Disclaimer: Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu and Legends of Chima are both own by LEGO Company.
Balance; is such a simple world for such an important concept. All things must be in balance or disaster may threaten to follow. Yet the balance is always changing and not always for the better.
After a great victory against the Serpentine, the heroes of the land celebrate their accomplishment, certain that their troubles are nearly over. "To us! TO CHIMA!" Laval cries out to his friends as they look over the fruit of their labor. Before them a large pile of chi orbs glow, waiting to be delivered to all throughout the lands. "Thanks to us, those slithering creeps are in shambles, by the time the pool can produce more orbs we'll be ready to strike!" Cragger boasted gleefully to the others.
Walking into the room, Lagravis witnesses the activities before him, before deciding to interject, "Not so fast young Cragger. The Serpentine may be without Chi, but they are still great in numbers. You managed to defeat one of their tribes, but the others remained an issue. Especially with them holding domain over so many of the tribes, I fear that we may no longer be able to deliver this chi ourselves." The old king reminds his young allies. Wanting to keep their spirits high, Laval decides to speak up, "Don't worry about that da1 That's what the eagles are for. Right Eris!" he asks as he turns to her. "Huh, oh yeah! The eagles will be happy to continue helping with the chi deliveries, especially if it minds ending the strange weather phenomenon!" she assures him, remembering the crazy windstorms she had to deal with. With that said, Laval continued, "See, besides, with the way those snakes are treating everyone, it's only a matter of time before they join us!" he says in high spirits. Looking at his son, Lagravis can't help but smile at how much he had grown, "Perhaps you are right! Dividing their forces will make them easier to defeat, especially if we can get the other tribes to revolt! In the mind time, the wellbeing of Chima release on the eagle's shoulders." He finishes looking over to Eris. "Hee-hee! No pressure." She said bashfully as she stares towards the group.
At the old Lion Temple, Pythor looks on towards a map of the land in anger. "Those insolent little brats think they can just insult me and get away with it! I think not!" he said to himself as he began to plot his newest plan to insure total control of the lands. "I just have to find a way to strike them where it hurts, to make all their efforts a waste! Then, while they are defeated, I will find them and CRUSH them!" he yells as he slams his fist against the map. Cautiously from the doorway, a soldier approaches, "L-l-lord Pythor!" he stutters as he emerges. "What!" was all the snake king responded with. "The other generals have arrived." He says slowly. Looking over to him, Pythor lets out a long breath, "Yes, send them in." he says in a polite voice, regaining his composure. Bowing down to him, the Anacondrai soldier turns away to welcome the summoned generals.
Pythor watched as each and everyone of them arrived, taking their sit around the table. Once all were in their place he spoke, "Gentlemen, I believe you all know why I summoned you here!" As the gathered generals looked to one another, Skalitor was the first to speak up, "To deal with the rebels." he said hesitantly. "YES! To deal with the rebels! The rebels that shouldn't exist because of you! Just what have you been doing in those towns. I sent you to keep those tribes in line, yet they continue to resist us!" suddenly he pointed a hand at Acidicus, "You! Why have you not tracked down that insufferable crocodile yet!" he then points over to Skales, "and you! How many times have the lions gone to help those lumbering bears! That was supposed to be the easy one!" After regaining his composure, he then gestured to Fangtom, "So far he has been the only ones to carry out their duties properly!" to which the duel headed serpent nodded. Not tolerating the slander, Skales spoke up, "We have been keeping those bears from tearing up the place, without us this little rebellion would be much bigger. And if your little scouting party had done better, you would have known that our powers don't work on those bears!" he yells as he remember trying to hypnotize the bear population to their side, only for them to immediately fall sleep rendering to prosses moot. "Your lucky those dumb bears are too lazy to fight back, as for the lions, you and the Anacondrai where suppose to deal with them! Instead, we had had to defend against them plus the random wolf attacks as well. My men have been hurt because of your incompetence!" he finished. Acidicus continued, stating his piece, "As for my people's failure to track down the former crocodile king, we have had to keep the rest of the population in line. I have helped calm things down with Crooler's assistance, but the people are still uneasy. If not for our efforts the crocodiles might have joined the lions and the eagles in their revolt." the elder snake finished.
