Chapter 2: Home

Sensei Wu is meditating in his room in front of what look to be a flute. "My turn. Uh, it's my turn!" He heard Trail shout.

"Oh, you want a little more? Take this." He heard Landrush said. That made Wu stop meditating and put the flute wrapped it in cloth.

"Yeah? How about a little of this?" He heard Trail asked.

"Monkey paw to the head!" He heard Gaia shouted as Wu puts the flutes in a cabinet.

"Ninja roll!" Wu hear Thunder shout as he opened the door to where the tv and video games are. But was surprised to find them not there. "Dragon punch!" Wu then open the doors to the training ground to find them training. Both Twilight's friends and the young young six were there as well with Starlight, as they help the ninja train. Thunder use his nunchucks to block arrows Starlight, Ocellus, and Rarity are shooting. Yona, Gallus, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack threw dummies at Landrush as he used his scythe to knock them down. The rest hold up targets as Flash and Gaia used their weapons to lunch rocks at the targets.

"NINJA, Go!" Trail shouted as he practiced Spinjitzu as he spun around the training course. As everyone was doing their own thing, Frost was meditating in the middle of the training course. Once he raised his head, he jumped before flipping pass Thunder, Flash, and Gaia. They got distracted by him that Flash and Gaia got hit by the rocks they threw up, and a arrow got stuck in the chains of Thunder's nunchucks. Frost somersault to Landrush and took his scythe to knock down a dummy.

"NINJA, GO!" Frost shouted as he did Spinjitzu and froze the ground of the training course, causing Trail to slip on it.

"That was... interesting." Starlight said when she saw Frost do all that.

"This roof isn't big enough for the six of us." Trail said.

"Correction. This roof isn't big enough for him." Landrush told Trail.

"It's like he's in his own world. I bet he can't even hear us!" Thunder shouted when Frost was near. Frost continue to practice anyway while the others watch.

"Sensei, Frost's weird." Gaia told Wu.

"What is weird? Somepony who is different, or somepony who is different than you?" Wu asked.

"Nice words of wisdom. But no, he's "weird" weird." Gallus told Wu. They each remember the reasons why he's weird. The time Landrush was using the bathroom and Frost came in to comb his main. The time when Aqua, Thunder, Sliverstream, and Gallus was watching a movie, the stallion was saying goodbye to his lover. While they cried, Frost was laughing so hard like it was a comedy. Then there was the time Trail went to get a snack from the fridge, only to find Frost sitting inside the fridge eating a daisy sandwich.

Then there's now as Frost bow to a dummy before it hit his head. "We like the guy, he's really smart." Flash said. "He's just, uh, a little off sometimes."

"Yeah! He even question all my jokes!" Pinkie Pie said. "How could he NOT get them?!"

"Frost is a brother, and brothers are often different. I should know." Wu told them as he remembers his own brother. Meanwhile, a pegasus mare with a grey coat, yellow derpy eyes, and a mailbag was flying to the monastery for a mail delivery. Once she reached the gate, she rang the doorbell, which sounded like a gong.

"Mail!" Every ninja but Frost shouted before they went to open the gate. When they saw Derpy, she reached her bag for their mail. "Let's see, a letter from Thunder's parents." She said as she took out the letter and gave it to him. "One for Flash from Princess Twilight." She gave Flash his letter. "Trail has a fan letter." Trail snatched his. "One for Gaia, and it's from her mother." She gave it to Gaia. "Oh, something from Landrush's father." She said as she handed over the letter.

"What no package?" Landrush asked. "Me and Gaia are expecting something from the Dragon Lands."

"Yeah, from Dragon Lord Ember." Gaia said. "It should be here today."

"Hmm, no, nothing from, uh..." Derpy said as she dug into her bag before she pulled out a package that looked burned. "Ah, here it is."

"Ha! Orchy and Rocky are gonna love these." Gaia said as she took the package before she and Landrush ran off. As Flash, Trail, and Thunder open their letters, Ocellus noticed Frost is the only one who doesn't have one.

"Hey Frost." Ocellus called out. "How come you didn't get anything in the mail?"

