Chapter 18: Spy for a Spy and Spellbound
The Kabuki were serving the fighters food. Everyone sitting in a half circle facing Chen, who was eating some sort of weird food,
"Try the horned wasp eggs. Delicious!" Chen offered to Lloyd
"Uh, I think I'll pass."
"Oh, lighten up, Green Ninja. This isn't a trick. This is a feast to celebrate the eight of you making it to the second round." Chen declared as his Kabuki laugh. "And I must congratulate the Master of Shadows defeat over Master of Poison. She was a bit hard to swallow, am I right?":The Kabuki laugh. "Laugh harder! Hahahaha" They force a harder laugh.
"You can relax, Lloyd. Even if there was a fight, now that we told the others about Chen's dirty plot to steal our Powers, we're safe in our secret alliance." Kai said calmly with a smirk.
"I tried to enlist Shadow, but that dude's throwing some serious shade." Griffin said
"Well, if you plan to stop Chen, you'll need everyone on board. Each fighter that loses gives him strength. Soon he'll be too powerful for even all of you to overcome." Garmadon imparts as Kabuki retrieves the fortune cookies. Cinder just listens to the conversation as he eats the food he was given. He was unhappy with the other Elemental Masters not listening to them. He was wary of them, with his draconian instincts yelling at him to flee and get away from the danger, but he knew that they'll see that they weren't lying. He ignored the two men whispering, thinking he wasn't listening, but was listening with his enhanced hearing. Cinder watched as Chen stood up while his Kabuki brought fortune cookies to the Masters.
"It has come to my attention that there are rumors floating about that I am stealing everyone's power. I am." Chen announced making the Masters gasps. "But it's all for this staff." He claps, and the Kabuki waves their hand fans. "No, no. Not you, staff. I mean my real staff." Everyone gasps as the staff is brought to him. "The Staff of Elements. It holds the power of your fallen foes, and soon it'll hold all but one. For the last standing will win this prize and be the greatest fighter ever in the history of Ninjago!"
Everyone whispers
"You lied. What about the spell?" Lloyd demanded angrily
"Spell? What spell?" Clouse said sweetly but Cinder could feel the deflect from him.
"Don't believe him, it's just another trick. Neuro read Clouse's mind and saw it. Tell them what you saw, Neuro." Lloyd said as the Master of Mind tried to look into his mind.
"He's going to block him out." Cinder thought grimly
"I—I don't remember. Truthfully, I'm a bit more interested in knowing more about that staff." Neuro said worried
"And why should we be so quick to believe everything you say? How do we know you're not lying to get the staff for yourself?" Griffin questioned suspicions and the others mumbled and stared at the ninja with contempt.
"So much for the alliance." Garmadon muttered
"They believe him over us?" Lloyd questioned
Cinder just looked away from them and watched as Chen's Kabuki danced with their fans. But he then noticed one of them looking at him intensely. Then he noticed a familiar device on the Kabuki's wrist, he knew who it was: Nya.
"Ah ha! Let's go Samurai X. Coming in to help." Cinder thought happily inwards but outwards he kept a blank look but blink five times. Showing a sign that he sees her. The Kabuki eyes widen slightly but blinks five times back and continued to dance.
"Cinder? Are you and boys doing ok?"
Cinder blinked once to acknowledge her response.
"Ok, that's good, I'm on the island with Dareth. Also with contact with Wu via mobile base."
Cinder nodded silently as he ate his food.
"Also, there's something else as well you need to know. Someone in your circle of trust is a spy." Nya whispers as he choke on his food. Garmadon looked at the disguised dragonet in concern. Cinder waved him off, saying a piece of food went down the wrong pipe and slowly ate his food carefully. Soon after their food was done Cinder looked at the ninja and then at the disguised Nya. He got up and walks up to Chen
"Uh.. Master Chen?"
The man look at the disguised dragonet lazily.
"Yes?"
"May I request one of your Kabuki to make a bath for me?" Cinder asked and waited for the man's response
"Hmmm... well, it's just one of them. Take your pick!" Chen advised
Cinder pretended to look at each Kabuki and stopped on the disguised Samurai. He walks over to her and stands in front of her.
"I picked this one."
Chen laughed maniacally
"Ha ha ha! Good choice! Please take Master Cole's brother to the baths." Chen ordered and the kabuki (Nya) bowed and led Cinder out of the dining area. Once out of sight the two walked down the corridor and down some stairs. After passing a few hallways the two stopped at a door, and Cinder opened the door. Opening it shows a bathroom that was the size of a master bedroom. Once the door closed Cinder turned and hugged Nya and smiled.
Nya! I'm glad to see another friendly face here. But more importantly, how did you find us? Chen's island is wayyyyyyyy off of Ninjago?"