Narrowing his eyes at them, Pythor finally spoke, "Yes, the eagles. The one tribe we have been unable to conquest fully. They are the reason the lions have been able to succeed so much. Sure, the wolfs give them numbers, but the eagles are the ones responsible for their success. If we can bring them down, not only would we have one more tribe under our thumbs, but we would cut the lions means to reliably deliver their chi!" he said as his mind began to scheme. "And if something were to happen to them in the process, that's one less tribe to worry about!" he continued as he turned to the others. "But how will we get to them, they outnumber us in the air! That's why we had to rely on the wolf in the first place!" Skales said as the others pondered on their leader's new decision. "You just leave that to me, old chum! Let me remind you just why the Anacondrai are the most fear tribe in the realm!" Pythor replied his red eyes narrowing as the perfect plan formed within.
Inside the Eagle Spire library, Eris sat over a map of Chima, frustration clear on her face. "Augh! Come on Eris everyone is counting on you!" she said to herself as she rubbed her head. "What seems to be the matter Eris!" she heard someone asking from behind. Looking back, she was greeted by the familiar blue face of Ewald. "Oh, it's nothing! Just going over some flight paths is all." She answered calmly, trying not to make her worries seen. "Ah, good thinking Eris! Especially with all these windstorms going around. Well done, Eris! We can always count on you!" he said as he exited the room. While the Eagles were happy to help with the chi deliveries, she was put in charge of it. And so, it became her responsibility to make sure everything goes smoothly. Not to mention how much trust the lions were putting on her if she could make sure that everyone gets their chi, then the chances of them uniting against the serpentine once and for all. Especially if she could convince the Eagles to play a more active part in the fight. Since the Serpentine had pretty much left them alone, they had decided to limit their involvement in order to not seek the ire of the snakes. But she knew that it would only be a matter of time before they attack, she still remembered how they had played a part in the attack on the spires. They had been so swift and ruthless; she had seen what they could do and feared the day when they would come for them.
How right was she to fear them, for closing near the spires the entirety of the Serpentine fleet was swiftly approaching. A trio of Blade-Copters, flanked by a dozen Rattlercopters made their way towards the towering structure that was the Eagle Spires. From the front Pythor was seated, his most skilled pilot by his side. Looking towards his destination he ordered, "There they are! FORWARDS! TO THE SPIRES! HAHAHAHAAAA!" he finished laughing. The fleet rapidly speeds up, heading directly toward the central structure of the spires. "Quickly, fire!" Pythor gave the order, as the Rattlercopters began to open fire at the protruding rocks. Their venom-laced explosives shook the entire place, as the remaining three ships flew upwards towards the buildings. "The two of you, go towards the smaller structures! The main hall is mine!" he cried out as the others did as they were told. Arriving at the outside of the Library, his Blade-Copter opened fire, cracking the marble walls with force.
From inside, the eagles stumbled in a panic as books fell from their shelves. "What's going on!" cried Elkar, head librarian of the eagle tribe. "Woah!" cried Eris as she was nearly thrown out of one of the many windows in the room. Looking down, she saw the serpentine choppers blasting away at her home. With a quick gasp, she cried, "The serpentine is attacking!" In chock, Ewald made his way towards her, helping her to her feet, "What! Why are they here!" he cried as he stared in disbelief. "Isn't it obvious, there killing to birds with one stone! If they take us down, there'll be none to make the chi deliveries and they'll have one less tribe to worry about! Come on we must defend ourselves!" Eris tells him as she rushes over to the parking area.
Quickly making towards her jet, she takes off and starts blasting at the offending choppers. Nearly grazing his own ride, Pythor yells out, "Watch the merchandise!" as two Rattlercopters wack her away with their tails. Eris screams as she falls from being thrown away, while multiple eagles run to some jets so they can help her.