"Yeah, how come you never hear anything from your parents?" Thunder asked.

"I don't remember my parents." Frost answered. "I've been an orphan all my life."

"You mean you've never had a home?" Trail asked as Frost looked down as he shook his head no.

"I know how you feel." Gallus told him. "I don't remember my parents either."

"The monastery is your home now, Frost. Just as the school of friendship is yours, Gallus." Wu said before Frost walked back inside. Meanwhile down in the dragon's keep, Landrush and Gaia open their package and pulled out some gems.

"Livertoad stones, my favorite!" Rocky said with excitement.

"And florist stone for you Orchy." Gaia told her dragon.

"You know me so well." Orchy said before she and Rocky took both gems and eat them.

Little did they know that Scales was seeing everything Landrush was seeing. He was on a tree house fortress and standing next to another serpentine as the others are constructing it.

"I can't believe you hypnotized one of the ninja." This serpentine told Scales. "Does the general know?" She asked.

"Of course not." Scales answered. "He's been put under the control of Lloyd, and I plan to use it for my best interest." He said before the general approach him.

"Everyone works while you two ssslack?" The general asked. "As my second in command, I expect more from you, Scales."

"Yesss, general." Scales said as he bow his head. The General turned to leave but Scales had more to say, "General, you know I am most loyal to you, but I must question this childish agenda. The ninja have ssstolen our ssstaff, yet you instruct your army to make thisss playhoussse for Lloyd?" The General frowned at Scales as he pointed out, "Sssnakes don't belong in treesss."

"You no better than to question my judgment, Scales." The general told him. "I'll pretend you didn't ask."

"Hey!" Lloyd called out from a elevator. "If we plan to rule Equestria from here, this elevator needs to have a trap door. I want more booby traps!"

"As you wish, young Garmadon." The general said as he gestured Scales to move along.

"As you wish, general." Scales said with a dark look before he went back to work.

As the sun sets over the monastery, Princess Twilight had arrived to talk about the serpentine with the others. They all have gathered in the dining room for dinner and it is Frost's night to cook. Mm. Oh, I love it when it's Frost's night to cook." Thunder said as he rubbed his belly.

"You said it." Spike said. "It's like the best I've ever eaten."

"Hey, I didn't any complaints about my sunflower chowder last night." Landrush said.

"That's because it glued our mouths shut." Trail told him. "You really thought Thunder was speechless all throughout dinner?"

"Yeah. Please don't make that again." Thunder told Landrush.

"Lucky we weren't here for that." Starlight whispered to Rainbow Dash as Frost brought out the main course.

"Dinner is served." Frost said as sat it down on the table. Everyone in the room can see that Frost is wearing a bright pink apron with flowers on it. The moment they saw it, they burst into laughter. Fluttershy was covering her mouth as to try not to laugh. "What's so funny?"

"Frost, you're wearing a... Well, even I wouldn't wear that." Aqua told him.

"You laugh because I take steps into ensure I am clean after cooking?" Frost asked as walked next to Landrush.

"Ha-ha! No, we laugh because you came out wearing that ridiculous outfit." Trail told Frost.

"I guess we don't share the same sense of humor." Frost said.

"Well, how about this?" Landrush asked before he shoved a plate full of food in Trail's face. Everyone but Frost laughed at that. "How could you not find that funny?" He asked before Wu came up behind him and put a bowl of chili on his head as Landrush let out a yelp. As Wu, Trail, Gaia, and Smolder laughed at that, he didn't.

"Now you are brothers." Wu told Frost and Landrush. Everyone started laughing and throwing food at each other as they are having fun. The only one who's not laughing is Frost as they continue and his apron is getting messy by the food they're throwing. Later, Frost walked outside with a trash bag and put it in a trash bin. He took off his messy apron just as Fluttershy came out.

"So sorry about what happened in there." Fluttershy said softly. "I think your apron was nice."

"Thank you, Fluttershy." Frost said before he looked up at the night sky. Shortly after, they heard a falcon cry and they saw one sitting on a branch, looking at Frost. As Frost tilted his head, the falcon did the same. When Frost shook his head after seeing the falcon, the falcon did the same. Both Frost and Fluttershy were surprised by this before Frost got on his back hooves and moved his front ones up and down while moving his back ones from side to side. The falcon was doing what Frost was doing with its wings and talents.

