He boasted as he reached for the reins, but couldn't reach them as he gave Nya a sheepish look. "Uh… Uh, a little help? Heh-heh." He said with an embarrassed chuckle.
Nya gave a dull look as she reached for the reins and gave them to Kai as the five dragons roared and flew off with Umbra taking the lead.
"Yeah!" Cole cheered as the Ninja flew off to Jamanikai Village.
"Will they ever reach their full potential?" Nya asked as she came next to Sensei Wu.
"In time." Wu answered before having a thought. "Maybe a long time for the boys, but in time. Well, Lydie might reach hers soon before the boys do." He said as they looked up at where they flew off.
In the skies, Lydie and Umbra were leading the way with the others right behind them, flying through the clouds on their way to Jamanikai Village.
"Just like old times, eh, Rocky?" Cole asked his dragon after giving it a pat on the head as the dragon gave a growl of agreement.
Kai then had a thought. "You guys believe what sensei and Lydie said about unlocking our full potential?" He asked the boys.
"They may be on to something." Jay said in agreement as he brought out his Nunchucks. "I mean, since we got these Golden Weapons, it's not like we've ever had to use them. I wonder what they do?" He wondered.
Lydie hung back a bit as she flew next to him, "Well we already know my Grandfather used them to create all of Ninjago, but I don't think that's all they can do." She said as she thought of something, "Come to think of it, I'm not even sure what my own potential could be, who knows what we're really capable of."
"I, for one, look forward to the future." Zane said eagerly. "If there is more for us to accomplish, let it be." He said to them.
"Don't know about you, but is anyone else a little excited about battling Lord Garmadon?" Cole asked excitedly. "I've been looking forward to trying out some new Spinjitzu moves." He spinned on his saddle before sitting back down. "Could be the perfect opportunity."
"Uh, Cole, you do know this is my father?" Lydie questioned with a brow. "The son of the First Spinjitzu Master, my Grandfather, my uncle's older brother? What do you plan on doing to my dad exactly if you try some Spinjitzu on him?" She asked.
Cole looked at her for a moment as he thought of what she said before it hit him. "Oh, right. Since he's basically a master like Sensei Wu, he's more experienced on Spinjitzu than we are." He said in realization.
"Yeah, so how about we work together on this one?" Lydie suggested. "Because if my father has returned, that means he's strong enough to possess the four Golden Weapons, fight him with brains not brawn." She advised them.
"Good point." Cole said in understanding.
"Ha-ha. Race you there?" Jay challenged, wanting to make this a race before they face Garmadon.
The five agreed as they spread out and flew over the forest at high speed as they flew over the mountains and did some dragon stunts in the air as Lydie looked down and saw Jamanikai Village below them.
"Home," Lydie said before a cheeky smile came to her as she looked to her friends, "First Ninja there wins, ready, set, go!" She said quickly before diving down.
"Hey, no fair!" Kai laughed as he and the others followed behind Lydie.
The dragons dived down to the entrance with a thud as the Ninja stood up.
"Ha! I was first." Kai cheered.
"No! No one was faster than me." Jay protested.
"My feet were down before yours." Cole said with a slight chuckle.
"You're all disillusioned. It was clearly me." Zane said.
"Uh, guys, maybe we can start a rematch later." Lydie spoke as villagers were screaming as they turned to the entrance. "Gotta stop my evil father before he does any damage, remember?" She reminded them.
The villagers were screaming in terror as they entered their homes as they saw a large shadow casted on the mountain as the Ninja entered the village square with their weapons ready.
The shadow shrunk as it drew closer to them as a familiar evil cackle was heard as Kai gave a narrowed look. "Stay sharp, team." He said to them. "Whatever happens, never let your guard down." He added.
Lydie however noted that the laugh didn't sound like her father but sounded more like a little kid. Then she realized something, "Oh no." She groaned and facepalmed.
The boys turned to her in confusion, "What's wrong?" Zane asked.
"That's not my dad," Lydie told them in embarrassment as saw the shadow becoming much smaller than Garmadon.
And then stepping out from behind the fountain was a little boy wearing a black cap and hoodie with a rib cage like Garmadon's painted on it and a matching belt. "It is I, Lloyd Garmadon!" The boy declared as he walked out with hands raised in an intimidating fashion before jumping onto the fountain, "I demand all the candy in town, or else!" He declared.
The boys stared at Lloyd in disbelief while Lydie just stood there with an unimpressed frown, "'Lloyd' Garmadon?" Jay asked in confusion, "I thought we were gonna face 'Lord' Garmadon, not some fanboy." He added.
Cole then realized something when Lloyd said his last name. "Wait, Lydie, isn't that..." He asked while turning to the purple ninja.
Lydie sighed and nodded, "Yup, that's no fanboy, that's my little brother." She said with a bored expression.
"Wait, didn't Sensei Wu tell you about your birth family after you found out that Garmadon was your dad?" Kai asked.
Lydie nodded, remembering how when she asked her uncle about her brother, she learned he was in Darkley's Boarding School for Bad Boys, and while he wasn't evil like their father, he was a real brat.
