Chapter 3: The Weapon, The Key, and The Guardian
As the sun rises into the sky, we find the ninjas pulling a horse carriage up hill with Wu, Shining Armor, Spike, Twilight's friends, and the young six riding it. "Sign me up! Way to go wind bag!" Thunder mocked Flash as they pulled the carriage.
"I sense this is some strange form of...team building." Frost said to the others.
"Just keep pulling, we have a long way to go!" Landrush told the other ninjas.
"So, where did sensei find you five?" Flash asked them as they continue to pull.
"Let's just say if it wasn't for Sensei Wu, I don't think we would ever be seen together." Gaia said as they each remember when and how they met Sensei Wu.
"She's right, I was testing my limits." Landrush told Flash as he remembered. He was mountain climbing with no gear. Just his bare hooves as he made it passed other climbers. But when he reached the top, Wu was there waiting for him.
"I was testing my invention." Thunder said as he remembers. He was on top of a building with home made wings. He jumped off the building and flew for a short sec before he crashed on to the next building's roof, where Wu was waiting for him.
"I was testing my stamina." Gaia said as she remembers. She was in a forest and swinging on vines and branches. She soon stopped on a large branch, one where Wu was having a cup of tea.
"I was testing myself." Frost said as he remembers. He was in a village's pond while it was frozen over and meditating in the water. When he looked to his side, he jumped and almost drowned in the water as he saw Wu there.
"And before the skeletons attacked, I was testing my metal." Trail said as he remembers. He was in his family's blacksmith shop, working on a sword. After he cooled it off by placing it in water, the end of it was all twisted just when Wu entered the shop.
"You're right! If it weren't for sensei would have-" Flash said before Wu shushed them.
"Stop!" Wu told them before they did. He, Shining, Spike, Twilight's friends, the young six, and the ninja hide behind rocks as they watched the skeletons set up camp and were digging. "The Caves of Despair. Samukai must be close to unearthing the Scythe of Quakes. Remember, do not use the weapon. For its power-"
"Yeah yeah yeah, its too much for us mortals." Thunder interrupted Sensei Wu.
"Well you don't have to be rude about it." Rarity told Thunder, and making Gaia sigh.
"For about five minutes, can you not be a snob?" Gaia asked Rarity. "And you can drop the accent, I can tell that's not what you sound like." That just made Rarity glare at her.
"All right guys, let's chop sucky this lemonade stand." Thunder said before he looked at Landrush. "Landrush, you got a plan?"
"Sure do." Landrush answered. "First, those who can fly can work together to lower the rest of us down on one of those ledges and then-" He stopped when he noticed that Trail Blazer is gone. "Where's Trail?" The group looked around till they saw Trail was already sneaking around in the skeleton's camp.
"What in tarnation is that idiot doing?" Applejack asked when they saw him.
"Let's go, and stick to the shadows." Flash said as he and the others went into the camp. Ocellus turned into a small bug to not to be seen, Yona stick with Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy as they stay out of sight. Gallus and Sliverstream went with Rainbow Dash as they used a few clouds to hide in. Sandbar was with Shining Armor and Spike as they snuck behind some rocks. Pinkie Pie was using her Pinkie logic to get around.
Trail sneak pass some skeleton guards, while the other ninjas stayed on him. After Trail flipped pass a guard without him noticing, the others quickly jumped down from a rock and hide behind a poll. When the guard wasn't looking, they quickly sneak pass him and quickly put an old minecart over them. Two skeletons looked when they heard the thud, but saw nothing. When they looked away, the ninjas lifted the cart and keep moving. The ninja soon were moving pass some skeletons who are working together pass rocks down. The ninjas couldn't see where they were going, so they bumped into a rock and the cart fell. When the skeletons looked to where they heard the noise before a rock on a conveyor belt hurt one of the skeleton's leg.
When the skeletons went back to work, the ninja got up and continue on. They stopped behind one skeleton before they lift up the cart to see where Trail is. The skeleton infront of them saw Trail and Pinkie Pie go different ways and before he could warn the others, the ninjas quickly put the cart over him with them and beat him up. They soon left that skeleton in pieces with one of his bones in his mouth. Trail was looking around till he saw Samukai in one of the towers they built looking at the restored map. "The map." He whispered when he saw it.