"I think it likes you." Fluttershy told Frost before she flew up to it. "Hello Mr. Falcon, it's nice to meet you. Are you here to build a new home here?" The falcon didn't make an sounds as it looked at Frost before it took off. Frost saw it fly off and felt that he had to follow it. So he did just that, with Fluttershy follow behind. They followed the falcon to a forest before it landed on a tree branch and they both saw the serpentine constructing the treehouse fortress.

"If I see one filly in here, I'm gonna go ballistic." Lloyd told some serpentine. Both Frost and Fluttershy knew they had to tell the others. When the falcon cry out, Frost looked up at it and smiled as it shook its head to tell them to go.

"Thank you, our mysterious friend." Frost told the falcon.

The next day, Frost and the other ninjas were running though the forest after he came back and told them what he and Fluttershy found. Frost was a head of them before he stopped and looked around to try and remember where to go next. "I don't even think Frost knows where he's going." Trail said to the others before they caught up to him. "Uh, tell us again how you stumble upon Lloyd's secret headquarters?"

"I followed a bird." Frost answered.

"Why did you follow a bird?" Gaia asked.

"Because it danced." Frost answered.

"Oh. Okay. Was it a cuckoo bird?" Thunder joke, causing everypony but Frost to laugh.

"Of course not. Everypony knows cuckoo birds are not indigenous to these forests." Frost told them before he continued on. The others just shrug before they followed him again. All six continue on before they reach location of the treehouse fortress.

"Watch it!" They heard Lloyd shouted. "No, bigger! Come on, we don't have all day. It's not time for lunch break."

"Holy cannoli, snowflake was right." Landrush said when they the treehouse fortress.

"We can't let that brat and those snakes get a hoofhold in Equestria." Flash told the others. "We got to destroy that thing before it becomes operational."

"Whoa. Are you sure?" Thunder asked. "It looks like a pretty cool tree house. There's a ropes course. Oh, a tree wing."

"Hey. Remember whose team you're on." Gaia told Thunder. "All right, boys, what do we do?"

"It looks like the entire place is being supported by those five trees." Flash told them as he pointed to five trees with ropes on them holding the treehouse fortress up. "Once those ties are severed, the whole thing is gonna fall like a house of cards."

"But why would one make a house of cards?" Frost asked. "Such construction would be careless."

"Oh, brother." Gaia said while she rolled her eyes.

"Travel in shadows, team." Landrush told them before they head out. Both Trail and Gaia made it to ropes in the ground before they cut the line and use them to head up. Two serpentine were getting on a elevator and as it moved up, Landrush is on holding on the bottom. As the two serpentine were on the elevator, one hit the other before he hit him back all while Flash, Thunder, and Frost was climbing a tree to the top. Thunder lots his balance and was about to fall down before Frost and Flash quickly got him. Each of them made it to the top of the treehouse fortress before they looked down and saw Lloyd.

"It's almost finished." Lloyd said. "Soon, my fortress will be complete. You!" He shouted at a serpentine. "Hold up that sign for me." The serpentine then picked up the sign that says, "No fillies or ninja" as LIoyd walked over to a lever and pulled it. A trapdoor underneath the serpentine open up and he fell down it. "Booby trap!" Lloyd yelled as that serpentine fell to the bottom. The ninja looked and nodded to one another as it is time to ruin Lloyd's day. Flash stayed on the treehouse fortress as they others went to the five trees to cut ties.

"NINJA, GO!" Thunder shouted as he did Spinjitzu and cut the rope. The moment the tie was cut, the treehouse fortress leane to one side and some serpentine fell out.

"NINJA, GO!" Frost shouted as he did Spinjitzu and cut another rope. When it did, the treehouse fortress started to fall apart and more serpentine fell out.

"NINJA, GO!" Both Trail and Gaia shouted as they did Spinjitzu at the same time to cut the ropes. Lloyd had to stopped himself from falling out before he looked up and saw Flash on top.