Lydie then sighed. "Looks like he escaped his boarding school for bad boys again." She said. "Which by the way, why does it even exist if it just teaches bad boys to be even worse?" She questioned.
"No idea. But it seems to fit your brother's case." Cole said as he stepped forward in disappointment. "And to think we could have been doing Spinjitzu already." He added.
The villagers soon realized there was no real danger and only a little kid pulled a prank on them as they marched out their homes towards Lloyd angrily.
Lloyd soon realized that the villagers weren't scared anymore and was in big trouble, "Uh, give me your candy, or else I'll release the Serpentine on you!" He called out.
The villagers started booing at Lloyd as he brought out a prank can of snakes, opened and out came rubber snakes. But instead of being scared, the villagers responded by throwing rotten fruit and vegetables at the boy.
"Unh! No, wait! I ask for candy, not vegetables." Lloyd complained as he tossed the can lid at them. "I hate vegetables!" He complained as he tried to duck the rotten food, but then he was then attacked by a huge pile that fell on them.
The Ninja are in front of the crowd as Lydie places a hand on her face with a sigh. "Oh Lloyd…" She sighed.
Kai picked up the fake snake in front of him. "He's gonna have to do a lot better than use an old bedtime story to scare people." He said as he stretched the rubber snake before slingshotting it away.
"The Serpentine are real, Kai." Zane pointed out. "They are not something to joke about." He advised.
"Serpentine? Real?" Kai questioned in disbelief. "We're talking about the ancient race of snake people who waged war with humanity for control of Ninjago, and we're supposedly locked underground?" He questioned.
"Divided into Five Tribes, each with their own unique powers." Lydie recalled, "The Hypnobrai, who were able to mind control others, the Fangpyre who's bite could turn anything into a serpentine, the Constrictai with their unbreakable grip and burrowing abilities, the Venomari with a hallucinatory venom that could put a victim into a realm of fear and the Anacondrai, the most powerful and feared Serpentine of them all, with an impenetrable hide, camouflage and able to swallow a man whole." She listed out, having read up about the Serpentines from her Uncle's scrolls.
Jay gave a nervous shudder. "Uh, and they were sealed in five different tombs to separate the warring tribes, and ensured they don't unify to exact their revenge upon those who put them there." He added in a slight fright tone.
Kai doesn't believe them one bit. "It was an old wives' tale to teach kids not to poke our noses where they don't belong." He pointed out. "Don't you think it's a little suspicious no one's ever found one of their tombs?" He questioned his friends.
"That's because you'd be a fool to look for one." Cole reasoned.
"And besides, Kai, my Uncle Wu and my father were two of the people who sealed the Serpentine away in the first place." Lydie told him, "Why would they want anyone to find the tombs of such dangerous creatures?"
"Plus, if there was anything I hated more than dragons it was snakes, rubber or not." Cole added as they walked up to Lloyd as Lydie picked him up by the hood.
"Don't worry, folks. We'll take care of this." Lydie spoke out. "Nothing to see here." She called out as she carried her little brother over her shoulder. "Come on, Lloyd." She said to her brother.
"Bow down to me or suffer my wrath!" Lloyd commanded. "I'll give you the count of three. One, two…" He threatened.
"What are we supposed to do with Lloyd? Spank him?" Kai asked with a look of interest.
"Two and a half." Lloyd continued as he gave a nervous look at what they were going to do to him.
Lydie thought for a moment before snapping her fingers, "I know just the thing." She said while giving her brother a look while Lloyd looked nervous.
And then a few minutes later, Lloyd is sitting on a chair while looking at a corner with his arms crossed. "You've just made me your nemesis!" He called out as he turned his head towards them. "Mark my words! You'll pay for this, sister!"
The Ninja and the villagers chuckled at him. "Yeah, keep trying little brother. I don't know why you insist on being like dad? You won't make any friends like that." Lydie pointed out.
"Our father never needed any friends! So who needs them!?" Lloyd yelled at her angrily but she could tell he didn't mean that, "You're nothing but a disappointment to him, I'll redeem our family honor and make him proud once I destroy you and the Ninja!"
Lydie didn't look bothered by the claim at all, "Yeah, like that's gonna happen. No offense, brother, but you're at a rough start if you're trying to scare a village for candy." She pointed out. "But hey, great intimidation of dad's laughter. You're getting better." She commented with a smile.
"Thanks. I had practice. So…" Lloyd said with a small smile before he realized what he said before he shook his head. "I mean, silence!" He said in his best Garmadon voice.
The others chuckled as Zane walked up to a candy vendor as he paid for some candy as he walked back to the others, as they started showing some candy as they took off their hoods.
"Next time Lloyd, try paying for your candy." Cole advised.
"Crime doesn't pay, muchacho." Kai continued. "You can take that to the bank." He added.
Jay then ate some cotton candy, "Mmm, cotton candy." He said tauntingly at Lloyd as the boy groaned in frustration before slouching down sadly.
Lydie frowned in sympathy before turning to her team, "Guys, Lloyd doesn't even have money for candy, and after seeing what they serve at Darkley's, it's no wonder he wants some. So leave him alone." She ordered before walking up to her brother with a lollipop and chocolate bar.