"Oh oh, I found something!" Nuckal shouted as he picked up something from the conveyor belt while the ninja were holding underneath it while it moved.
"That's another rock, you bonehead!" Kruncha told Nuckal when he saw what it was.
"But it's shaped like a donut! Mmm, I wonder if it tastes like a donut." Nuckal said before he try to take a bite out of the rock. But the moment he did, one of his teeth fell out. Trail went to where Samukai is while the others saw where he was going. They each followed Trail up the tower where Samukai is and they all join on the roof. Rarity and Shining used their magic to hold up Yona to where they are. Trail was looking down into the room in a hole in the roof and sees Samukai looking at the map.
"What's the matter with you?" Thunder whispered after he slapped Trail in the head. Trail shushed before looking back down. Samukai laughed before putting the map down and the group can see why it's taking the skeletons so long to find the spelt wepon.
"The map's upside down, they're digging in the wrong spot." Pinkie Pie whispered.
"But the golden wepon is still near." Frost whispered. Ocellus turned back before using her magic to pick up the map and bring it to them. Once they got it, they looked at it the right way to where the golden wepon really is.
"It looks like it's over there." Spike whispered as he pointed to a cave.
"There's no time to waste." Trail whispered before he back flipped down.
"What is it with that guy? Always in a rush." Thunder whispered before they went after him. Trail managed to sneak pass two skeletons guarding the cave and headed inside. The others have managed to get in as well. But the moment they enter the cave, those who can fly fell to the ground and their magic stopped working.
"Hey, what happened?!" Rainbow Dash whispered as she flapped her wings but couldn't take flight.
"It's the cave, it must be enchanted." Shining Armor said before they saw Trail trying to move a large boulder out of the way.
"Hey hot head, before you race off again you need to remember that we're a team." Gaia told Trail.
"Yeah, whatever." Trail said before he try to move the boulder again. The others went over and helped him with the boulder. When Yona helped moved it out of the way, they saw a chamber was revealed and inside was the thing they are looking for. The Scythe of Quakes in what looked to be in the mouth of a dragon head statue. They looked at it in aw as they walked into the chamber.
"Whoa, that is so cool!" Thunder shouted when he saw it and his echoes went through the caves. Every skeleton heard his echoes that they stopped working.
"Be quite! We don't want their attention." Applejack told Thunder as Landrush was pulling the scythe out of the mouth.
"But it is super cool." Pinkie Pie said as Rarity wrap the weapon in a cloth.
"Come on, don't be paranoid. We're totally on the opposite side of the caves." Thunder told them.
"Zip it, okay?" Gaia asked as they were about to head out. "Now that we got the scythe, let's sneak out while those boneheads are still busy."
"By the time they find this place, we'll already be long gone for the next wepon." Gallus said. As they headed out, they didn't notice the dragon head statue moved its mouth open on its own.
"Alright team, everyone stick together. The way out is right around the corner." Landrush told them before he turned his head forward and jumped when he saw Samukai infront of him. The group saw the whole skeleton army have arrived and come for the scythe. As Samukai drew out his daggers, the ninjas quickly stood on their back legs and drew out their weapons. The others took a defensive postions as the skeletons charged at them. Yona charged through and knocked down a few skeletons as Applejack bucked one into others like a bowling ball. Rainbow Dash kicked a few skeletons as Rarity and Pinkie Pie threw some rocks at them.
Shining Armor, Sandbar, Gallus, Ocellus and Sliverstream worked together with Gaia as they took down a few skeletons. Fluttershy ducked as two skeletons try to tackle her. Flash use his bo to spin around and kicked each skeleton around him while both Spike and Smolder used their fire breath to roast a few of them. Trail swung his sword at a few skeletons while Frost threw his shurikens at a few of them. Landrush used his scythe to knock a few skeletons as Thunder attack them with his nunchucks. Trail soon got surrounded by the skeletons for he hold the Scythe of Quakes. "Trail! Throw it here!" Frost called out from the other side of the cave. Trail quickly passed the scythe to Frost. As soon as Frost caught it, he quickly threw it towards Landrush who is punching a few skeletons.