"I said no ninja. Attack!" Lloyd order the serpentine.

"Everyone, retreat!" Scales shouted. The serpentine listen to him as they either made their way out of the treehouse fortress, or fell out of it.

"Landrush, wait till we're off the tree house, then cut the line!" Flash told him, which Landrush gave a nod to. Scales saw Landrush and knew it was time.

"You will obey my every command." Scales said as the swirls in Landrush's eyes returned and was under his control.

"I will obey your every command." Landrush said as he gave a bow. The others joined Flash as the place is falling apart.

"Where's Landrush?" Thunder asked as Flash pointed to where he is.

"This whole place is coming down." Trail said before Landrush jumped to where they are with his scythe out.

"No pony goes anywhere, until you deal with me." Landrush told them as he approach them. The others backed up as he looked like he was going to hurt them bad and worried that the place could fall apart at anytime.

"What's gotten into him?" Gaia asked.

"Look at his eyes." Flash said as he pointed at Landrush's eyes.

"He's under their control." Frost said.

"Yeah, well, he better snap out of it quick, because this whole place looks like it's about to go down." Thunder said nervously.

"Don't go." Lloyd told Scales as he pulled on his arm. "We have to protect my tree house fortress."

"Your tree house?" Scales asked when he turned to look at Lloyd. "It's about time we did this."

"Did what?" Lloyd asked before Scales pulled a lever and a trap door open up underneath LIoyd. As the snakes laughed, Lloyd fell into a wooden cage.

"Now to get the ssstaff." Scales said before they all left. Back on top, the ninja were still backing up a bit as Landrush looked ready to attack.

"Okay, now come on. Friends don't hit friends." Thunder said before Landrush kicked him in the face. "Okay, uh, I'm gonna ignore that." Landrush then swung his scythe at them as they dodged his attacks. When he spin kicked but miss them, Landrush took a quick breath before he slammed his side next to Trail and a piece of roof fell down.

"What are we supposed to do?" Trail asked as he dodged a punch from Landrush. "If I use my sword, this place will go up in flames faster than a tinderbox." Landrush then swung his scythe at Frost and he nearly dodged it.

"Isn't the antivenin in the staff?" Frost asked as they continue to dodge Landrush.

"Yeah, but the staff is back at the monastery." Gaia said before Landrush kicked her and she fell off before Frost and Flash quickly grabbed her hooves.

"Thunder, use your lightning." Frost told him before he and Flash tossed Gaia back up. "Try to shock him out of his trance."

"Oh, sorry, Landrush, this is gonna hurt you a lot more than it's gonna hurt me." Thunder said before he took out his nunchucks and spin them around. He filled up electricity in the nunchucks before he launched a lightning bolt right at Landrush, which knocked him back. They watched as Landrush got up and saw that he is still under a trance. Landrush then ran at Thunder and knocked him off the roof. Thunder quickly grabbed a rope that was dangling off the treehouse and swung to a beam. "That is a serious safety hazard." Landrush grabbed his scythe before he ran across the last rope holding the place to where it is tied. They saw him raised his scythe and was about to cut the rope.

"No, Landrush, don't!" Flash called out. The others try to reason with him before they heard a soft music from a flute play. On the back of Trail's dragon is Wu and Aqua as Wu was the one playing the flute. As he played, Landrush's eyes returned to normal as the flute was snapping him out of his trance.

"Huh? Unh, huh? Unh, where-? Where am I? What am I doing?" Landrush asked.

"We're getting out of here because this whole place is coming down!" Aqua shouted. Each ninja ran and jumped on the fire dragon as the treehouse fortress fell apart.

"That flute." Trail spoke.

"It cancels their powers." Thunder said.

"It's as old as the serpentine themselves." Wu told them. "But we must hurry. The monastery's unguarded. Quickly!"

"I'll get us there as fast as I can!" Flame said as he flew them back to the monastery. As soon as they reached the monastery, they find it set a blaze and burn down.

"We're too late. Those snakes." Trail grunted when they saw the monastery burned down.