Lloyd just glared at her as she kneeled down with a smile and offered the candy to him, "Here you go, squirt." She said.
"Huh?" Lloyd looked confused as he stared at the candy before looking to his sister, "Wh-what are you doing?" He asked.
"You might be a brat, but you're still my brother." Lydie said as she gave him a warming smile while offering the candy. "Take it, you must be hungry."
Lloyd looked between her and the candy for a sec before he quickly grabbed the lollipop and chocolate bar as he started eating them quickly as Lydie gave a small smile at her brother before facing the others.
"You really care for your brother, Lydie." Cole commented with a small smile.
"It's a family thing." Lydie said with a shrug. "Lloyd may be trying to follow in our father's footsteps but he's still my brother."
"I get that, I'd do the same for Nya." Kai agreed, knowing even if Nya would've been evil, he'd still care about her.
Lydie nodded before turning back to her brother, "Thanks, now that you've had your fill Lloyd, we're taking you back to Uncle Wu and-Where'd he go?!" She asked in shock as Lloyd's chair was empty while the lollipop stick and chocolate wrapper were left on the ground.
"Wasn't he right there?" Jay asked in confusion.
"Wow, for a noisy brat, he sure knows how to move swiftly and silently." Cole commented.
"Oh man. Lloyd is on the move again." Lydie muttered as she rubbed her head. "He clearly inherited dad's way of disappearing." She added.
"I wouldn't worry. I sense that we might see him again." Zane assured her.
"Knowing that kid, he might show up sooner than we expected." Kai commented as he started walking ahead. "Come on, let's go home. Sensei and Nya will want to hear this." He said to them.
The others nodded as they walked out while Lydie was behind them as she turned to where Lloyd was as she sighs. "I hope you are okay, Lloyd. I will take you with us one day." She said as she caught up with the others.
Outside Jamanikai Village, the Ninja are about to saddle up their dragons as they walk up to their respective dragons.
Kai jumped onto his saddle, but then he stepped on a bag, which dropped a scroll from inside it as it fell to the ground.
Zane saw this as he picked it up as Kai jumped down after seeing it. "Huh? I don't remember putting this here." Kai said as he took the scroll from Zane in surprise.
"That's sensei's bag." Zane pointed out in realization while pointing at the bag attached to Kai's saddle. "You must have accidentally took it in the rush." He theorizes.
Kai then unraveled the scroll as the others came to him.
"What is it?" Jay asked in wonder.
"It's a scroll, windbag." Kai retorted.
"I know it's a scroll. But what does it say?" Jay asked. "It's written in chicken scratch." He pointed out.
Zane took a closer look at the scroll. "Not chicken scratch. The ancient language of our ancestors." He revealed.
"Wait, Uncle had a scroll that was old in the ancient past?" Lydie asked in surprise as she came towards them. "This might be very important for him to keep it."
"Uh, can you read it, Zane?" Kai asked.
"Well, I can try." Zane said as he looked closely at the scroll as he saw the symbols. "'This symbol means prophecy."
"Prophecy?" Jay asked in confusion.
"It means it tells the future, Jay." Lydie answered.
"Of course. Ha-ha!" Jay chuckled sheepishly. "I knew that." He said.
On the scroll were two Ninjas, one in purple like Lydie while the other was dressed in a green gi, with a Yin-Yang symbol behind them while the other four ninja circled around them as Zane read it. "One ninja will rise above the others and become the Green Ninja, the Ninja of Yang destined to unite with the Ninja of Yin and defeat the dark lord." He translated.
"Oh, look, a picture." Jay said.
"Dark Lord and Ninja of Yin?" Lydie asked in confusion. "Hold on, you think they mean my dad and me?" She asked her friends.
Kai then realized something. "Wait a minute. Is that us?" He asked again as he saw the multicolored ninjas that looked like them. "Is anyone else thinking what I'm thinking?" He asked them again.
"Like how good I'm gonna look in green?" Jay asked with a smirk hiding behind his hood.
"Ha! Isn't it obvious I'm gonna be the Green Ninja?" Kai questioned.
"The color obviously suits me." Jay protested.
"Technically, I am the best." Zane said.
"Everyone, stop it!" Lydie called out as she snatched the scroll from them. "Remember why Uncle Wu brought us together in the first place: we're a team." She reminds them.
"Lydie's right." Cole said as he walked up to them. "We weren't meant to see this and probably for good reason." He said as they all then mounted on their dragons. "Come on, let's head back home. We have training to do." He told them.
"It's about time I added some finesse to my routine." Jay said as he mounted on Wisp.
"Well, I could use some exercise." Zane said as he mounted on Shard.
"We got some practice to do when we get back." Lydie said as she mounted on Umbra.
"Yeah, I gotta work on some new moves." Cole said as he mounted on Rocky.
"Let's head back to the Monastery, guys." Lydie called out as she and the others flew off.
Kai remained behind as he was in thought. "Could I be the Green Ninja?" He asked himself in thought.
Sometime later, Lloyd walked through the snowy mountains as he kicked a rock.