"COME ON!", "Eris is in trouble!", "Protect the spires!" they cry out as four eagles in jets fly right through two Rattlercopters. Another one is grabbed from above by an eagle jet and is thrown right into the spire's wall. Joining the fight, Eglor screeches while he glides down to attack an enemy craft, but the serpentine turns upside down so that his chopper's tail can grabble the jet in its grasp. The two pilots growling at each other, until Eglor luckily pushes him into another chopper, laughing at his victory. Suddenly he sees Ewald getting chased and goes to help, thankfully flying into the two enemy choppers and sending them flying. But then they are intercepted by one of the Blade-Copters, who quickly proceeds to bombard them with missiles.
As the eagle jets struggle to get out of the way of the offending firepower, Eris regains control of her jet. Looking around she spots Pythor, who's using his ship's net launchers to capture any fleeing eagle on his way, most landing hard but safely on the walkways of the city. But not all were that lucky, as some missed the mark and were sent plummeting down to the rocky grounds below. With a gasp, Eris rushed to the rescue, scooping them up with her jets claws before delivering them safely to the grounds below. "Thanks, Eris! You're our hero! Thank Cavora!" they said as she waved them goodbye and rushed back over to Pythor.
As the assault continued, Pythor could only laugh in wicked glee, "Yes, little birdies! Fly away in fear!" he said before he was violently rammed from the side. Jerking over as his ship remained its balance, he was placed face to face with his attacker. "Hey scale face! Pick on someone your own size!" Eris cried from her jet's cockpit; her eyes full of fury. Glaring at her, Pythor smiled in recognition, "Ah, the eagle's very own warrior princess! I was wondering when you would show back up! Seems like you didn't learn your lesson the first time!" he said condescendingly as he bared his fangs. "And what lesson would that be!" she yelled back with indignity, her contempt for the snake growing. "Little birds shouldn't mess with snakes!" he yells as he launches to missile her way. Reacting quickly, she put her jet into a dive before performing a barrel roll and swopped back up towards her attackers. "And little snakes shouldn't mess with birds of prey!" she cried out as she rammed the underside of the Blade-Copter with all her might, the craft quickly spiraling into a tailspin and crashing into the parking area.
Seeing the battle turning in their favor, the remaining serpentine proceeded to back away from the spire. As they witness this the eagles start cheering, "Hooray! We have vanquished our foe!" Ewald cries out happily. But suddenly, from the horizon, a massive shape makes its way toward the spire! Crashing through the trees the Anacondrai serpent let out a hissing roar, the massive snake rearing up for the hunt. Coiling around the spires, it proceeds to climb toward the city. "Alas., I spoke too soon," Ewald says as he witnesses the massive reptile making its way toward them. Launching at any aircraft near it, the serpent managed to ground a large portion of the eagle fleet as the rest retreated from its range. Before they were shaken from behind by the returning serpentine. What was meant to be a moment of triumph turned to terror as they were forced to evade the two-sided attack from their enemies. As more missiles were fired at them, one managed to hit Eglor once more, "Augh! We can't keep getting hit like this! Those missiles pack a punch!" he said as he continued to avoid the assault. "They must have repurposed the lion's artillery!" Ewald said curiously. "Now's not the time! We need to retreat to a safe space. Stat!" Eris cried out in a panic as she tried to lead them to a safe distance.
Back in the parking area, the generals Blade-Copter lands, Skales taking the lead. Approaching the burning wreckage, they cautiously search for their leader. "Pythor! Are you there?" Skales asks in a bored tone. "Overhear you overgrown garter snake!" cried the Snake King himself. "Get me out of here!" he yells out as the other lifts the wreckage off him. "Well, it's about time!" he tells them ungratefully as he dusts himself up. "Now, tell me. Did the plan work, has our little pet arrived?" he asks as he gathers himself, grabbing his staff in the process. "It was a complete success, despite the loses!" Skale stars in an annoyed voice, 'We drove the eagles off and are ready to proceed as planned!" he finishes with a bow. "Excellent!" Pythor said as his forces begin to land. "Serpentine! Grab everything useful from this place and then prepare to crush it to the ground!" he yelled out as they proceed to walk into the library, the serpent waiting below for his moment to strike.