"Well, Zane's falcon showed up and led me to the port and saw a bunch of noodle trucks. I camouflage my mobile base to blend in." Nya explained
"Well we know Zane's alive because Chen took his powers with a staff that absorbs it." Cinder said and Nya's eyes widen
"Really?"
Cinder nodded
"That's great, but why did he steal his power?" Nya questioned
"A spell."
"A spell? For what?" The disguised Samurai asked
"We don't know. But what Neuro, the guy with hair that sorta resembles a brain, saw in Clouse's mind was a page numbered 149 in his spell book. I think he might have it in his quarters." Cinder said as he felt his uncle mumbling and he sighs.
"I try to find where Zane's at, but with Chen, Clouse, and his cultist men watching the team. I couldn't go searching for him. I hope Cole finds him and figures out a plan to escape."
"What about Sparx?" Nya said as then the dragonfly would me up.
"Someone say my name?"
Cinder looked at Nya, blushed and pulled his shirt. His uncle flew out and stretched and noticed the Kabuki in the room.
"Uhhhhh... Cin. Why are you blowing my cover?"
Nya chuckled
"Don't worry Sparx, it's me Nya. I am undercover, so your cover isn't blowed. But speaking of disguises, does Chen know your true form, and abilities?"
"Nope, he doesn't. I just hope we can stop whatever he's doing before he completes this spell." Cinder said and then looked at the bathtub.
"Also, I was telling the truth to Chen that I was going to take a bath." Cinder said chuckling
"You're not going to make me do this for you?"
"Well, I don't want you to, but I don't want the both of us to get caught ok?"
"Ugh... alright, but you owe me for this."
Cinder chuckled
"Sure I'm fine with that. We're the younger members of the team, I'll do anything for you Nya."
—-
A few hours later Cinder was in Lloyd's room with the others and Garmadon. He explained to them what Nya had said and told her about the spell. Lloyd was concerned about the spy, considering he might have an idea of who it is. Now the remaining Elemental Masters are in Kai's suite. Cinder stated he's going out and exploring, but was hiding in the shadows using his Shadow element. That way, if Shade refuses to cooperate and tries to escape he can grab him and hold him without getting caught.
"Like I said, I ain't joining your little alliance. I'm gunning for that staff." Shade said
"Hey, this isn't about an alliance. This is about finding out who the spy is. No one leaves this room until we find out who is passing information to Chen." Lloyd remarks
"Why are you looking at me, Greenie? I'm not your spy." Shade glared
"Perhaps I can help." Neuro says as he uses his Mind on him. "I don't know who, but someone here isn't who they say they are."
"How do we know we can trust you? Maybe I should use your power and see inside your head." Skylor pointed out
"I'd like to see you try, power hoarder." Neuro shot back
"This is what Chen wants, for us to fight. But we don't have to. There has to be a more civilized way around this." Kai said
"There is. Everyone who's ever worked for Chen has the Anacondrai tattoo on their back. Find the tattoo, find the spy." Garmadon imparts
"Anyone object?" Lloyd proposed as Neuro shows his back without the tattoo.
"Can I go now?" He asked
"Not until we check everyone. Who's next?" Lloyd remarks
"Let's get it on." Griffin said and showed his back.
After checking Mr. Pale, who didn't have the tattoo, Shade and Skylor were the last to be checked
"Well, only two left." Lloyd said
"Uh, I hate to do this, but it's your turn. Can I see your back, please?" Kai asked awkwardly
"How could you not trust me? I came to you with the fortune cookie—" Skylor was cut off
"I'm sorry, but we have to know." Kai apologized, feeling guilty
"Wait. Where'd Shadow go?" Lloyd asked
"He disappeared through his own shadow." Jay shouted
"There he is. Get him!" Griffin said
"I ain't your spy, and I ain't your friend either. That staff will be mine." Shade said as Lloyd uses his Energy on him, but a portrait of Kai falls on Jay instead.
"Aah! My leg! Ugh. Get Kai off of me!" Jay yelled
"You cast a long shadow, old man." Shade said to Garmadon as the Sensei tried to stop him and he went into a shadow. But a few seconds later Shade was then brought out of the shadows stuck within chains of shadow. Everyone looked surprised by this and were gobsmacked by this.
"It was Shadow. He must be the spy." Neuro declares
"Ow! Oh." Jay yelps in pain as he's freed from the picture, but suffers a broken leg. After trying to get Shade to expose his back, it showed no tattoo, and was released from the shadowy chains. Soon everyone left.
"Skylor, look, I'm sorry." Kai tried to apologize but was cut off.
"Don't. And if you still think I'm the spy, watch me walk out that door." Skylor said angrily and showed him her back without the Anacondrai tattoo.
"What happened to our alliance?" Jay muttered as he cradled his injured leg.