"Stupid Ninja." Lloyd muttered. "I'll show them who they're dealing with. And I'll show Lydie that I can top up to dad's level." He said as he kicked the rock repeatedly before he heard a clangering sound.
Lloyd rushed up and saw something. "Hey, what is…?" He asked himself as he moved closer and moved some snow away before he went wide eyes and saw a snake-engraved stone on the ground.
Lloyd then saw a snake-like lever as he pulled it as the hatch opened up, which released some green mist as Lloyd lost his footing and fell into the catch with a scream as he tumbled across the floor with a groan as he stood up and saw that he was in an ice chamber.
"You are out of your mind to venture ssso far away from home, little one." A deep male voice said as Lloyd turned and saw a blue cobra man with white and yellow markings and holding a golden snake staff, slithering out from the shadows.
Lloyd backed away nervously as he realized who this man was, "Y-You're, you're a, a, a Serpentine." He stammered frighteningly as the blue snake closed in on him.
"Yessss." The blue snake said with a smirk as he looked straight at him with his tail rattling. "Look into my eyessss." He said as his eyes started swirling. "Give up your mind. I, General Ssslithraa, will control you." He said.
Lloyd felt dizzy from Slithraa's hypnosis before he resisted long enough to duck and close his eyes as Slithraa's hypnosis reflected back at him from a block of ice as he groaned dizzily.
Lloyd opened his eyes as he saw Slithraa looking dizzy as he turned to the ice behind him and realized that Slithraa had accidentally hypnotized himself as he gave a smirk, having an idea. "No. I, Lloyd Garmadon, will control you from now on, General Slithraa." He said, taking the chance.
"What shall you have usss do, massster?" Slithraa asked as he gave a bow to Lloyd as the hypnotism had already taken effect.
Lloyd caught what Slithraa said and was surprised, "Us?" He asked as Slithraa gestured around them as walking out were more snake men and women like him, only with legs not tails. Lloyd realized he not only controlled a serpentine but also the leader of a whole tribe of them, "My own army of snakes." Lloyd said with an exciting smile as he gave his own evil laugh.
At the Monastery, the Ninja put their dragons in the stables as they started climbing back up.
"So it's decided then we all agree." Jay spoke. "The prophecy states that one of us will become the Green Ninja, and the issue will not rest until it is decided." He said.
"May I suggest a tournament?" Zane suggested. "Last ninja standing is the best."
"And will be declared the Green Ninja." Kai finished eagerly. "I love it."
"You boys are really that desperate on who is the Green Ninja?" Lydie questioned in slight annoyance. "We don't know for sure who it is. Or that it isn't any of you at all, plus this is also my destiny too we're talking about." She pointed out.
"Yeah, well, we can already tell that the Ninja of Yin is you, Lydie. You're already wearing purple." Cole answered with a shrug. "We just want to make sure you get the best Ninja to help you defeat your father."
"Sometimes I wish I didn't have to fight my dad." Lydie said in slight sadness as they entered the Monastery.
But once inside, they saw Nya going through the training course as she tried to complete it, but then she got hit in the head with an incoming ax as she fell to the floor.
"Ooh, almost had it that time." Lydie commented as she walked up to Nya. "Still trying to beat your brother's speed record again, Nya?" She guessed as she helped Nya up.
"Ah. Yeah, and I'm getting there." Nya answered as she stood up. "Heard what happened in town. Just a false alarm?" She guessed.
"Yeah." Kai answered as he came up to his sister as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Uh, but we're gonna need the space. Sorry, sis." He said to her.
Cole then went to a cabinet as he tossed some armor gear out and tossed a helmet to Jay, which bonked him in as the two girls chuckled at him.
"Two matches, then the winners of each face off for the title." Cole announced. "Armor's for our own protection. It's time to see what these babies can do." He said as he raised his Scythe up with a smile.
Lydie sighed in defeat, "Seeing how it's confirmed I'm not the Green Ninja and seeing how I can't stop you guys, I'll judge the matches." She said.
"Green Ninja?" Nya asked in confusion.
"We'll explain later." Kai spoke. "So Nya, wanna stay and watch me mop the floor with them?" He asked his sister.
"No, thanks." Nya said. "I think I'll just visit Jamanakai Village. Knocked yourselves out." She said as she walked out the Monastery.
"Say hi to my aunts for me?" Lydie asked.
"Sure thing." Nya said as she went down the stairs.
The boys put on their armors as Lydie stood off to the side to referee the match.
"All right, first up: Kai versus Jay." Lydie announced as the two said ninjas faced each other as they drew their Golden Weapons. "NINJA-GO!" She announced as Kai and Jay clashed with each other, nearly knocking her off her feet.
The two switch spots as Jay twirled his Nunchucks around while showing off some moves while Kai raised his sword, but as Jay kept spinning his nunchucks, they gave off a quick electric shock that zapped him out of his stance.
Lydie saw this and widened her eyes, "What the?" She muttered, wondering how that happened.
Kai then flipped over Jay as the two clashed weapons as Kai then ran across the wall before he fired a fireball at Jay, which knocked the wind out of him as Kai looked at his sword in awe before he gave a smile.
And then a few minutes later, Jay sat on the bench glumly, while Kai waited on the sidelines as Zane and Cole faced each other.