Outside the Eagle Spire, the remaining eagle warriors wait, despair slowly creeping on them. "We have to get them out of there!" said Ewald in a slight panic. "I know! But our tribes are too evenly matched to beat in battle." Eris responds with sympathy. "Usually, we have the advantage because we can fly! Not this time." Elgor retorts in a matter-of-fact tone. "Perhaps our allies could assist?" Ewald retorts hopefully, only to be turned down by Eris shaking her head. "It's too dangerous to bring them up here! We'll spend most of our time trying to keep them from falling off our spires!" she explains sadly. HOPELESS! ALL MY PRECIOUS BOOKS!" cries a dejected Ewald towards the sky. "And my plans... but... I think we can defeat them, by exploiting the one thing they can't control!" Eris says, looking towards the giant snake still curled around the spire. "Huh?!" responded Elgor and Ewald in confusion.
Inside the library, the serpentine are busy ransacking the place, books and equipment flying as they searched for anything of use. Among those searching was Acidicus, the old snake busying himself by searching through the many books on the shelfs. Acidicus loved a good library, and this was one of the best ones he'd been in. Carefully took any book that got his attention, from history to legends, anything that could prove useful for himself. He repeated this process for some time until something caught his attention, a book lay on the floor, its pages open to a familiar-looking plant. "Huh, what's this!" he says as he picks the book up. "A Persuader Plant, I believe I have seen these on the swamp. Hmm, interesting." He says as he opens the book. "A guide to exotic plants of Chima?" he reads as he looks at the plant., "The fog of destiny… oh. SO, THESE ROOTS HAVE EVEN MORE POWER THAN THE FLOWER?!" he exclaims as he closes the book. "This will be very useful to me, very useful indeed!" he says as he laughs.
In another section of the library, a different reaction is occurring. "Blah! Useless, all useless. Not a single clue as to the whereabouts of those insufferable lions! This was a waste of time!" Pythor rants as he looks over the room. However, as he begins to leave, something catches his eye, "What's this." He says as he slithers over to some papers on a lone desk. But before he can look at the papers the whole room begins to shake. "What's going on!" he shouts as he struggles to make it to one of the windows. Looking below, he sees the eagle jets assaulting the serpent, causing it to tighten its grip. "Trying to use our own tactics against us! Well, two can play that game! SERPENTINE ATTACK!" he orders as his men get to their craft and are ready to fight once again.
Unknown to them, this was all a trick from Eris, who taking advantage of the commotion, manages to sneak inside the building. Expertly, she makes her way over to her papers and then hopefully to the armory in order to drive the serpentine away. She manages to reach her desk, and to her fortune, her papers seem to be intact. "Good! Everything seems to be in order, now I just have to get to the… armory." She begins saying before turning face to face with Pythor. "Going somewhere little birdy!" he says with malice as he backs her against a wall. "Now what was this about an armory…" he begins before noticing something, "Huh, now what do we have here, must be important for you to risk so much for it!" he says as he lunges towards the pages in her hands. Acting quickly, Eris kicks him away and makes a run for it, Pythor quick on her tail. She manages to grab a discarded axe and readies to use it against the offending serpent. Swinging with all her might, she is left surprised as Pythor effortlessly grabs it with his bare hands. "Hahahaaa, your gonna have to try harder than that!" he taunts before she spins kicks him, and makes a run toward the window. Turning invisible, Pythor gives chase through the twisting halls of the library. As Eris nears a window she is grabbed by the leg, turning to see Pythor rematerialize behind her, fangs bared. "Now, you're going to tell me where the lions are or I'm having eagle for lunch!' he threatens as she struggles under him. Running out of options she pecks him with all her might as she dive bombs off the windows, the papers fluttering all around her. Gathering her senses, she manages to regain her flight before hitting the ground.