Landrush caught the weapon as more skeletons came. "There's too many of them!" Trail shouted as he swing his sword at some.
"We can't let them have the weapon, keep fighting!" Flash said as he used his bo to knock a few skeletons back.
"Let me handle that." Thunder said as he used his nunchucks to strike a few more of them. After he kicked another one back, he started to see the training course Sensei Wu put them through. "Hey guys, it's just like the training course!" He told them as he followed the rhythm. "Jump up, kick back, whip around, and spin!" As he hit a skeleton with his nunchucks when he spin around, he didn't stop spinning but went faster. He began to spin so fast that his entire being became a blue tornado made of lightning, he was doing Spinjitzu and knocked down a few skeletons.
"Whoa, is that...?" Fluttershy asked as she and the others saw Thunder.
"Spinjitzu." Shining Armor said in aw.
"Thunder, what's the key?!" Flash asked him.
"I'm just going through the motions!" Thunder answered. Within Thunder's Spinjitzu tornado, everything was slow motion as he attacked each skeleton he came across. "This is what sensei must have meant when he said we already know it!" Flash thought if Thunder could do it, so can he.
"Jump up, kick back, whip around, and spin!" Flash said as he followed the rhythm while he fought some skeletons. He spun so fast that he did Spinjitzu and his is bright yellow made of wind. He used it knock away a few skeletons that surrounded Fluttershy and Ocellus.
"My turn! But I see it more like this!" Gaia shouted as she followed the rhythm too. "Over the planks, dodge the swords, here comes the dummy!" Her Spinjitzu is a green tornado made of life. She pass by Nuckal and Kruncha as she attack a few skeletons that charged at her. Kruncha was laughing so hard after she did Spinjitzu.
"She just called you a dummy." Kruncha told Nuckal as he laughed.
"No, she called you a dummy." Nuckal argued before they saw Frost Gear doing his Spinjitzu right at them, so they made a run for it. Frost's Spinjitzu tornado is pure white made of ice.
"I sense that you do not stand a chance." Frost said after he stopped.
"Retreat!" Samukai shouted before he and all the other skeletons run out of the cave and away from the six Spinjitzu Masters. Landrush and Trail Blazer were doing Spinjitzu with the others as the skeletons run away. Landrush's Spinjitzu is a brown tornado made of earth while Trail's is fire red made of fire.
"Look at them run!" Applejack shouted as she and the others celebrated a bit.
"I guess they didn't want a second serving of these babies." Landrush bragged after he and the other ninjas stopped before he flexed his muscles. The others rolled their eyes when he did. "Good thing they didn't check out the merchandise in the back." He said as he turned around and his pupils shrank when he saw what was behind them.
"Yeah, and don't any of you mess with us again!" Sliverstream shouted at the skeletons, unaware of what's behind them.
"Uh...guys..." Landrush said as he backed up a bit and sounding scared.
"Didn't sensei said that there was a guardian protecting the weapon?" Frost asked as he felt something off.
"Yeah, I'm surprised that thing didn't show up because of all the noise we've made." Rainbow Dash said.
"Maybe it knew we were here and saw the goodness in us." Fluttershy said.
"Guys, I don't think it sees the good in us and it's here..." Landrush told them and made them turned to see what he is seeing. Their faces that are not covered by a ninja mask, had looks a fear and they backed up a bit from the the guardian of the Scythe of Quakes. It is a large brown dragon with a black frill around it's neck, green eyes and a large club tail.
"Is that a...?" Gaia stammered fearfully, "That's not what I think it is?"
"Y-y-you mean a big angry dragon?" Thunder asked as the Dragon stood up on it's back legs, and as Thunder said, it looked very angry.
"Umm, that sure looks like a dragon." Shining Armor said as they continue to back up. Fluttershy was hiding behind Yona while she whimpered. Rainbow Dash and Applejack took a defensive postions as they backed up while Rarity and Pinkie Pie stood infront of their students.
"I sense we won't be able to spin our way out of this one." Frost said as he backed up.
"Maybe it's friendly and will let us go." Spike said with a bit of hope in his voice. Smolder however noticed the dragon taking a deep breath and she knew what it's about to do.