"Okay, Kai moves on. So next round, Cole versus Zane." Lydie announced as Jay gave a glum look that he wouldn't be the best or have the title Green Ninja. "NINJA-GO!" She announced again as she flipped away.
Zane and Cole drew their weapons as they did some moves before Cole charged at Zane as he swiped his Scythe at him, but Zane jumped up as Cole accidentally sliced a training pole, which surprised him by that as he charged at Zane again as they clashed weapons.
Zane then jumped over Cole as he threw one of his Shurikens at Cole, which landed on the ground as Cole placed his feet on it as ice slowly started to form up his legs. Cole ignores it as he gives a smirk.
Zane brought out his other Shuriken as he twirled it around before he charged at Cole. But as Cole was about to move, he realized he couldn't as he looked down and saw that the ice grew up to his legs, preventing him from moving as he blocked the incoming Shuriken strikes from all sides as Zane circled him.
Zane moved in for the deciding blow as Cole blocked his strikes as Zane flipped around him, but Cole then used his Scythe to trip Zane over and aimed his weapon at him, marking Cole the winner despite being trapped in ice.
And then, Zane and Jay sat together on the steps as Zane gave a defeated look at losing the match as Lydie spoke again.
"For the prize and the title of best ninja in all the land, blah, blah, Kai vs Cole, etcetera, etcetera, ninjago, go." Lydie said dully, getting really bored of repeating this over and over, wanting it to get done quickly.
Cole and Kai then clashed weapons as they blocked or dodged strikes as Cole flipped back before he stuck his Scythe's blade into the ground, which created a shockwave that blew Kai back to the main training pole and fell to the floor.
The three cheered for Cole. "Very impressive." Jay commented.
Cole pumped his fist. "Yes!" He cheered.
But Kai got up with a growl in frustration before he did Spinjitzu but he suddenly stopped. He felt like he lost control of his Sword as it started shaking. "It's too hot!" He cried out as his Sword lit in flames.
"Kai, your sword!" Lydied called out in shock.
"It's burning." Zane said in astonishment.
"Fire!" Jay exclaimed.
Kai tried to regain control of his Sword doing Spinjitzu, but he stopped again as he dropped the Sword as the fire from it started spreading all over the training ground surrounding them in flames.
The Ninja tried to put out the flames but had no luck in doing it. Wu came out after hearing the commotion, and was shocked by what he saw. With a fierce look, Wu walked through the flames and grabbed Zane's Shurikens as they floated around as he concentrated.
And then suddenly, the Shurikens somehow responded to Wu as they came together, spun around in the air and released icey particles over the fire, putting it out while the Ninja watched in awe while also putting out the fire that was on Jay's rear end.
The Shurikens came back to Wu as he caught them. "Whoa. I didn't know you could do that, Uncle." Lydie said in awed.
But Wu was too angry to even respond to his niece as he gave his students a glare. "What were you thinking?!" He yelled in disbelief.
"Un, we were trying to figure out who was the Green Ninja that should be partnered with Lydie." Jay explained before Zane hit him on the head. "Ow! Uh, heh, did I say Green Ninja?" He asked nervously at his mistake. "No, sorry, ahem, what I said was lean." He corrected, but the damage was done.
Lydie sighed and decided to just tell the truth, "Kai took your bag by accident and we found this scroll that said one of the boys would become the Green Ninja and unite with me to take down my father." She explained while taking out the scroll she was holding.
"You were not supposed to see this." Wu said as he took the scroll back from Lydie.
"And when were you gonna tell us, or rather me about this, Uncle?" Lydie questioned with her arms crossed.
Wu then stared back at her, "And why did you not prevent your team from this rash course of action?" He questioned back.
"Hey, they were ready to train normally until they saw your scroll." Lydie said in defense. "And you know, you can hardly control them yourself so what chance do I have? And sure that's no excuse for not trying but…" She tried to explain but realized she was making it worse for herself.
Kai then stepped forward, "Look Sensei, don't take it out on Lydie again, it was our idea." He told him, "We just wanna know, which one of us is the chosen one?" He asked.
"None of you, if you don't unlock your full potential." Wu said as he began to walk back into the Monastery.
"But Uncle, Kai's sword was burning so bright and earlier, Jay's Nunchucks actually shocked him." Lydie told her uncle, "Is this what you were talking about unlocking our powers?" She asked.
"You are only at the beginning and the road is long and winding." Wu said to her as he kept walking. "But yes, this is what I meant." He answered.
"But what about me? I mean, there was no Golden Weapon of Darkness for me. So how can I unlock my powers without the need of a weapon?" Lydie asked in wonder.
"Hey, she's right." Jay said in realization. "Sensei, how can Lydie use her powers if she doesn't have a weapon like us?"
Wu stopped from that as he sighed. "I shouldn't have kept this from you, Lydie, but do you recall how your Grandfather infused his Powers of Creation into the Golden Weapons?" He asked as he turned to his niece.
"Well, yeah. And he used that power to create Ninjago." Lydie said. "And he knew that kind of power would be too great, which is why he infused them into the weapons. Why?"