"Help us!/Somecreature get us out of here!/We're trapped!/Dragons in distress!/I'm too young to be burned!", the other dragons roared simultaneously as they were trapped in the dragons keep.

"Orchy!" Gaia shouted when she heard them. When the fire dragon land, Gaia quickly jumped off it and ran to free the other dragons. The others got off the dragon and to find their home has been destroyed. The ninja took off their masks and had sad looks on their faces.

"Our home." Flash said in a sad tone.

"Shard, put this out." Frost called out to his dragon.

"Right." Shard said as she used her ice breath to put out the flames.

"The training equipment, gone." Frost said.

"Our video games, gone." Thunder said.

"Everything, gone." Trail said.

"They stole their staff back." Wu told them.

"What do we do now?" Gaia asked before Orchy gently nuzzled her head to Gaia.

"At least we're all okay." She said as Trail picked up a piece of burned wood with his wing before he crushed it with anger.

"If you hadn't followed that silly bird, none of this would've happened!" Trail shouted at Frost.

"Trail." Wu spoke up.

"No. Sensei, he's right." Thunder said. "Because of you, my high score has been deleted!"

"This is a teaching moment." Frost spoke up. "We must learn from this."

"A teaching moment? What's wrong with you?" Gaia asked. "How can we learn from our destroyed home?!"

"Don't you get it? Everything is gone!" Landrush shouted at Frost.

"Enough!" Wu shouted and getting their attention. "We are all at fault. Frost is your brother."

"Wu is right." Flash spoke up. "If Frost hadn't followed that bird, then Lloyd and the serpentine would have gotten Equestria by surprise. We can't blame Frost for this."

"Flash is right. Apologize at once." Wu told them. They looked down knowing they're right before they turned to apologize to Frost.

"I'm sorry, Frost. I-" Trail started before they saw that Frost was gone.

"Frost?" Thunder asked as they look around for him. Wu looked off in the distance and sees Frost flying away on his dragon.

Meanwhile, the serpentine return to their tomb with Lloyd have one of his hooves tied to a rope while Scales hold the staff. All the serpentine were chatting amongst themselves about Scales, which made Lloyd worry. "Do something, general." Lloyd whispered. "You're still under my command, right?"

"Enough! I am the general, you will return my stuff at once." The general ordered Scales.

"No." Scales said, making the other serpentine be surprised that he disobeyed.

"You dare challenge my command?" The general asked before the serpentine started to chant.

"Slither Pit. Slither Pit. Slither Pit. Slither Pit." The serpentine chant.

"I guess we will have to fight for it." Scales said. "In, the Slither Pit!" All the serpentine cheered when Scales called for it. Scales then gave the staff to a serpentine to hold as Lloyd was tied to an icicle. This serpentine walked out on a balcony with the staff, looking down on Scales and the general who entered an arena made of ice.

"Winner gets the staff and leads the tribe." The serpentine announcer said. "You know the rules: There are none. But in the Slither Pit, whatever I say goes." Both Scales and the general nodded to those terms. "All right, fight!" The serpentine cheered and shout as Scales and the general circled each other. The general the swing his tail at Scales, only for him to jump over it. Scales then through a punch at the general, but the general caught the punch before he tried to punch Scales. Scales quickly got free and hit the general in the face. As the fight went on, Lloyd saw a map sticking out some ice with a skeleton inside it. While the serpentine are watching the fight, Lloyd was reaching for the map. With his hoof tied up, he struggled to grab it.

"Two weapons!" The serpentine announcer declared as he pulled the lever and weapons made of ice lowered down. The general picked up a shield and a pickaxe, while Scales took two swords. The general through the pickaxe at Scales, only for him to dodge it. The pickaxe hit a wall and cause a crack that cost a few stalactites to fall where the general stood as he use shield to block them. "Sidewinder!" Thr serpentine announcer declared as he pulled another lever in the platform the two are on began to wobble. As they struggle to keep their balance, Lloyd was able to take the map.

"Go, general. Go!" Lloyd cheered as they fought. The general rattled his tail as he was using his powers on Scales. But Scales quickly kicked the general in the face before he could fall under his spell. Scales then swung his two swords at the general as he used his shield to block each one. Scales then moved his body like a snake which confused the general before Scales ran up and kicked him in the jaw, causing him to fall to the ground.