From above, an enraged Pythor makes it to the parking area shouting, "Serpentine move out!" as his remaining forces prepare to leave. Once he was onboard a Blade-Copter he gave a final command. "SERPENT, DESTROY THIS PLACE!" Listening to her master, the Anacondrai serpent leaves the attacking eagles behind and continues to crawl toward the buildings. Once on top, it proceeds to squeeze the massive buildings, crushing them as the eagles were left to watch in despair. "Nooo!" Eris cried loudly as she witnessed the walls of the library cave in, chunks of marble tumbling towards the grounds as her tears fell. Up above she laid eyes with Pythor once again, as he stared in mad triumph at his handiwork. With one final laugh, the mad snake left with his fleet as the eagles were left homeless. Making it down on his own jet, Ewald lower his cockpit as he looked at Eris with worried eyes. "I failed." He heard her whisper as more tears fell from her eyes. "Eris… don't worry…we can… we can rebuild!" he said to her in a vain attempt to lift her spirits. She just looked at him and nodded slowly, not saying another word.
On the lion encampment, Laval witnessed as dozens of eagle jets landed. Surprised and concerned, he rushed over to his friend. Eris had just gotten off Ewald's jet as her leader and father turned to her, "I'm going to talk with Lagravis." Nodding once more, she watches as he leaves towards the main tent, barely missing a rushing Laval. "Eris, what's going on!" he asks concerned. Not knowing how to respond, she just collapses in his arms and starts crying, "I failed Laval, I failed," she cried as she wailed on his arms. "There, there, it's going to be alright, I'm here." he said tenderly as he watched the eagle cry her heart out. Rushing from the main tent, Cragger spotted the two and rushed over to them. "Laval, what's going on. Eris, what happened." he asked as he made it to them. "I don't know buddy, but it can't be good." He said as he was still hugging a crying Eris. The eagle in question managing to let out a few cold words, "Pythor. Pythor happened! He attacked the spires, he destroyed them! But I managed to grab these!" she says as she shows them some loose pages. "I couldn't get all of them, but I'm pretty sure neither did he, we're still safe, hidden. We still have a chance to beat him!" she exclaims with an uncharacteristic rage in her voice. "Eris, I know how you feel, we both do! But we can do anything without help. We don't have the numbers or the flute!" Laval told her, understanding what she was going through, and trying to keep her safe. Eris just looked at them in rage, before turning back towards the tent. "What are we going to do Cragger?" he asks tiredly. "I don't know yet, but we'll figure something out, I promise!" the croc said to his friend, a fire reigniting in his eyes as he swore to make things right. "Huh, at least they still don't know where we are!" Laval said with a small smile as he went to join the others.
Back at the Lion Temple, Pythor smiles at a small piece of paper, the remains of a map. "It's not much, but I now know where to look, you can't his for much longer vermin!" the Snake King says as he looks at a piece with the Sanctuary Forrest circled on it, a wicked madded smile crossing his face. Laughter soon erupted all over the temple as the vile snake celebrated his triumph.
On the Crocodile Hideout, Acidicus read through the pages of a book, a few flowers sitting next to him. "Yes, very interesting!" he muses to himself. "What is?" a voice from behind interrupted him, the voice of a certain crocodile princess. "Ah, Queen Crooler, how nice of you to visit." He says not bothering to turn towards her. "I was sorting through some of my brother's things when I heard you had returned." She informed him nonchalantly. "Is that so, how nice of you," he said as he continued with his work. "So, what ARE you working on, and are those my plants!" she asked again, now taking notice of the persuader plants next to him. "Oh, these are yours, how surprising. Didn't take you for a flower person, or where you perhaps planning some other use for them." He said in a knowing tone. "Just answer my question!" Crooler asked impatiently. "Just know that it is the key to our destiny." The old snake said as he eyed the plants intensely. "Whatever!" was all Crooler said as she left the room, carrying a box with her.
A box with a very familiar flute tucked within it!
Author's Note:
Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay, I had a bit of writer's block when doing this chapter. but I hope you will all like it. We nearly approach the end of season 1 and I can't way for you to see what's in store. Now don't forget to leave me your comments as I appreciate all the criticism I can get. It helps me be a better writer and gets you a better story, a win-win!
Thank you all for reading!