"Not friendly. IT'S DEFINITELY NOT FRIENDLY!" Smolder shouted before the dragon breath earth right at them and they quickly jumped out of the way. The earth breath may have missed them, but it has sealed off the exit.
"Thieves! You dare come into my home and try to steal the Scythe of Quakes!?" The earth dragon roared at the group before he breath earth at them as they run out of the way. "I have been guarding it for thousands of years and I will NOT let it be taken by a troop of cowardly robbers like you!"
"I thought dragons only breath fire! How is that breathing earth?!" Gaia shouted with fear.
"This might be one of those elemental dragons we read back at the monastery!" Ocellus shouted.
"You know, it would have been nice to know that the guardian of the weapon is a dragon!" Gallus shouted as the dragon had them cornered.
"You know that fear of dragons I had? Well it's coming back!" Gaia shouted.
"Wait, we not here to steal the weapon! We're trying to protect it!" Flash try to resone with the dragon.
"Liar! That's what they all say! This Cave shall become your Grave!" The dragon roared as he prepared to end them. Trail took the scythe and unwrap the cloth as he is about to use it.
"No no Trail, bad idea!" Thunder told him. "Sensei told us not to!"
"You better keep your mouth shut!" Trail told Thunder before he ran infront of the dragon and everyone can see what he's about to do.
"Trail, don't!" Flash called out but it was too late. Trail had raised the weapon before slamming the blade part into the ground, causing a tremor to go everywhere.
"You fool! What have you done?!" The earth dragon shouted as the ground began to split part. The inside of the cave began to fall apart as rocks fell on top of the dragon. It didn't let that stop it as it got up as the others made a run for it.
"We got to escape!" Sandbar shouted as the place was caving in.
"But how?! The exit is blocked off!" Spike pointed out before they noticed the roof was splitting apart.
"We'll spin our way out!" Flash answered. "Landrush, you take Yona and Applejack. Gaia, take Pinkie Pie and Sliverstream. Trail, carry Rarity and Ocellus. Thunder, Rainbow Dash and Gallus. Frost, Shining Armor and Sandbar! I will carry Fluttershy, Smolder, and Spike!" They all agreed as Twilight's friends, Shining Armor, Spike, and the young six hold on to the ninjas.
"NINJA GO!" The ninjas shouted as they did Spinjitzu as the dragon as it charged at them. They spin on the wall and through the crack before the dragon could reach them. Outside, Sensei Wu waited by a tree as the ninjas jumped out from a large crack in the ground. Once they were out, they stopped spinning and they celebrated.
"That was awesome!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she flew up.
"Hey yeah it was!" Landrush shouted. "Did you see us back there?!"
"Ninja smash real good!" Yona shouted as she stomp the ground.
"Yes! We are unbelievable!" Trail shouted while Wu looked at him with a disappointed look.
"We are the best!" Frost said.
"Did you that?! I was like pow and you were like bam!" Thunder shouted as he thrust his hooves like he was punching someone.
"Enough!" Wu shouted and getting their attention. "I told you NOT to use the scythe!"
"He did it!" Thunder shouted as they all pointed at Trail Blazer.
"What?!" Trail asked when they point at him.
"We try to warn him, sensei." Landrush told Wu.
"Using it was my only option." Trail explained.
"And what makes you think you are more important than the team?" Wu asked Trail. "Did you not even think about the young ones, their teachers, or the prince of the Crystal Empire? Huh, huh?!"
"They took my sister and the ruler of Equestria, remember?" Trail asked.
"Hey, I want to save my sister as much as you want to save yours. But I know she wouldn't want me to disobey orders and put others in danger to do so." Shining Armor told Trail.
"There are five weapons left, maybe next time you can do it right." Wu told Trail before they set off for the next weapon.
Meanwhile in the Underworld, Samukai kneels down in a throne room after returning. "Master, I have failed you. They have learned Spinjitzu and they have the Scythe of Quakes."
"Good. Then my brother was there." Said a voice within the room.
"If I gather my army, we can easily ambushed them at the-" Samukai said before the voice interrupted him.
"No, let them think they're winning." The voice told Samukai, which confused him.
"Ah, I do not understand." Samukai said.
"Everything is going to plan." The voice told Samukai before it began to chuckle.