"He used Fang Kwan Do." One serpentine called out when they saw it.

"Uh, get up. Get up!" Lloyd order the general. The general set up before he fell back down.

"We have a winner!" The serpentine announcer declared as he hold up Scales' arm and all the others cheered. The moment Scales took the staff, both his and the ex-general's bodies change. Scales' legs fuse together as a tail was growing while the ex-general's tail grew shorter. Soon the two swapped scales as Scales is the new general and every serpentine cheered his name.

"You will be loyal to me now." Scales told the ex-general.

"I will do as you command." The ex-general said before Scales turned his attention to Lloyd.

"You, leave and never return." Scales told Lloyd.

The ninjas, Aqua, Wu, and their dragons are by a fire while eating something. "Uh, what are we eating again?" Trail asked.

"Ugh. Mud newt." Landrush answer after taking a bite out of his. "Not bad for something that lives underground."

"What? Aah! Ugh!" Thunder shouted as he spat out his and threw a rock into a can nearby. "Yeah, a new high score."

"This is a new low..." Whisp sigh as Twilight and her friends came in.

"We heard what happened to the monastery." Applejack told them. "Them snakes are gonna pay for this."

"In the meantime, you all can stay with me in the castle till we find you a new home." Twilight offered.

"Thank you, your highness. But, we do not wish to be a bother for you." Wu told her. "Remember, we must be thankful for what we still have."

"What do we have? Our home is gone." Gaia spoke up.

"You know, I don't miss our home, what I really miss is Frost." Flash said.

"Yeah. I miss Frost too." Thunder said.

"Frost?" Aqua asked when she saw something.

"Yeah, Frost." Thunder said. "You know, white ninja? The smart, strange one?"

"No! Frost!" Aqua shouted as she pointed at Frost himself.

"Frost!" Everypony shouted before they ran over to him.

"Oh, Frost. We're so sorry for everything we said." Thunder told him. "We're a team, and that means we're all responsible."

"You don't need to apologize to me." Frost told them.

"But what about all those awful things we said?" Trail asked. "Isn't that why you left?"

"Of course not." Frost said. "I saw the falcon again and I followed him."

"A falcon?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"It was thanks to him he and I found that treehouse fortress." Fluttershy said.

"That's our Frost." Landrush said with a smile before they group hugged him.

"We're happy to have you back." Aqua told him.

"Why? Is it my turn to make dinner?" Frost asked, causing the others to laugh.

"Yes, Frost." Wu answered. "We would love for you to make dinner."

"But I already made it." Frost told them. "Come, I want to show you what I found. I think you will all be pleased." They all followed Frost for a while before he stops and turns to them. "I can't explain it, but I feel a strange connection with the falcon. I think he's trying to help show us the path we need to take." They walked for a bit more till they what looked to be a a large red ship with a dragon head on the front. "Our new home."

The others were in aw at the sight of the ninjas' new home. "That's an awesome looking ship!" Pinkie Pie shouted.

"That's not just any ship, that's the Destiny's Bounty!" Twilight told Pinkie with excitement. "I read about it in books, but to see it in person it's truly astounding!"

"Do I smell pie?" Thunder asked.

"Cobbler berry." Frost said. "Oh, and I made myrtle berry, and apple, and-" Everypony but Wu and Frost was already running to the bounty to chow down on some pie before he could finish telling them.

"I am proud of you, Frost." Wu told him. "One day, I promise, you will find your family."

"But I've already found them." Frost said.

"I feel there's more to you than meets the eye." Wu told Frost. "There's something special about you, Frost."

"Sensei, will I become the Light Ninja?" Frost asked.

"It's too early to tell." Wu said. "But if it's in your path, you will know. Come now, it will be a shame to let them eat all that pie." They went to join the others. As they laugh together as they enjoyed dinner or throw food at each other, Lloyd was watching them from a distance before he sigh. He then walked away as he followed the map he took, which showed him the locations of the other four serpentine tombs.