"What alliance?" Lloyd questioned as they sat in the room.
—
It was a few hours later that the Elemental Masters, Garmadon, and Cinder were riding on a blimp above the island. Everyone was on edge and were looking suspiciously. Fortunately Cinder wasn't getting the stink from them, even though he knew the Master of Mind was keeping his word.
"What are you looking at, Zippy?" Jay said annoyed
"The next one out of the Tournament." Griffin shot back
"Uh, heh." Jay said unconvinced Mr. Pale whistles at the Master of Amber.
"Do you mind?" Skylor said to the Master of Light unimpressed
"Tensions are high." Garmadon cited
"Yeah, not as high as we are now. Can hardly see the island from up here." Lloyd remarked
"Yeah, so high... missed being up in the air." Cinder said as he looked out the window. Since he hasn't been flying for the past few days, he was feeling very anxious of feeling his blood rushing through him as adrenaline fuelled him to keep flying. Unfortunately not everyone likes being in the air.
"I've had enough of this. I can't stand heights. Where's Chen?" Neuro growls angrily and marches to the cockpit and opens the door, but no one's piloting it. "Ugh!"
A monitor over the controls lit up as Chen's face appeared.
"How do I know if this thing's on? Oh, oh, oh, I see the light. Oh, oh, I'm on? Right now? Ahem, ahem. Hello, final eight. I see you are all eager for the tournament to commence so one of you can win my Staff of Elements. Instead of fighting for a Jadeblade, today you will be fighting for something different." He shows them a video of Nya.
"Nya." Kai said with horror on his face.
"You know her?" Skylor questioned
"She's my sister." Kai answered with worry.
"We have an uninvited guest on the island." Chen announced
"And she must be holding the proof that will stop Chen." Kai reply
"Find her and you will automatically move on..."
"The spell he plans to use when he takes our powers." Kai added
"...to the final round!"
"He wants us all to hunt her down? She won't stand a chance." Jay exclaimed
"Then we have to find her before anyone else does." Lloyd stated
"Agreed."
"In ten seconds, the bottom will drop." Chen declared and everyone gasped. "But to show you I'm not a bad man, I've given you eight parachutes." Everyone but Garmadon and Cinder rushes to grab a parachute. "Sensei Garmadon is there? Along with Master Cole's brother? Shoot, that makes ten. Oh, well, I was never good at math. Heh. Toodle-oo."
"That guy's love for trapdoors is seriously getting on my nerves!" Lloyd growls angrily as the door fully opens and everyone falls out of the blimp.
"Lloyd, use your Energy Dragon!" Jay yelled as they fell. Lloyd tries to, but fails.
"I can't! I can't get it to work!" Lloyd yelled back, scared.
Cinder felt the wind fly through his hair as he fell. He watched as others were grabbing for parachutes. He sees Jay land on top of Griffin's parachute, who then gets knocked off. The Lightning Master was able to grab a parachute anyways.
"Your powers don't work because you aren't controlling your fear. Focus." Garmadon advises as Mr. Pale steals Lloyd's parachute. "Control your fear. Don't let it control you. Center yourself."
Cinder let the wind's soothing breeze hit his face to let him focus on what Garmadon said.
"Listen to what your dad says. Just like when Sensei Wu told the others to focus the Golden Weapons into their vehicle form? Remember that."
"There's only one parachute left." Kai yelled to the three. Garmadon looked at Cinder.
"It's time you enter the game Purple Dragon."
Cinder nodded and let go of the parachute. The other Masters looked at him with bewilderment, but he ignored it. Soon he reached the tree line and flew through it. He then shifts.
"ROAR!"
Cinder shot upward from the tree line and soon was hovering. The dragonet smirks at the other Elemental Masters gobsmacked looks.
"He he he he... surprised?"
"H-how?" Shade stutters and Cinder snorts and crosses his arms.
"I was born like this. I hatched out of an egg like any dragon. Also, I apologize for you being chained earlier."
"Wa-wait!? That was you that's doing it?" Shade uttered.
"Yep."
Another roar sounded out and the dragonet turned to see Lloyd. He was sitting on top of a dragon made out of green energy. Cinder whistled, impressed
"Huh. He made it!" Kai yelled happy
"Haha! Of course he did!" Jay cheered
"Atta boy!" Garmadon cheered
Soon after that show of display of skill and Cinder's true self reveal everyone headed towards the ground. Cinder followed Garmadon and Lloyd as now to his reveal of his draconian self, he didn't trust any of them one bit. Even though Neuro was honest, he didn't want to take the risk.
"Hail, combatants, I have left a few treats to help you in the hunt. I hope you use them wisely." Chen declared through a speaker.
Lloyd meets up with Garmadon and Cinder. The dragonet was scanning the area, trying to see if any traps were nearby.