"Well, even before the Golden Weapons were created he was able to use the elements himself and as his granddaughter," Wu paused, hoping Lydie would understand what he was saying.
Lydie then realizes what he was saying. "Wait, are you saying that we can use our elemental powers without the need of a weapon? Just like that?" She asked in shock as the boys shared the reaction.
"Yes. Just like that." Wu answered.
"But, how do I bring it out? I mean, I'm not just the only girl and leader of this team, but again, I'm the only one who doesn't have an elemental weapon." Lydie pointed out.
"And how do those among us that do have weapons unlock ours?" Cole added.
"Your powers will only come to you when you are ready," Wu answered simply and continued to walk back inside, "If this is what it takes for you to train then so be it. But none of you four are near the level of what it takes to stand with Lydie as the Green Ninja." He said before glancing at Lydie, "Nor are you ready to face your father yet." He added as the Ninja are having some thoughts as Wu walked back inside.
At Jamanakai village, Nya was talking to Nao and Susan at the market, "I can't believe that little devil is actually Lydie's brother." Nao commented as she recalled the recent 'attack' from Lloyd.
"Trust me, we were all shocked. Even Lydie when she first found out from Sensei Wu." Nya answered.
"Well, it's great to know that Lydie finally found her birth family." Susan said with a proud smile before frowning a bit. "Even if her father is an evil jerk."
"Well, we can't always pick families." Nya said with a shrug. "But her Uncle is the nice one." She said with a small smile.
They then heard people screaming and running away in terror as they turned and saw Lloyd walking out the candy store with a wheelbarrow that was full of candy.
"Take whatever you want, but the candy is mine. Everything else, take it all!" Lloyd ordered as he gave his sinister crackle.
The three women raised an eyebrow. "Ugh, Lloyd is back again. Hasn't that boy learned his lesson?" Nao asked in irritation.
Nya then noticed something as her eyes widened in fear, "Uh-oh, looks like he brought some friends this time." She said as Susan and Nao looked behind Lloyd and widened their eyes as well.
Coming up from behind Lloyd were the Hypnobrai following him as they looked around the villagers as Slithraa then used his powers to hypnotize the villagers as they groaned and walked around like zombies while Nya, Susan and Nao hid behind some stands.
With the villagers hypnotized, the Hypnobrai began looting the village for anything of value, "This makes no sssenssse, General Slithraa, I mean, I can underssstand raiding an entire town for anything we want, but under the command of a child who only hasss a desssire for sssweets?" One Hypnobrai asked Slithraa about his unusual decisions.
Slithraa then turned with a firm look, which caused the snake to flinch. "You will do asss I command, Skalesss, becaussse I hold the ssstaff. And the boy ssset us free from our prissson, and honor demandsss that we repay our debt to him!" He stated as he placed his staff in front of him firmly.
At the Monastery, the Ninja are now training properly as inside, Wu was meditating. In his smoke visions he saw Lloyd pillaging Jamanakai village and to horror, with the Hypnobrai Tribe aiding him.
Wu opened his eyes in shock as he rushed to the training grounds. "The Serpentine are back! Everypony in Jamanaki Village is in danger!" He called out.
The Ninja turned to him, "Calm down, Sensei." Cole said calmly. "We were just there. It was just Lloyd pretending to be-"
"The Spirit Smoke does not lie!" Wu interrupted him, "An ancient evil has been released."
"But my aunts are in Jamanakai!" Lydie said in great concern.
"And Nya's there too." Kai added as he remembered Nya going there.
"Nya?" Jay asked in great concern before he gave a brave look.
The Ninja then quickly rushed to the Dragon Stables as Lydie opened the hatches, and this time the Ninja managed to mount on their dragons a lot better than last time.
"Stay close. Stay together." Lydie said to the boys.
"Would we do it any other way?" Cole joked as they flew out and flew back to Jamanakai Village.
At Jamanakai Village, the remaining unaffected villagers ran in panic while Lloyd was in the square again as he was really hyper, obviously from the amount of candy he had eaten in the raid already.
Lloyd gave a chuckle. "I'm never coming down from this sugar high." He said as he laughed excitedly before the Ninja appeared in front of him.
"Careful Lloyd, all that sugar is gonna come back to bite you later." Lydie mocked her brother.
"Sorry to bust your buzz, Little Garmadon." Cole spoke next.
"But it's already past your bedtime." Jay finished.
Lydie then grabbed Lloyd by the shoulder, "Now are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?" She asked, "Because only one of them ends with you not grounded."
"I prefer the hard way, sister dearest!" Lloyd said with a smirk before he shrugged off Lydie's hand and turned around. "Get them!" He called out.
The Ninja was confused before they looked behind and saw the Hypnobrai as Slithraa rattled his tail at Lloyd's commands. "Ssseize them!" He ordered his troops as they charge at the Ninja.
"The Serpentine? They're real?" Kai asked in shock.
"You really need to read up on history more, Kai." Lydie commented, before she realized something. "Wait, Lloyd! You opened one of the Serpentine tombs?!" She asked her brother in shock.
"In fact I did!" Lloyd exclaimed excitedly. "Now I have my own army, just like father, Lydie!" He declared as he gave his sinister laughter.