"If we're going to find Nya before the others do, we have a lot of ground to cover." Garmadon said as then Lloyd points behind the Sensei
"Look, Nya's footprints."
"Hmm, Nya is more clever than that. No, she wants everyone to follow these tracks. But only us can see this." Garmadon points to a tree with a carving on it. "Samurai X symbol."
"Can I give you a lift?" Lloyd asked as he tried to summon the dragon. But was halted
"Save your energy. It's best not to draw attention. Come on." Garmadon advised and Lloyd nodded. The Sensei turned to the dragonet. "Cinder, can you sense where Nya's at?"
"Yes, and before you ask I already scan where she's at with both my Earth and Shadow elements." Cinder replied and the three walked, the dragonet leading the way. After a couple of mins Cinder could hear Lloyd's curiosity.
"You said before that Master Chen was your Sensei, but nothing else."
"Son, there are things from my past that I am not proud of. Perhaps it's time for you to know the truth. After the Devourer bit me when I was a child, it took years for all of the evil to fully consume me." Garmadon explained and described how he came to the man. Dueling against Clouse as pupils under the man to become his right hand man.
"It was a time in our history when man and Serpentine were not getting along. As our sides clashed, we hoped for a truce. But not Chen." Garmadon said and continued his story, but one thing he brought up got the Green Ninja agitated.
"Mom thought that letter was from you!" Lloyd exclaimed in disbelief. Cinder stopped as well too, hearing that made his stomach churn uneasily.
"As I've told you, there are things in my past I'm not proud of, but I have no regrets. You wouldn't be here otherwise. My fear of losing Misako controlled me and led me down a dangerous path. A path I hope to one day make peace with." Garmadon said regret and guilt in his voice. Cinder felt bad for him as he felt for the man. He went through so much pain and anger with the darkness controlling him, and now he's feeling so downcast for his mistakes. He then hears his Uncle speak up,
"You sounded like someone I knew of."
"Huh? Really, who?" Garmadon raised an eyebrow .
"Cynder, Cin's mom has the same ordeal as you. She was corrupted like you but was under the Dark Master's control. Jeez I remember how she was when I was younger, so scary, so fearful... ughh... I don't like to remember those memories. But when Spyro saves her from the corruption she have similar problems like you, but compared to you Spyro stays by her side, comforting her when people say horrible things to her. Defending her when people taunt her, and even protecting her from others attacking her. But my brother, Cin's father, didn't listen to their words and insults. He helped her out of the kindness of his heart, because he cared for her. What I'm saying is that if your wife is upset with you and won't let you explain, at least you have others that cared for you, like Lloyd here!" Sparx said and sat on one of his nephew's horns.
Garmadon paused, thinking over what the dragonfly said and smiled.
"Thank you Sparx. I appreciate the advice you give. You're right as well too, I have others who cared for me, especially Lloyd."
"That's good." Cinder said with a small smile and turned his head and sensed the area. "But let's keep moving and get to Nya."
—
After their conversation over the ordeal Garmadon has with the group of four moved through the jungle. It's been an hour since splitting up from the blimp but with Cinder's senses they were making great progress on getting to Nya. They have stopped in a clearing near the mountain for a breather. Sparx was telling the dragonet stories of his dad's childhood while the two Garmadon's listened.
Suddenly Cinder stopped in his tracks, causing the Sensei and ninja to stop as well. Cinder focused in on what he was hearing, sounding like a mechanical machine fighting something, which he felt was magical and not the good kind.
"What do you hear Cin?" Lloyd asked
"A fight."
"A fight? What can you tell?" Garmadon questioned
"The first is a mechanical machine, possibly a mech... wait I can sense who's fighting."
"Who?"
"Jay."
"Ok, then who's he fighting kiddo?" Sparx said
"The other's magical, but is tainted."
"Clouse. Chen made him capture the remaining Masters. We need to get that spell." Garmadon declared and they quickened up their pace. Then a few seconds later there was a huge BOOM! coming from where Jay was at. Then the bushes in front of them shudder as then Nya ran out of and runs into them
"Nya!" Lloyd exclaimed
"They took Jay. They took everyone." Nya cried
"Slow down, Nya." Garmadon said calmly
"You're the only one left, Lloyd. You're the only one who can stop it." Nya said with tears in her eyes. Cinder could see she was so torn up on seeing both Jay and Kai being taken. He went up and gave her a hug and wrapped his wings around her to show he understood her distress.
"Stop what?" Lloyd said flabbergasted
"A transformation spell. It can't be." Garmadon said worried
"Transformation? Transform into what?" Lloyd implies
"An army of Anacondrai. The tournament may be over, but the next Serpentine War may have just begun." Garmadon said darkly
—
Chapter 18 edited and spell checked