"Lloyd, are you crazy?!" Lydie demanded as she grabbed Lloyd, "These snakes waged war with our father and uncle 40 years ago, they're maruding, deceitful, scaly freaks who turn on you the first chance they get!"
"I wouldn't worry about that happening." Lloyd said calmly. "They're leader accidentally hypnotizes himself and is under my control, and as long as I control him, the other Serpentine will do as I say! And once I show dad what I've done when he comes back, he's gonna be so proud of me!" He said excitedly.
"You think dad wanted you to do this?!" Lydie questioned in disbelief. "He never wanted me to follow his path, so that includes you as well!" She pointed out.
"Liar, liar, pants on fire!" Lloyd retorted as pointed his snake army at them, "Grab them!" He ordered.
The Ninja were then surrounded by snakes as the hypnotized villagers closed in on them. "It's not just the snakes we have to worry about." Cole said as the controlled villagers closed in on them. "The whole village has been hypnotized." He called out.
Jay then brought out his Nunchucks as he started spinning them before Zane grabbed him before he could do anything. "No. Our weapons are too unstable. We could do more harm than good." Zane told him.
"I guess that leaves us with: run!" Jay yelled out as the Ninja then starts parkouring stealthily over the rooftops of the village and hides behind a wagon in an alley.
As they catch their breath, Nya, Nao and Susan pop up from behind some crate, "Nya, Nao, Susan! You're okay!" Lydie said in relief.
"Barely." Susan answered, "Those snakes hypnotized the entire village, and have looted all of our food and money."
"Mind control." Jay said. "How is this possible?" He asked them.
"When you hear them rattle their tails, don't look them in the eyes." Nao advised.
"That's how they get you under their control." Nya finished.
"What are we supposed to do?" Jay questioned as the others turned to him. "We can't use our weapons, and now we gotta fight with our eyes closed? Ha! Perfect." He rhetorically said about their situation.
"And not to mention we can't hurt the villagers since they're not in control." Lydie added in worry. "How can we snap them out of it?"
"Well, there is a way to snap them out of it." Nya spoke as they turned to her. "The snake with the tail and the staff is the general. He's the one incharge. If we can get the staff from him, it holds the antivenom." She informed them.
"and we can use it to save everyone." Lydie finished with a determined look before looking at the boys. "Look, guys. I need you four to forget about the whole Green Ninja thing and start focusing on saving the people. You can't let this whole prophesy thing get to your heads while people are endangered." She said to them.
The boys are in thought as Kai spoke. "Lydie's right, guys. Let's make sensei proud. The five of us, we're a team." He said in determination.
The others nodded in agreement. "Now you're talking." Cole cheered.
"Oh, and Nya, Nao and Susan, you can be our honorary members." Jay said to them.
The two women looked at each other with smiles but Nya just crossed her arms. "Gee, thanks." Nya sarcastically said.
"Why so disappointed, Nya?" Susan asked. "We are now honorary members of the team." She pointed out.
"Oh, nothing." Nya said with her hands on her hips.
"Other than that, we'd be happy to help any way we can." Nao said with a small smile.
"Alright, guys, let's go stop my little brother and his snake army." Lydie declared as the Ninja and Nya jumped over buildings while Neo and Susan followed behind them while on the ground to stay hidden as they headed back to the square to get the staff.
Kai jumped on the ground as Hypnobrai serpentines had him surrounded.
"You wanna play?" Kai asked. "How about a little Spinjitzu? NINJA-GO!" He did Spinjitzu at two of them before he bumped a Fruit Stand and bananas fell on the ground. As he continued to Spinjitzu, Kai slipped on the bananas and hit a wall before he fell back.
Lydie facepalmed, "Oh brother." She groaned.
"Okay, we're really out of shape." Jay commented when he saw what happened to Kai.
As the serpentine laughed at Kai the fire Ninja ninja quickly got up and punched two of them that were behind him.
Lloyd was running away with his wagon of candy as he looked around. "Consider this a warning, ninja." He called out to them as he gave his signature chuckle.
Zane was on a rooftop as he threw his Shurikens in front of Lloyd, which caused some ice to form causing the boy to trip himself and his wagon as his candy spilled out of it.
"NINJA-GO!" Zane Spinjiztued in front of Lloyd after he tripped his wagon.
"Aah! My candy!" Lloyd cried out as his candy spilled to the ground as Zane got in front of him.
"Sensei and Lydie were right. Never put off until tomorrow what can be done today." Zane said, now understanding what their leader and sensei meant. "We should've dealt with you properly the first time around." He said seriously.
Lloyd saw there was no saving his candy and turned to Slithraa, "Retreat!" He ordered.
Slithraa heard Lloyd's command as he turned to his tribe. "Retreat!" He repeated.
Lloyd and the Hypnobrai began to fall back before Cole jumped at Slithraa and kicked him multiple times, making him drop his staff out of his scaly hands and fell in front of Cole as he looked at the snake general.
"Go ahead, give me a reason." Cole dared the general.
Slithraa looked at his staff and Cole before he slithered away in fear as Cole picked up the staff and inspected it. But as he moved it out of his field of vision he saw Skales in front of him as his tail rattled.
"Look into my eyesss." Skales said as he uses his powers on Cole, as the Earth Ninja felt dizzy. "I control you."
Cole's eyes turned red and began to swirl as his mind became foggy. "You control…" He drowned before he heard Lydie shout.
"Cole!" Cole snapped out of the hypnosis just in time to see Lydie jump-kick Skales to the face as the Hypnobrai rubbed his face as he retreated with his tribe.
Lydie then turned to Cole who was walking away in a daze, "Cole, where are you going? You're holding the antivenom!" She called out as Cole turned to her.
Cole snapped out his trance as he saw the staff in his hand. "By golly, you're right." He said to her.
"Quick, use the staff on the fountain. It will spread the antivenom across the village to snap the villagers out of it." Lydie informed as she pointed to the fountain next to them.
"Good idea." Cole said as he ran up to the mountain he jumped to it and lodged the staff into the center as mist began to spread out from it across the village. The mist when inhaled by the villagers snapped them out of the Hypnosis.
As the sun fell, the Ninja regrouped. Nao and Susan were able to save some of the village's riches and food while the Serpentine escaped with the rest.
Wu then came to the village to check on them as Lydie held up the staff.
"We're sorry, Uncle." Lydie apologized in a guilt tone. "If we dealt with my brother before he actually became a problem, none of this would've happened. I should've been a better sister and been there for him." She said in guilt.
Wu nodded in understanding. "Even lessons learned the hard way are lessons learned. And I know all too well what it means to be a better sibling." He said as he took the staff from Lydie as he looked around in concern. "Hm, a great evil has been released. I fear troubling times will come. This is only the beginning." He said to Lydie as the others huddled close.
"Then we will train and be ready for the Serpentine." Zane said.
"It may not be Lord Garamdon, but that doesn't mean we won't bring our A game." Cole said next in determination.
"Help us train, help us realize our potential." Kai pleaded as he held Wu's arm.
"Yeah, teach us the secrets behind the weapons of Spinjitzu." Jay spoke next.
"And teach us how to hone in our powers and learn how to control it." Lydie finished as she looked at her hands. "If we need to prepare for anything, we need to know everything." She added.
Wu hummed, "There is much to teach," He said as they started walking away, "We must return to the Monastery."
Nya gave a sigh. "When am I gonna get my own dragon like Lydie?" She asked, feeling completely left out.
"Patience, Nya." Wu said. "Your time will come." He assured as he turned to Lydie, who was looking in great concern. "Are you alright, Lydie?"
"I'm worried about Lloyd," Lydie said before turning to Wu, "He might be in control of the Hypnobrai for now, when the General is free, what are they going to do with him?"
Wu sighed, "I don't know, all we can do is hope that Lloyd will realize he is making a great mistake." He answered..
"And do you think he might open the other Serpentine Tombs to increase his army?" Lydie asked in concern as well.
"I believe that Lloyd doesn't know where the other tombs are located. He must've found the Hypnobrai tomb by accident." Wu said before frowning in concern, "Though, I fear he may find clues to the location of the other tombs with it."
"Do you know where they are?" Lydie asked in curiosity.
"I am sorry, but for the safety of Ninjago, I erased the memory of the tombs' locations," Wu answered. "And the only map to the tombs was lost to the sands of time. So I do not think we will have to worry about the other tribes, for now."
Lydie didn't take that as a comfort as she was deep in thought, having a feeling that what awaits them will be tougher than the last snakes they fought, knowing that they will have to prepare for the worse.
Back at the Hypnobrai tomb, the snakes regrouped in their old tomb as Lloyd suddenly felt his sugar rush wearing off as he felt the sugar crashing.
"Un, candy." Lloyd groaned. "I need candy." He groaned.
Meanwhile, Skales and Slithraa were having a conversation regarding Lloyd, while Skales had an ice block where Lydie kicked him. "The boy ssset usss free, Skales." Slithraa reminded.
"He isss a human child." Skales pointed out as he placed his free hand on his general's shoulder. "While we are grateful that he granted usss our freedom, he isss not one of usss." He added.
Slithraa brushed Skales' hand off his shoulder. "I may not have the ssstaff, but I am ssstill your general. Ssstand down!" He ordered.
Skales realized that he couldn't talk Slithraa out of it as he walked off as a female Hypnobrai came to him. "Skales. We all know he isss under the boy's ssspell. Slithraa ssshould've known better than to hypnotize the boy in a place of mirrorsss." She stated frustratedly. "You are his sssecond in command and ssstill you can't do anything to sssnap him out of it?"
Skales remained calm however, "Now wasss not the time, I ssstill hold the key to freeing our General and dessstroying the Ninja and then everyone will sssee who isss truly in control." He said as he gave a sinister chuckle.
In Skales' eyes, he can see the Ninja in the rec room of the monastery as they are discussing their plan to prepare for the Serpentine and Lloyd's future attacks. As it turned out, Skales was seeing through Cole's eyes, who was almost hypnotized by him during the raid, not enough to control him, but enough to see what he sees so he could know the Ninja's next move.